ESD claim questions: reporting final paycheck and casino winnings

For your first question - yes, you should still claim this week. You'll need to report the final paycheck based on when you EARNED the money, not when you received it. So if the work was performed last week, you won't report it on this week's claim. As for the casino winnings, yes, you must report them as income. There's actually a specific category for this on the weekly claim form. Gambling winnings are considered income and reportable. It won't disqualify you from benefits, but you might receive a reduced payment that week depending on how much you won.

yah just file ur claim like normal, report any money u got WHEN U WORKED for it not when they paid u. ive had paychecks come late n never had a prob with esd about it, just be honest

I'm pretty sure gambling winnings DON'T count for unemployment!! My uncle won $500 at a poker tournament last year while on unemployment and he didn't report it, and nothing happened. ESD is only concerned with WORK income, not random luck money. Don't overcomplicate things.

Lots of confusion here, so let me clarify: 1) You report income based on when you EARNED it, not when you received payment. So your final paycheck should be reported for the week you actually worked, regardless of when the check arrived. 2) Yes, gambling winnings are reportable income for unemployment purposes. ESD requires reporting "any income from any source" during your claim week. This includes gambling winnings, side gigs, cash jobs, etc. I recommend always reporting everything accurately. If you're unsure, check the ESD website or call to clarify. It's better to be honest than risk an overpayment situation later that you'll have to repay with penalties.

When I was on unemployment last month I couldnt even get thru to ESD when I had questions about reporting stuff!!! tried calling for 3 days straight and either got disconnected or was on hold forever. ended up giving up. the whole system is designed to make us fail i swear

i dont think ESD can even check if u won money at casinos?? like theres no reporting system between casinos and unemployment office right?? just saying....

OK thanks everyone for the help! I'm going to: 1) File my claim as normal this week since the final paycheck was for work I did last week (already reported) 2) Report my casino winnings on this week's claim as "other income" I'd rather be honest and maybe get a slightly smaller payment this week than deal with overpayment headaches later. Still frustrated about having to report a lucky win, but it is what it is.

Smart approach Isabella! You're absolutely doing the right thing by being transparent. I went through something similar last year when I had some freelance income while on unemployment - it's always better to over-report than under-report with ESD. One thing to keep in mind: when you report the casino winnings, it might reduce your weekly benefit amount for that week, but it won't affect your overall claim or disqualify you from future benefits. The reduction is usually calculated based on how much you earned above a certain threshold. Also, if you do this again in the future, you might want to consider the timing of when you claim your winnings if it's a significant amount - though obviously you can't control when you get lucky! Good luck with your job search.

Just wanted to add that I've been through a similar situation with reporting gambling winnings on my unemployment claim. I won about $200 at a local tribal casino last fall while on ESD benefits. I was nervous about reporting it too, but I did and it only reduced my weekly benefit by about $50 that week (they have a weekly earnings disregard of around $100-150 before reductions kick in). The process was straightforward - there's literally a line item for "other income" on the weekly claim form where you enter the amount. The key thing is that one-time winnings like this don't affect your eligibility or your overall claim - they just impact that specific week's payment. So you're definitely making the smart choice by being upfront about it. Better to have a slightly smaller check than deal with ESD demanding repayment later with interest and penalties!

I'm glad to see so many helpful responses here! As someone who's been navigating unemployment benefits for a few months now, I just wanted to add that the ESD website actually has a pretty detailed FAQ section about reporting different types of income that might be worth checking out for future reference. For anyone else reading this thread, the general rule I've learned is: when in doubt, report it. ESD would much rather you over-report than under-report, and they're generally pretty reasonable about one-time income like gambling winnings or odd jobs. The penalties for not reporting required income are way worse than having a slightly reduced payment for one week. Isabella, you're definitely handling this the right way. And hey, at least you had some fun at the casino and came out ahead! That's more than most people can say. Good luck with your job search!

Hey Isabella! I'm new to this community but have been dealing with ESD claims for a while now. Just wanted to say you're absolutely making the right call by reporting everything honestly. I had a similar situation a couple months ago when I sold some old electronics on Facebook Marketplace while unemployed - wasn't sure if I needed to report that small income, but I did anyway. ESD was actually really helpful when I called to clarify, and it barely affected my weekly payment. The gambling winnings thing is tricky because it feels so different from regular work income, but like others have said, ESD considers any income as reportable. I've learned it's always better to be overly transparent with them. The one week of reduced benefits is way better than the stress of wondering if you'll get hit with an overpayment notice months later. Hope your job search goes well! This community has been super helpful for navigating all the ESD confusion.