EDD unemployment while transitioning from active duty to reserves - reporting drill pay correctly
Just got discharged from active duty Army last month and I'm starting with the Army Reserves next week. I filed for unemployment benefits with EDD since I haven't found a civilian job yet, but I'm confused about how to handle my upcoming drill pay. Do I need to report my drill weekends when I certify? Will they just reduce my weekly benefit amount based on what I earn from the reserves? I've tried calling EDD but keep getting the 'maximum callers' message. Anyone dealt with military transition and reserves while on unemployment? I really don't want to mess this up and end up with an overpayment later.
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Paolo Romano
Yes, you absolutely need to report your drill pay when you certify for benefits. You'll report the earnings for the week you actually RECEIVE the pay (not when you perform the drill). EDD will then deduct a portion of those earnings from your weekly benefit amount. If you earn over $599 in a week, you'll likely not receive benefits for that week. Make sure to keep documentation of all your drill pay for your records.
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Keisha Jackson
•Thanks for the info! So I shouldn't report anything until I actually get the check from my drill weekend? My first drill is next weekend but I probably won't get paid for it until 2-3 weeks later.
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Amina Diop
i was navy reserves while on edd last year.. you gota report when u GET PAID not when u do the work!! this is super important. and yeah they reduce ur benefit by like 75% of what u make or something.
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Oliver Schmidt
Hey there, I went through this exact situation in 2023 when I left the Marines and joined the reserves. You're absolutely right to be concerned about doing this correctly! I found it IMPOSSIBLE to get anyone at EDD to answer my questions about military benefits. I kept calling for three weeks straight with no luck. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km They connected me to a specialist who actually understood how military drill pay works with unemployment. Definitely worth it because the last thing you want is to have to pay back benefits.
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Keisha Jackson
•Thanks for the tip! Did they make you pay back any benefits? I'm paranoid about doing something wrong and then getting hit with an overpayment notice months later.
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Oliver Schmidt
•No payback issues for me because I got specific instructions from the EDD rep. The key things they told me: 1) Only report drill pay in the week you RECEIVE it, 2) Keep all your LES statements, and 3) If you get AT orders (Annual Training) that's different - you report those differently. Definitely call them to get the specifics for your situation.
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Natasha Volkov
Congratulations on your transition! I did reserves for 6 years while occasionally collecting unemployment between civilian contracts. Just make sure to be SUPER clear about dates. Military pay systems are weird and sometimes you'll get paid weeks after you did the drill.
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Javier Torres
This is a common question for veterans. According to EDD regulations, you must report any income earned during the week you certify for benefits. However, military reserve pay is reported when you receive it, not when you perform the duty. When certifying, select "Yes" to the question about whether you worked or earned money, even if you didn't receive payment yet. Then report the amount when you actually receive it in a subsequent certification period. If your drill pay exceeds 75% of your weekly benefit amount, your unemployment payment will be reduced accordingly. If your drill pay exceeds your weekly benefit amount by $25 or more, you won't receive benefits for that week. Also be aware that if you're called up for longer periods (like AT), you may become ineligible during that period since you'd be considered fully employed.
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Emma Wilson
•Wait this is confusing. You said select "Yes" when certifying even if you haven't been paid yet, but then also said to report the amount when you actually receive it later? Those contradict each other. The EDD system asks for the amount when you select "Yes" so what do you put if you haven't been paid yet???
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Javier Torres
•You're right, I should have been clearer. When you PERFORM the work (attend drill), but haven't been PAID yet, you should select "No" to the question about whether you received income. Then, in the week you actually RECEIVE the pay, select "Yes" and report the amount. The key is reporting the income when you receive it, not when you earn it. This is specific to reserve military pay - for most other types of work, you report when you perform the work regardless of when you're paid.
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QuantumLeap
i had a similar issue but with national guard not reserves. got soooo confused with all this!!!! ended up with an overpayment of like $2800 because i reported my drill weekends wrong. make sure u keep ALL ur payment stubs and documents EDD might audit u later!!!
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Keisha Jackson
•Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! Did you have to pay all of that back? Were they understanding when you explained it was a mistake?
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QuantumLeap
•yeah had to pay it ALL back. they put me on a payment plan but they didnt care that it was a mistake. they said i should have known the rules. be SUPER careful with dates and amounts!!!
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Emma Wilson
This whole system is SUCH a mess for military people! I'm in the Reserves too and I swear EDD has no idea how our pay works. I had THREE different reps tell me THREE different things about how to report drill pay. One said report when you do the work, one said report when you get paid, and one said don't report at all because it's federal not state income! Total disaster. I ended up with a penalty flag on my account that took 5 months to fix!
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Paolo Romano
•The correct procedure is definitely to report reserve drill pay in the week you RECEIVE it, not when you perform the duty. This is an exception to the normal EDD reporting rules. And military pay absolutely needs to be reported - it's not exempt from EDD reporting requirements. Sorry you got such inconsistent information!
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Malik Johnson
When I was on unemployment after my Navy discharge I just didn't report my reserve drill pay and nobody ever said anything. This was back in 2022 though so maybe they're stricter now.
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Javier Torres
•I strongly advise against this approach. Not reporting income to EDD is considered fraud and can result in penalties, repayment requirements, and potentially even disqualification from future benefits. Just because someone wasn't caught doesn't mean it's legal or advisable.
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Keisha Jackson
Thanks everyone for the advice! Sounds like I need to: 1) Report drill pay when I RECEIVE it, not when I perform the duty, 2) Keep all my LES statements in case of audit, and 3) Be prepared for reduced benefits during weeks I receive pay. I think I'll try that Claimyr service to get an official answer from EDD before my first certification. I definitely don't want to end up with an overpayment situation!
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Paolo Romano
•That's a perfect summary of what you need to do! Good luck with your transition to civilian life.
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Klaus Schmidt
Fellow veteran here! Just wanted to add that when you do report your drill pay, make sure you're clear about which type of pay it is. Regular drill pay (UTAs) gets reported differently than special pays like travel reimbursements or family separation allowance if you have any. Also, if you end up getting orders for longer training periods (like your 2-week AT), you'll need to stop certifying entirely during those periods since you're considered temporarily employed full-time. The military liaison at your local EDD office might also be helpful - not all offices have them but it's worth asking. Stay strong during the transition!
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