Can I do DoorDash while waiting for ESD unemployment approval? 7 weeks in adjudication

Yes, you can work while claiming unemployment, including gig work like DoorDash. Just make sure you report your gross earnings (before expenses) for the week you WORKED, not when you got paid. When you file your weekly claim, there's a section that asks if you worked and your earnings - be honest there. Your weekly benefit amount will be reduced based on what you earn, but it won't affect your overall eligibility or delay the adjudication process. Keep detailed records of your hours worked and earnings for each day. The system uses a formula where you can keep some earnings before they start reducing your benefits - I think it's roughly 25% of your weekly benefit amount. Make sure you're still available for full-time work and documenting your job search activities too.

Just sharing my personal experience - I was in adjudication for 8 weeks last year and did Instacart while waiting. I reported all my earnings accurately each week, and when my claim was finally approved, I got back payments for the difference between what I earned and what my full benefit would have been. So if your weekly benefit is $450 and you made $200 with DoorDash in a week, you'd still get $250 for that week once approved. The key is being 100% honest with reporting. And don't forget you need to do those 3 job search activities each week even while in adjudication!

make sure ur honest!!! i did uber last summer while waiting for my claim and didnt report it cuz i thought since i wasnt get paid yet i didnt need to. HUGE MISTAKE got hit with an overpayment and had to pay it all back plus they said it was fraud!!! dont make my mistake dude

The system is DESIGNED to trip you up! Be super careful about reporting your income from gig work because ESD will look for ANY reason to deny your claim. I worked part time while waiting for adjudication and they used that as an excuse to drag out my claim for 12 WEEKS!! Said I wasn't "available for full time work" even though I was only doing it to survive while they took their sweet time. Make sure you're available for full time work AT ALL TIMES or they will use it against you. The whole system is rigged against us regular people.

Trying to reach ESD to ask these kinds of specific questions is nearly impossible these days. I was in a similar situation and couldn't get through on the phones for weeks. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual ESD agent who confirmed I could do gig work as long as I reported it. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Saved me so much stress knowing I was doing things correctly. The agent I spoke with also expedited my adjudication after I explained my financial situation.

I think you can earn up to like 25 or 30% of your weekly benefit without any deduction, then after that they start reducing your benefit dollar for dollar. So if your WBA is $500, you could earn about $125-150 without losing any benefits. But I'm not totally sure on the exact percentage so maybe double check that.

This is totally unrelated to your question but make sure you're filling out your job search log correctly! I was in adjudication for 9 weeks and then got approved but then they randomly audited my job search logs from those weeks and I hadn't kept good enough records! Had to pay back 2 weeks of benefits because of it. Just a heads up since you mentioned it's been 7 weeks already!

One more important thing to know - if your claim is in adjudication specifically because of a job separation issue (like being fired or quitting), then doing gig work won't affect that process at all. The adjudicators are looking at why you left your previous employment, not what you're doing now to get by. So don't worry that DoorDash will somehow complicate things - it won't. Just keep filing your weekly claims accurately, reporting any earnings, and completing your job search requirements while you wait.

I'm dealing with a similar situation - been in adjudication for 5 weeks and getting really stressed about money. Reading through all these responses is super helpful! One thing I wanted to add is that I called the ESD customer service line early in the morning (like 7:30 AM right when they open) and actually got through after about 20 minutes on hold. The agent confirmed that doing gig work while waiting for adjudication is totally fine as long as you report it honestly. She also told me that adjudication delays are usually backlogged cases, not because they're investigating your current activities. Hang in there - sounds like you're doing everything right by asking these questions first!

I was in a very similar situation last year - 6 weeks in adjudication and completely broke. I started doing DoorDash and Uber Eats to survive and it actually worked out fine. The most important thing is to be completely accurate when reporting your earnings each week. I kept a simple spreadsheet with dates, hours worked, and gross earnings (before gas/expenses) because that's what ESD wants to see. When my claim finally got approved, I received back payments for the partial benefits I was owed for those weeks. The gig work earnings didn't slow down my adjudication at all - turns out they were just backed up with cases. One tip: save all your DoorDash payment records because ESD might ask for documentation later. You've got this, and doing some gig work to get by is totally reasonable while waiting for them to process your claim!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation a few months ago! I was in adjudication for 6 weeks and started doing Instacart deliveries around week 4 when I couldn't make rent. The key things that worked for me: 1) Report ALL your gross earnings honestly each week - don't try to hide anything or underreport, 2) Keep detailed records of every delivery (date, time, gross pay) in case they audit you later, 3) Make sure you're still actively job searching and documenting it properly, and 4) Stay available for full-time work (don't turn down interviews because of your gig schedule). When my claim finally got approved, I received partial back payments for those weeks where I had gig earnings, which was a nice surprise! The gig work absolutely did not delay my adjudication - that was just ESD being overwhelmed with cases. You're smart to ask these questions upfront rather than guessing. Good luck with everything!

I've been through this exact situation! Was in adjudication for 8 weeks and did DoorDash starting around week 5 when I was getting desperate. Here's what I learned: Always report your GROSS earnings (before gas/car expenses) for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid. Keep a simple log - I used my phone's notes app to track date, hours, and earnings after each shift. The most important thing is being 100% honest on your weekly claims. I was terrified it would mess up my case, but when I finally got approved, I received back payments for the difference between what I earned and my full benefit amount for those weeks. The adjudication delay had nothing to do with my gig work - they're just seriously backlogged. Also make sure you're still doing your 3 job search activities each week and staying available for full-time work. You've got this - hang in there!

I'm currently going through something similar - been waiting for my unemployment approval for about 3 weeks now and starting to worry about bills. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! It sounds like the consensus is pretty clear: be completely honest about reporting any gig work earnings, keep detailed records, and make sure you're still available for full-time work. I'm curious though - for those of you who did gig work while waiting, did you find that certain platforms (DoorDash vs Uber Eats vs Instacart) were better for keeping track of earnings and hours? I want to make sure I choose something that will make the record-keeping as straightforward as possible when I report to ESD. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really reassuring to know that so many people have successfully navigated this situation!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago - 9 weeks in adjudication and completely broke. Started doing DoorDash around week 6 and it was honestly a lifesaver. The key is just being super transparent about everything. I used a simple notebook to track each delivery: date, start/end time, gross earnings. When I filed my weekly claims, I reported exactly what I earned that week (not when I got paid out). My biggest fear was that it would somehow hurt my case, but it didn't at all - the adjudication was just about my previous employer disputing my layoff. When I finally got approved, I received back payments for partial benefits for all those weeks I did gig work. One tip: set aside about 30% of your gig earnings for taxes since you're now technically self-employed for that income. ESD doesn't withhold anything from gig work like they do from regular jobs. Hang in there - you're doing the right thing by working to survive while waiting for their slow process!

I'm in a similar boat - been waiting 4 weeks for my adjudication and getting really anxious about finances. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so reassuring! It sounds like the main takeaways are: 1) Report all gig earnings honestly on your weekly claims, 2) Keep detailed records of dates/hours/gross pay, 3) Stay available for full-time work, and 4) The gig work won't actually delay your adjudication process. I'm planning to start with DoorDash this week since several people mentioned their tracking system is pretty user-friendly. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it really helps to know so many people have successfully navigated this situation while waiting for ESD to process their claims. The stress of being broke while waiting is no joke, but at least now I feel confident I can do some gig work without messing up my case!

I was in a very similar situation last year - stuck in adjudication for 6 weeks with bills piling up. I ended up doing DoorDash and Grubhub to survive and it worked out fine! The most important thing is to report your gross earnings accurately on your weekly claims. I kept a simple spreadsheet with the date, platform (DoorDash/Grubhub), hours worked, and gross pay for each day. When you file your weekly claim, report the total earnings for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid out. My adjudication was about a previous employer issue and the gig work didn't affect that process at all - they're completely separate things. When my claim finally got approved, I received back payments for the partial benefits I was owed for those weeks where I had gig earnings. One tip: DoorDash has pretty good tracking in their app, so you can easily see your daily/weekly earnings. Also make sure you're still doing your job search activities and staying available for full-time work. The financial stress while waiting is awful, but doing gig work to get by won't hurt your case as long as you're honest about it. Hang in there!

I'm currently in week 3 of adjudication and this thread has been a lifesaver! Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence to start doing some gig work while I wait. The consistent message seems to be: report everything honestly, keep good records, and don't worry about it affecting your adjudication timeline. I'm planning to start with DoorDash this weekend since multiple people mentioned their tracking system is reliable. One question for those who've been through this - did any of you find it helpful to call ESD and let them know you were planning to do gig work while waiting, or did you just start working and report it on your weekly claims? I want to make sure I'm being as transparent as possible but also don't want to unnecessarily complicate things if a phone call isn't needed. Thanks again to everyone who shared their stories - knowing that so many people successfully navigated this situation while maintaining their unemployment eligibility is incredibly reassuring!

I'm in a similar situation - been in adjudication for 5 weeks and really feeling the financial pressure. This thread has been incredibly helpful! It's reassuring to see so many people confirm that doing gig work won't affect the adjudication process as long as you report earnings honestly. I've been hesitant to start any work because I was worried it might somehow delay my case even more, but reading everyone's experiences has convinced me that I should go ahead and start DoorDash. The tip about keeping detailed records and reporting gross earnings for the week you actually worked (not when paid) is really valuable. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it's amazing how much less stressful this feels when you know other people have successfully navigated the same situation!

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago - 7 weeks in adjudication and completely panicking about money. Started doing DoorDash around week 5 and it was honestly the best decision I made during that stressful time. Here's what worked for me: I used the DoorDash app to screenshot my daily earnings summary right after each shift and kept them in a phone folder. When filing weekly claims, I reported my total gross earnings for that specific week (not when DoorDash paid out). The gig work had absolutely zero impact on my adjudication timeline - turns out they were just backlogged with cases from a previous employer who was contesting multiple claims. When I finally got approved, I received back payments that accounted for my DoorDash earnings, so I got partial benefits for those weeks. The key is being completely honest and keeping good records. Also, don't let anyone scare you about "availability" issues - as long as you'd be willing to quit DoorDash if offered a full-time job, you're still considered available for work. The financial stress while waiting for ESD is brutal, but you're smart to ask these questions first. You've got this!