Can I do Uber while on Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

So if my weekly benefit is $350, I can make up to $350 from Uber without losing any unemployment money?

Not exactly. It's more complicated than that. They deduct earnings over $5 from your benefit amount. So if you earn $100, you'd get $250 in UI that week instead of $350.

How did you track all the earnings? Uber pays weekly but the amounts vary so much.

I kept a simple spreadsheet with dates and amounts. Just use whatever Uber deposits into your bank account that week.

Never heard of that service. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?

It's legit. They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you through the queue. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

I might try this too. Been trying to reach someone at Washington ESD for weeks about my job search requirements.

Good point. I've been applying to office jobs since that's my background. The Uber thing would just be temporary income.

Wait, what counts as job search activities? I thought just applying to jobs was enough.

Applications count, but you can also do things like networking events, career fairs, updating your LinkedIn, or contacting employers directly.

Same here. Got laid off in November and still haven't found anything permanent. Gig work seems like the only option.

At least with gig work we can control our schedule around job interviews and stuff.

How much is too much? I wasn't planning to drive more than 15-20 hours a week.

There's no hard rule, but if you're working 40+ hours a week doing gig work, they might say you're not actively seeking full-time employment.

You report gross earnings before expenses. Washington ESD doesn't let you deduct business expenses when calculating your weekly UI reduction.

That seems unfair since gas costs are so high right now.

Yeah it sucks but that's how they do it. Keep track of expenses for tax purposes though.

Have you had any issues with Washington ESD about it?

Nope, as long as you're honest about your earnings they don't care. The problems come when people try to hide income.

You report it for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid. So if you drove Sunday-Saturday, report that income on the weekly claim for those dates.

Thanks, that makes sense. The timing was confusing me.

Yeah their phone system is terrible. Claimyr was a lifesaver for me - definitely recommend it if you need to actually talk to someone.

I'll have to check that out. Been trying to call about my adjudication issue for weeks.

Good advice. I'll start a folder if I decide to do this.

This is smart. I got hit with an overpayment notice once because I couldn't prove what I'd reported was accurate.

Seriously. Their website has so much conflicting information.

That's why talking to an actual person is so important. The written materials don't cover every situation.

Yeah I'm worried about that too. My car isn't that new.

If your car is older, maybe stick to delivery apps instead of rideshare. Less wear and tear.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I think I'll give it a try for a few weeks and see how it goes.

Good luck! Just remember to be honest on your weekly claims.

I'm definitely going to try this. My adjudication has been pending for 5 weeks.

Yeah that's exactly the kind of situation where you need to actually talk to someone. Their online system doesn't help with complex issues.

That's reassuring. I was worried it might trigger some kind of red flag.

Nah, Washington ESD expects people to take part-time work. They just want to make sure you're reporting it properly.

Wait, I thought there was a higher threshold before they started reducing benefits?

Nope, it's just $5. Anything over that gets deducted from your weekly benefit amount.

So if Uber takes their commission out before paying me, I still report the full amount?

Exactly. Report what you actually earned, not what you received after Uber's fees.

That's a separate issue from unemployment. You'd need to check with your insurance company about rideshare coverage.

Right, I just meant whether Washington ESD cares about insurance issues when you're doing gig work.

Washington ESD doesn't get involved in insurance matters. Their only concern is that you report your earnings accurately.

Agreed. I feel a lot more confident about trying this now.