Should I continue certifying for EDD benefits when I'm earning too much money this month?

YES! Always certify even if you know you won't get paid. If you stop certifying, your claim goes inactive after 2 weeks of not certifying. Then when your job ends, you'd have to reopen your claim which is a whole other headache. Just report your earnings honestly each week, and EDD will show $0 payment but your claim stays active. I've done this twice during my claim when I had short gigs.

depends how long ur construction job lasts. if more than a month might as well just file new claim later. such a hassle either way lol

ABSOLUTELY KEEP CERTIFYING!!! I made this mistake last summer when I got a 6-week contract job. Stopped certifying because I thought "why bother?" BIG MISTAKE! When the job ended, I had to go through this whole reopening process that took 3 WEEKS where I got ZERO money while they "processed" my claim again. The EDD system is DESIGNED to make you give up. Don't fall for it!!

I agree with others - continue certifying and report your earnings. Here's what happens when you certify with excessive earnings: 1. Your weekly certification will show "Excessive Earnings" and $0 payment 2. Your claim remains active (this is the important part) 3. When your earnings drop below your weekly benefit amount, payments resume automatically If you stop certifying for two weeks, your claim becomes inactive and you'll need to reopen it, which can cause delays of 2-3 weeks or more. During busy periods at EDD, reopening can take even longer.

I'm having the exact opposite problem trying to reach EDD about my certification issues. Been trying to get thru for 2 weeks! Anyone figure out a better way to reach a human being there? It's so frustrating!

To clarify some technical points about excessive earnings: 1. In California, "excessive earnings" means you earned more than your weekly benefit amount (WBA) plus $25. So if your WBA is $450, anything over $475 in a week is considered excessive. 2. Your claim remains open for the entire benefit year (52 weeks from filing), even with periods of no payment. 3. When certifying with excessive earnings, select "Yes" to the question about working, report all hours and earnings accurately, and the system will automatically calculate $0 payment. 4. This keeps your claim active without creating overpayment issues. Consistent certification is always the recommended approach, regardless of your temporary employment situation.

I did the same thing last year with my seasonal retail job! Keep certifying and just be honest about your hours/pay. Then when your job ends you won't have any gap in payments. Also make sure you have documentation of your last day when the construction gig ends just in case EDD asks for proof later!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - definitely keep certifying! I learned this the hard way when I had a short-term landscaping job last spring. The key thing is that California EDD treats temporary work differently than permanent employment changes. As long as you're still within your benefit year and the work is genuinely temporary, you want to maintain that active claim status. When you certify with excessive earnings, think of it as "checking in" with EDD to let them know you're still available for work once this temp job ends. The system is actually pretty smart about handling these situations automatically once you resume normal certification after the job ends. Just make sure you're accurate with your earnings reporting - don't round down or try to game the system because that can create audit flags later.

Just went through this exact situation last month! Had a 3-week demolition job that paid way over my benefit amount. I kept certifying the whole time and it worked perfectly - reported my earnings honestly, got $0 payments those weeks, but my claim stayed active. When the job ended, I certified the following week with no work and boom, my regular benefits kicked right back in with zero delays or complications. The EDD system handled the transition automatically. Don't overthink it - just keep that certification schedule going every two weeks no matter what!

I'm in a similar boat right now - just started a temp welding job that's paying way more than my weekly benefit amount. Reading all these responses has been super helpful! It sounds like the consensus is crystal clear: keep certifying no matter what. I was actually leaning toward stopping certification to "save myself the hassle" but now I realize that would create WAY more hassle later. It's good to know that EDD's system is designed to handle these temporary work situations and that the transition back to benefits is automatic when you're honest about your earnings. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver for navigating EDD's confusing processes!