Does signing a job offer letter affect my ESD benefits if job doesn't start for 6 weeks?
I finally received a job offer after 4 months of unemployment (retail management layoff). They sent me an offer letter to sign, but the position doesn't actually start until September 7th - which is about 6 weeks away. I'm worried that if I sign now, ESD might cut off my benefits immediately even though I won't be earning any income until September. Does anyone know if signing an offer letter affects your current benefits? Do I have to report this on my weekly claim? I really need these benefits to continue until the job actually starts or I'll fall behind on rent.
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Malik Thomas
You need to report when you ACCEPT the job offer on your weekly claim, not just when you sign the letter. Under the 'did you accept an offer of work' question, you'll answer YES and provide the date you'll start working. You'll still receive benefits until your actual start date since you aren't being paid yet. Just make sure to enter the correct start date (Sept 7) when you file your weekly claims. Congrats on the new job!
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Emma Wilson
•Thank you! That's a huge relief. Do I need to upload the offer letter or provide any other proof when I answer yes to accepting work?
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Isabella Oliveira
BE SUPER CAREFUL WITH THIS!!! I signed an offer letter last year and checked 'yes' for accepting work on my weekly claim. ESD immediately STOPPED my benefits, even though my job wasn't starting for another month. It took WEEKS to get it sorted out and I almost got evicted. The system is totally broken!!! Call them before you do anything!!!
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Malik Thomas
•That shouldn't happen if you enter the future start date correctly. The system specifically asks for the date you'll begin working, and benefits should continue until then. But you're right that it's worth being cautious - ESD's system can be glitchy.
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Ravi Kapoor
my brother had this exact situation and he just kept filing every week and put the date he was starting on the form where it asks if u accepted work. he got benefits right up until the week he started working. no problems at all.
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Freya Larsen
You absolutely must report that you've accepted a job offer, even if it hasn't started yet. When you complete your weekly claim, answer "yes" to the question about accepting work, then enter your future start date (September 7th). The system is designed to continue your benefits until your actual start date. The key is providing accurate information - don't try to hide the job offer as that could result in an overpayment situation later. As long as you're truthful and enter the correct future start date, your benefits should continue until your employment actually begins. Also, keep filing your weekly claims and continue completing your required job search activities until your actual start date - these requirements don't change just because you've accepted a future position.
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Emma Wilson
•This is really helpful, thank you! I was worried I'd have to choose between signing the offer letter now or having benefits until September. I'll definitely report it accurately on my next weekly claim.
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GalacticGladiator
Wait do we still have to do the job search requirements after accepting a job? That seems weird if you already have a job lined up??? I thought once you accept an offer you don't have to keep looking
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Freya Larsen
•Yes, technically you still need to complete your job search activities until your actual start date. However, you can request standby status since you have a definite return-to-work date. If approved for standby, you won't have to look for other work while waiting for your job to start. Call the ESD claims center to request standby status for the period between now and September 7th.
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Omar Zaki
I had this same situation back in January. Couldn't get through to anyone at ESD for days to ask about it. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual ESD agent instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent confirmed I needed to report accepting the job offer, list the future start date, and keep filing weekly claims. My benefits continued until my start date with no interruption. Might be worth using their service to get a definitive answer for your specific situation rather than risking benefits getting cut off.
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Emma Wilson
•Thanks for the suggestion. If I run into any issues after reporting the job offer next week, I'll definitely check out that service. It would be worth it to actually speak with someone directly.
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Isabella Oliveira
One more thing!!! Make sure you KEEP DOING YOUR JOB SEARCH ACTIVITIES every week until you actually start working!!! Even with a signed offer letter! I got dinged for not doing my 3 activities the week after I signed my offer. ESD doesn't care that you have a job lined up - they still want those activities reported until your actual start date!!!
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GalacticGladiator
•thats so dumb lol why would u look for jobs when u already have 1?? esd makes no sense sometimes
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Chloe Taylor
Congrats on the new job! Little silver lining - at least you know exactly when your unemployment ends so you can budget accordingly. Better than getting a surprise job offer with only a week's notice!
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Emma Wilson
UPDATE: I reported accepting the job offer on my weekly claim and entered my future start date. Benefits are still coming through! Thanks everyone for the help. I also asked about standby status and got approved since my start date is definite, so I don't have to continue job search activities. What a relief!
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Malik Thomas
•Great news! Glad it worked out smoothly for you. And congrats again on the new position!
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Amina Diallo
That's awesome Emma! So glad everything worked out and you got the standby status approved too. It's such a relief when the system actually works the way it's supposed to. Enjoy your last few weeks of downtime before starting the new job - you've earned it after 4 months of job searching! 🎉
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Zainab Yusuf
•This is such a helpful thread! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. It's great to see the system working properly when you follow the right steps. Emma, you handled this perfectly by asking for advice first and then following through with accurate reporting. Hope the new retail management position goes well for you!
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Clarissa Flair
This is such a great success story! I'm currently in a similar situation where I have a job offer but won't start for several weeks. Seeing that you got it all sorted out with the standby status gives me hope that the process can actually work smoothly when done correctly. Thanks for sharing the update - it's really helpful to see the full resolution of these kinds of situations!
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Christopher Morgan
•Yes, definitely follow Emma's example! I was in a similar spot last month and made the mistake of not reporting my job offer right away because I was scared they'd cut my benefits. When I finally did report it (after getting advice here), everything went smoothly and I kept getting benefits until my start date. The key is being upfront and accurate with the dates. Good luck with your situation!
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Vanessa Chang
This whole thread is incredibly helpful! I'm just starting my job search after being laid off last month, so it's good to know the process for when I hopefully find something. Emma, congratulations on landing the position - 4 months of searching must have been really stressful. It's reassuring to see that ESD actually handled this correctly when you reported everything properly with the future start date. I'm definitely saving this thread for reference!
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