How to certify for EDD when job offer accepted but no start date yet?

congrats on the job! but dont report it till u actually start working and get paid. verbal offers arent reportable income, u need to have actual work hours

You need to answer the question about whether you refused work accurately. Since you accepted the job offer, you would answer "No" to that question. However, you don't need to report any income until you actually perform work and earn wages. The certification questions specifically ask if you worked or earned wages during the certification period. Be aware that once you do start working, you'll need to report your earnings for the week you worked, even if you haven't been paid yet. EDD cares about when you earned the money, not when you received payment.

I had something similar last year! The job offer took forever to process and I was in limbo for like 3 weeks. So annoying! I just kept certifying normally until my actual first day of work. When you certify, just answer the questions honestly based on the specific week. So if you didn't work or earn any wages during the week you're certifying for, you report that you didn't work or earn wages.

The certification process is very specific about the time period you're reporting on. Here's exactly what you need to know: 1. Answer "No" to the question about refusing work (since you accepted the offer) 2. Don't report any income until you actually perform work 3. Continue to meet all work search requirements until your first day of work 4. Once you start working, report your gross earnings (before deductions) for the week you worked, even if you haven't been paid yet 5. If your earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount, you'll be considered "employed" for that week Also, make sure you're answering all certification questions accurately about your availability to work during each specific week. If you were available full-time during the certification period, you should indicate that.

I had the EXACT same issue back in December! I got a job offer but then HR took FOREVER with the paperwork and background check. I was freaking out about how to certify too. I called EDD using Claimyr (claimyr.com) after trying for days to get through myself. The service connected me to an agent in about 20 minutes - there's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The EDD rep told me I should continue certifying normally until my first actual workday. They said a job offer isn't reportable until you actually start working and earning wages. Just make sure you're truthfully answering all the certification questions for each specific week.

your fine dont worry bout it til u actually start the job. i think thers a question about did u get any job offers but u dont need to report income til u actually work. the whole thing is super confusing but dont stress

Just to clarify something SUPER IMPORTANT that's confusing people - there is NO QUESTION on the certification that asks if you "received a job offer" - the question is specifically "Did you refuse any work?" - if you got an offer and ACCEPTED it, then you did NOT refuse work, so you answer NO to that question! Don't overthink this! The certification asks specific questions and you answer those SPECIFIC questions truthfully. If you didn't work during the week, you report no work. If you didn't earn money during the week, you report no earnings. If you didn't refuse work, you answer NO to refusing work. SO MANY people mess this up and then get hit with overpayment notices later!!!!

My daughter went through something similar last year. Her new job took almost a month to get her started after she accepted their offer. Just answer the certification questions honestly based on what actually happened during the week you're certifying for. If you didn't work or earn wages, report that. If you were available and looking for work (which technically you should still be doing until you have a firm start date), report that too.

One additional important point: once you do start working, if your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount, you may still qualify for partial unemployment benefits. Make sure to continue certifying if you're working part-time or if your initial earnings are low. If you earn more than $25, EDD will deduct 75% of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. And yes, you absolutely must continue doing your work search activities until your actual first day of work. A job offer with no start date doesn't exempt you from the work search requirement.

Congratulations on the job offer! I went through something very similar a few months ago. The key thing to remember is that EDD certification is based on what actually happened during the specific week you're certifying for, not what might happen in the future. Since you have a verbal offer but no official paperwork or start date yet, you should continue certifying normally. Answer "No" to refusing work (since you accepted the offer), report no earnings if you didn't work that week, and make sure you're still doing your required work search activities until you actually start the job. The uncertainty is stressful, but you're handling it right by being cautious. Once you get that official start date and begin working, then you'll report your earnings. Until then, just stick to answering the certification questions honestly based on what actually occurred during each certification period. Good luck with the new position!