EDD unemployment while transitioning from active duty to reserves - reporting drill pay correctly

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

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!

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.

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!

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!

Hey Keisha, welcome to the community and congrats on completing your service! I went through this exact same transition from Air Force active duty to reserves about 18 months ago. The advice you're getting here is spot on - definitely report when you RECEIVE the pay, not when you drill. One thing I learned the hard way is to screenshot or print your EDD certification pages after you submit them. I had a situation where EDD claimed I didn't report some reserve pay correctly, but having those screenshots saved me from a big headache. Also, your reserve unit's finance office can help explain exactly when you'll get paid for each drill - mine was always 2-3 weeks after the drill weekend, but it varied. The transition period can be stressful enough without worrying about EDD issues. You're being smart by asking questions upfront instead of figuring it out after the fact. Good luck with your job search and thank you for your service!

I'm currently dealing with this same situation! Just transitioned from Navy active duty to reserves last month and filed for EDD benefits. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about reporting when you RECEIVE the pay vs when you PERFORM the drill. That's such an important distinction that I definitely would have gotten wrong. My first drill is coming up in two weeks and I was planning to report it right away on my next certification. Now I know to wait until I actually get the paycheck. The screenshot tip from Charlotte is brilliant too - I'm definitely going to start doing that for all my certifications. It's frustrating that EDD reps give such inconsistent information about military pay, but at least we can help each other figure it out. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, especially the cautionary tales about overpayments. Better to be overly careful than deal with that mess later!

As someone who just went through this transition from Marine Corps active duty to reserves about 6 months ago, I can definitely relate to your concerns! The anxiety about getting it wrong is real - I spent weeks worrying about it before my first certification. Here's what worked for me: I kept a simple spreadsheet tracking my drill dates and when I actually received payment. This made certification much easier because I could quickly reference exactly when money hit my account. Also, don't forget that drill pay usually comes in two parts - your base pay and any special pays - and they might arrive on different dates. One more tip: if you're doing online job applications while collecting benefits, keep screenshots of those too. EDD sometimes asks for proof that you're actively seeking work, and having that documentation ready can save you headaches later. The transition period is tough enough without stressing about benefits. You're asking all the right questions upfront, which puts you way ahead of where I was. Thank you for your service, and best of luck with both the reserves and finding civilian employment!