How much can I earn from DoorDash/Lyft while on EDD without losing benefits?

Yes, you can work part-time while collecting UI, but you MUST report ALL earnings during your bi-weekly certification. EDD uses a formula: you can earn up to $99 without any reduction in benefits. After that, for every dollar you earn above $99, they deduct $0.75 from your weekly benefit. So if you make $199 in a week ($100 over the threshold), they'll reduce your benefit by $75. Just be super careful to report accurately - I got hit with an overpayment notice because I underreported my DoorDash earnings. They somehow got the income info and flagged my account six months later! The stress wasn't worth the extra money I tried to keep.

Hey u should know that when u work for doordash ur technically self-employed so its different from regular w2 work. u gotta report GROSS earnings not what u get paid after they take out fees!!!! also dont forget to track ur mileage n gas expenses cuz that matters for taxes later but NOT for edd reporting. its confusing af

i did uber while on edd last yr and it was such a PAIN to report correctly!! the apps dont make it easy to see ur exact weekly earnings matching edd weeks (sun-sat). ended up making spreadsheets n everything. good luck lol

I helped several clients navigate this exact situation. Here are the facts: 1) California EDD uses a formula for partial benefits: the first $99 of earnings per week won't affect your benefits. After that, for every $1 you earn above $99, EDD subtracts $0.75 from your weekly benefit amount. 2) For gig work specifically, you need to report the gross amount before platform fees (this is different from net earnings after expenses). 3) You MUST continue meeting work search requirements even when doing gig work. That means still applying for full-time positions in your field. 4) Keep detailed records of your earnings, including screenshots that clearly show the dates and amounts. Gig platforms will issue 1099 forms that EDD can cross-reference. Many people find it's financially beneficial to do some gig work while on unemployment as long as you report correctly.

Careful with working for those apps while on unemployment!!!!! My brother in law did that last year and EDD completely stopped his benefits because they said he was "self employed" and not "unemployed." It was a huge mess that took 3 months to fix!!! They made him go through an eligibility interview and everything!!

One important thing to keep in mind: if you're earning income from gig work, you need to accurately track and report your hours worked each week as well as the income. This matters because: 1. If you work more than 32 hours in a week, EDD may consider you fully employed regardless of how much you earned 2. You need to be available for full-time work to remain eligible for benefits 3. If you decline full-time job offers because of your gig work schedule, you could be disqualified The ideal approach is to use gig work as a supplement while maintaining full availability for traditional employment in your field. Make sure you're still doing your required job searches each week.

Dont even bother with the gig work tbh... the math almost never works out when u factor in gas + car depreciation + taxes. ur basically trading ur cars value for cash now. just my 2 cents.

Has anyone actually calculated if it's worth it? Like if I get $425/week from EDD and then make $300 from DoorDash, how much would I actually get from EDD after reductions? Is it better than just the $425 alone?

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who did gig work while on EDD for about 4 months last year. The key things that helped me avoid issues: 1. I set up a simple spreadsheet to track weekly earnings Sunday-Saturday to match EDD's reporting periods 2. Always reported the gross amount before any platform fees or deductions 3. Kept my gig hours under 25/week to stay clearly part-time and available for full-time work 4. Still did my required job searches every week and attended interviews when they came up The extra income definitely helped, but you have to be super organized with record-keeping. I also recommend setting aside about 25-30% of your gig earnings for taxes since they don't withhold anything. The platforms will send you 1099s at tax time and EDD can cross-reference that info, so accuracy is crucial. Good luck with your job search - the restaurant industry has been picking up lately!

I actually just went through this exact situation a few months ago! Started doing DoorDash while collecting EDD after losing my retail management job. Here's what I learned the hard way: The $99 threshold everyone mentioned is spot on, but here's something they don't tell you upfront - EDD's reporting weeks run Sunday to Saturday, which rarely matches up with how DoorDash shows your earnings in their app. I had to manually calculate my earnings for each EDD week by going through individual delivery records. Also, be prepared for some confusion if you do customer service work through the apps. When I called EDD to clarify something, the first rep told me gig work might disqualify me entirely, but that was wrong. A supervisor clarified that as long as you're reporting correctly and still available for full-time work, it's fine. One tip: I found it easier to do DoorDash during off-peak job search hours (like weekend evenings) so it didn't interfere with my availability for interviews or networking. Ended up finding a new management position after 3 months, and the gig income really helped bridge the gap financially. Just stay organized with your records and be completely honest on your certifications. The temporary extra income is worth it if you do it right!

Great question! I'm in a similar situation - lost my bartending job at the beginning of the year and have been thinking about doing some Uber Eats to help with bills while I look for another service industry position. From reading everyone's responses, it sounds like the key things are: 1) Report ALL gross earnings accurately during certification 2) Stay under that $99 threshold if you want to keep full benefits, or understand the 75% reduction formula if you earn more 3) Keep detailed records matching EDD's Sunday-Saturday weeks 4) Don't work more than 32 hours/week or they might consider you fully employed 5) Continue doing required job searches and stay available for full-time interviews The math actually seems to work out okay if you're strategic about it. Like if I made $150 in gig work one week, I'd lose about $38 from my EDD benefits ($150-$99 = $51 x 0.75 = $38.25), but still come out ahead overall. Has anyone here had experience with Uber Eats specifically? I'm wondering if their earnings tracking is any easier to work with than DoorDash when it comes to matching EDD reporting periods.