Can I work for DoorDash while receiving TWC unemployment benefits?

Yes, you can do DoorDash while collecting unemployment, but you MUST report ALL earnings when you request payment every two weeks. TWC uses a formula where they deduct a portion of what you earn from your weekly benefit amount. Specifically, you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any deduction, then they reduce your payment dollar-for-dollar for anything over that threshold. For example, if your weekly benefit is $400, you can earn up to $100 without reduction. If you earn $150 that week, they'll deduct $50 from your benefit. Just make sure you're honest about reporting because they do check with employers and gig platforms.

did doordash myself when i got laid off last year!!! just make sure u report EVERYTHING even if its just like $40 for a day. they will find out if u dont & make u pay it all back later with penalties!!

Working for DoorDash while on unemployment is considered self-employment in Texas, and reporting requirements are strict. Each payment request, you must report gross earnings (before expenses) for the week they were earned, not when you got paid. Keep detailed records of all deliveries and income. And don't forget - you still need to complete 3 work search activities each week for regular full-time employment, even if you're doing gig work. The DoorDash work doesn't count toward your work search requirements.

I tried doing the same thing with Uber Eats last year and it was a NIGHTMARE with TWC! I reported my earnings correctly but they still flagged my account for an "earnings discrepancy" and froze my payments for almost 3 WEEKS while they investigated!!! Had to keep calling their impossible-to-reach phone lines trying to get someone to fix it. Total disaster.

My sister did instacart while on unemployment and TWC ended up saying she was overpaid bc she didnt report right and now she owes like 2 thousand dollars back just be careful

To answer your specific question about the 25% threshold - with a weekly benefit amount of $362, you can earn up to $90.50 per week without any reduction (that's 25% of $362). Anything over that gets deducted dollar-for-dollar from your benefit. So if you earned $120 from DoorDash in a week, TWC would deduct $29.50 from your benefit payment (that's $120 - $90.50 = $29.50). You'd receive $332.50 for that week instead of the full $362. Just remember that you need to report based on when you WORKED, not when you got paid. DoorDash might pay you on Thursdays, but you need to report based on which TWC benefit week you actually did the deliveries.

dont forget that doordash doesnt take out taxes so youll need to set aside money for taxes on that income too! made that mistake my first time on unemployment lol

@OP yeah it was worth it for me! i did doordash like 2-3 days a week, made like $100-150 each week & still got partial unemployment. better than nothing while u look for work

One more important thing - when you do your payment requests, make sure you answer "Yes" to the question about whether you worked or earned money, even on weeks where you might not have received a payment from DoorDash yet. You'll need to provide the dates worked and gross amount earned before expenses. Also, keep very detailed records of your DoorDash work including: 1. Hours/days worked each week 2. Gross income before expenses 3. Screenshots of your earnings summaries TWC may request verification later, and having these records will protect you if there's ever a discrepancy.