Reporting severance pay twice during EDD certification? Already listed it on initial application

Yes, you need to report it again when you actually receive it. The initial application was just informing EDD you would be receiving severance in the future. Now that you've received the payment, you must report it during the certification for the weeks it was received. Make sure to indicate the correct week if it was only received in one of the two weeks you're certifying for.

ya def report it!! my cousin didnt report sum money he got and ended up with overpayment notice later. not worth the headache

I went through this exact situation last year. You absolutely need to report the severance when you actually receive it during certification. The initial application just gave EDD a heads-up that severance was coming, but certification is where you report what actually happened during those specific weeks. When you report the severance, make sure to enter the correct gross amount before taxes. Your weekly benefit amount will likely be reduced or zeroed out for the week(s) you received severance, depending on the amount. This is normal and prevents overpayment issues later. Just be precise about which certification week the payment was received - if you got it during week 1 of your two-week certification period, only mark it for that week, not both weeks.

i remember when i was on unemployment in 2022 and they asked about income i just put no for everything even tho i had some side gig money coming in...ended up getting hit with an overpayment notice for like $4k later!!! EDD eventually finds out everything so just be honest now

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO TRICK YOU!!! They ask the same questions multiple times in different ways to catch you in a "lie" so they can deny benefits. I got caught in this exact trap last year with my severance. First they wanted to know on the application, then again during certification, then AGAIN during a phone interview!!! And each time if your answers don't match EXACTLY they flag you for fraud investigation!! Make sure you report EVERYTHING exactly as it happened or they WILL come after you later. The EDD computers cross-reference everything with employer reports.

Has anyone else noticed how impossible it is to reach an actual human at EDD if you have questions like this? I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through on their phone line last month when I had a similar question about reporting income. Always got the "we're experiencing high call volume" message and then they'd hang up. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an EDD agent within 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Definitely worth it for peace of mind on confusing questions like this severance reporting issue.

I think people are making this more complicated than it is. Just answer the questions honestly as they come up. If they ask if you received income, and you did receive severance that week, select Yes and enter the details. EDD's computer system will sort it out.

To clarify a bit more about how this works: When you initially report expected severance on your application, EDD uses that information to determine your initial eligibility for benefits. When you later report actually receiving that severance during certification, EDD uses that to calculate your benefit amount for those specific weeks. For the week you received severance, your benefit will be reduced according to this formula: if your severance exceeds your weekly benefit amount, you'll receive $0 for that week. If your severance is less than your weekly benefit amount, you'll receive the difference. The important thing is that your certification matches what actually happened during those specific weeks. For all future certification periods where you don't receive severance, you'll answer "No" to that question and receive your normal benefit amount.