Can I still claim unemployment benefits after accepting a job offer with a future start date?

yes u can still claim until ur actually working! when u do ur weekly claim just answer honestly that u got a job offer but haven't started working yet. they ask if u worked during the week - if u didn't work, u didn't work! simple as that

You can absolutely continue claiming benefits until your first day of work. Your unemployment eligibility is based on whether you're currently employed and earning wages, not whether you've accepted a future job offer. You should continue filing your weekly claims normally until your actual start date. However, you DO need to report the job offer on your weekly claim. There's a specific question about whether you've obtained work that will begin in the future. Answer "yes" to this and provide the details when prompted. This won't disqualify you from receiving benefits for the weeks before you start working. And yes, you still need to complete and document your 3 job search activities each week until you actually start the new job. ESD requires this even if you have secured future employment.

I went through this exact situation last year! You can definitely still claim until your first day of actual work. Make sure you answer "Yes" to the question that asks if you've obtained work that will start in the future. One important thing - keep a copy of your offer letter showing the start date. If ESD has any questions later, you'll have proof of when your employment actually began. Also, don't forget you STILL need to complete your job search requirements each week, even with a job lined up. I know it seems pointless, but I got flagged for skipping my job searches during my final two weeks before starting my new job.

I HAD THE EXACT SAME SITUATION IN JANUARY!!! The ESD website is SO CONFUSING about this. I tried calling them for 2 WEEKS to get clarification and couldn't get through to ANYONE!!! I was panicking about potentially doing something wrong and getting hit with an overpayment later. I ended up having to wait 6 weeks for my claim to be processed because they put me in adjudication over this very issue! They eventually approved everything but it was SO STRESSFUL not knowing if I'd get the money I needed for rent.

my brother in law had this happen and he just kept claiming until he actually started the job. its about whether ur actually working not whether uve accepted a job. makes sense if u think about it cuz why would they stop paying u when ur still not earning any money yet? just be honest on the weekly claim forms

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! Just to update - I called ESD (took forever to get through) and they confirmed what you all said. I need to answer "yes" to the question about obtaining future work and provide my start date, but I can continue claiming until I actually start working. And yes, I still need to do my job search activities each week. They also suggested I keep my offer letter handy in case there are any questions later. Really appreciate all the advice!

One additional tip since you mentioned the weekly claim questions - when you get to your first week of actual work, remember that ESD uses a Sunday-Saturday week. So if you start on a Tuesday, you'll report the earnings for those days (Tuesday-Saturday) on that week's claim. You'll receive partial unemployment for that week if your earnings are below your weekly benefit amount. Just make sure to report your gross earnings (before taxes) for the days you actually worked, not your future full weekly salary.