How much can I earn from DoorDash/Lyft while on EDD without losing benefits?
Hey everyone, I'm currently collecting unemployment after my restaurant job let me go last month. I've been applying for full-time kitchen positions but nothing's panned out yet. To make ends meet, I was thinking about doing some gig work with DoorDash or Lyft while I continue my job search. Does anyone know how much I'm allowed to make from these side gigs without it affecting my weekly EDD benefits? I heard something about reporting all income during certification, but is there a specific threshold where they start reducing benefits? I'm getting $425/week right now and really don't want to mess that up, but I also need some extra cash. Thanks for any help!
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Zoe Papanikolaou
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.
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Andre Dupont
•Thank you! I had no idea about the $99 threshold. So if I understand correctly, if I earn like $250 in a week from DoorDash, they'd reduce my benefit by about $113? (($250-$99) × 0.75) That would still leave me with about $312 from EDD plus my $250 from driving... so actually better off than just the $425 alone. I'll definitely report everything accurately - don't want to deal with overpayment issues!
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Jamal Wilson
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
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Mei Lin
•This is an important point. With platforms like DoorDash and Lyft, you need to report the GROSS amount before their commission, not just what hits your bank account. EDD doesn't care about your expenses like gas or car maintenance - those are tax deductions, but not relevant for unemployment reporting. Keep detailed records of everything because if there's ever a discrepancy between what these platforms report to the IRS versus what you reported to EDD, you could face an overpayment situation or worse.
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Liam Fitzgerald
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
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GalacticGuru
•Same experience here. The EDD reporting weeks don't match up with how the gig apps break down earnings. I ended up taking screenshots every Saturday night of my weekly totals just to keep it straight. Also remember that tips count as income too! EDD doesn't care if it came from the app or cash tips - it's all reportable income.
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Amara Nnamani
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.
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Andre Dupont
•Thank you for this detailed breakdown. I'm definitely going to keep excellent records and make sure I understand exactly what I need to report. And yes, I'll absolutely continue my job search for full-time kitchen work. The gig work would just be to supplement until I find something permanent.
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Giovanni Mancini
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!!
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•That happened to me too! EDD flagged my account when I started doing DoorDash and I had to get on the phone with them to explain I was still looking for full-time work in my field. Try using Claimyr to get through to an EDD rep quickly if this happens - saved me hours of redial hell! Their website is claimyr.com and there's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Basically they call EDD for you and connect you when they get through. Worth it when you're dealing with issues that could stop your payments.
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Mei Lin
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.
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Andre Dupont
•I didn't realize the hours themselves mattered - I thought it was just about the earnings! This is really important to know. I'll definitely limit myself to part-time hours with the gig work and keep my schedule open for interviews and potential full-time positions. My primary goal is still finding a steady kitchen job.
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Jamal Wilson
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.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•agree!!! i basically made like $5/hr after ALL expenses with uber. ended up putting 30k miles on my car in 8 months and had to replace brakes twice. NOT WORTH IT!!
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GalacticGuru
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?
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Mei Lin
•Let's do the math: If you earn $300 from DoorDash in one week: - First $99 is exempt, so we calculate reduction based on $201 - Reduction amount: $201 × 0.75 = $150.75 - Your weekly benefit amount of $425 would be reduced by $150.75 - You'd receive $274.25 from EDD plus your $300 from DoorDash - Total income: $574.25 So yes, you'd be about $149 better off per week in this scenario, before accounting for expenses. Just make sure you're accurately reporting and still meeting all other EDD requirements.
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