Will exceeding my weekly benefit amount kick me off EDD unemployment? Part-time on-call worker confusion

Don't worry, you won't lose your claim by reporting excessive earnings for a couple weeks! Your claim remains active for the entire benefit year (until June 2025). When you certify and report earnings that exceed your weekly benefit amount, you'll simply receive $0 for those weeks, but your claim stays open. When your hours drop again, just continue certifying as normal and report your reduced/zero earnings. As long as you're still certifying every two weeks (even when reporting full earnings), your claim remains active. You won't need to reapply unless your benefit year expires.

i was in this EXACT situation last year!!!! worked on-call security and would somtimes get 0 hours then random 12 hour shifts. reporting the big earning weeks didn't mess up my claim at all, just got $0 those weeks. keep certifying!!!!!

While the others are correct that reporting excess earnings won't close your claim, be careful about how you answer the certification questions during those weeks. When you report earnings that exceed your WBA: 1. Still answer "Yes" to "Were you able and available for work?" 2. Answer "No" to "Did you refuse any work?" 3. Report ALL hours and wages accurately 4. Continue to look for full-time work and document your work search efforts If you stop certifying for several weeks, your claim could go inactive and require reactivation (not a full reapplication but an extra step).

The EDD system is DESIGNED to trap people like us with variable schedules!!! I had almost identical situation last year and they ended up reviewing my claim and hitting me with a false statement penalty because they said I should have reported being "unavailable" on days I worked more than 8 hours. Complete BS! They're looking for ANY excuse to deny benefits to gig workers.

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from EDD about your specific situation, I'd recommend using Claimyr to connect with an EDD representative. I was in a similar situation with irregular work hours and needed clarification on certification questions. Regular phone lines were impossible, but Claimyr got me through to a specialist in about 20 minutes who explained exactly how to handle my variable schedule certifications. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km that shows how it works. Definitely worth it for peace of mind and clear answers directly from EDD.

The amount you earn each week affects your weekly benefit. If you earn too much, you won't get benefits that week but you're still on unemployment. Keep certifying!!

when i had a week where i made more than my benefit amount i just didnt certify for that period cuz i knew i wouldnt get paid and nothing happened my claim stayed active this was back in january

My cousin works catering and has same issue with random schedules. She said the rule is if u dont certify for 2 consecutive certification periods (so 4 weeks total) then ur claim becomes inactive. But if u just have 2 weeks of high earnings its fine as long as u keep doing the certifications every 2 weeks.

I went through this exact same anxiety when I started doing irregular freelance work while on UI! The key thing that helped me was understanding that your claim doesn't disappear just because you have some good weeks. Think of it this way - your benefit year is like a bank account that stays open until June 2025, and each week you either withdraw from it (if you earn under your WBA) or you don't (if you earn over your WBA), but the account itself stays active. Just make sure you're honest about ALL your earnings and hours when you certify, even the weeks you know will result in $0 benefits. I learned this the hard way when I tried to be "helpful" by rounding down my hours slightly and got flagged for review. EDD has access to wage records anyway, so accuracy is everything. Your irregular schedule is actually more common than you think - tons of people are dealing with gig work, on-call positions, and seasonal jobs while on UI. The system is built to handle this, even if it doesn't always feel that way!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in payroll and has seen this scenario countless times - you're absolutely doing the right thing by continuing to certify even during your high-earning weeks. The EDD system is specifically designed to handle fluctuating income situations like yours. One thing that might ease your mind: when you report earnings above your WBA, the system automatically calculates $0 benefits for that week, but it also maintains your claim status and benefit year timeline. Think of those weeks as "paused" rather than "lost" - your remaining benefit balance stays exactly the same and will be there when your hours drop again. Also, since you mentioned being stressed about reapplying - as long as you're within your benefit year (which you are until June 2025) and you keep certifying regularly, you'll never need to file a new claim. The only time you'd need to reapply is if your benefit year expires or if you stop certifying for an extended period and your claim goes completely inactive. Your on-call situation is actually pretty standard in today's economy, so don't feel like you're gaming the system or doing anything wrong. You're using UI exactly as intended - as a safety net during periods of reduced work!