ESD earnings limit for self-employed gig workers - will I lose benefits?

Yes, there definitely is a cap. You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount (WBA) plus $5 before your benefits are completely eliminated for that week. ESD uses a formula where they deduct 75% of your earnings from your weekly benefit. So if your WBA is $800, you could earn up to about $267 and still receive some unemployment ($800 - ($267 × 0.75) = $600). Once your earnings exceed $805 (WBA + $5), you'd receive $0 for that week, but you're still "on" unemployment - you'd just report your earnings and get $0 that week. Just make sure you report ALL earnings when you worked, not when you got paid.

Careful with gig work... When I was doing Uber they counted my GROSS earnings not my actual profit after expenses!!!! Cost me 3 weeks of benefits before I figured it out... Still mad about it

just watch out cuz if u mess up reporting they'll say you commited fraud and make u pay it ALL back plus penalties thats what happened to my roomate he is fighting it for 6 months now

This question comes up a lot, and the confusion is understandable. Here's what you need to know about earnings while on UI in Washington: 1. Report gross earnings in the week you WORKED (not when paid) 2. ESD deducts 75% of your earnings from your benefit amount 3. You can earn up to your WBA + $5 before benefits reduce to zero 4. For self-employed/gig workers, keep detailed records of all work dates and earnings 5. Being honest about earnings avoids overpayment issues later ESD considers you eligible for benefits in weeks where you earn less than your WBA + $5, even if your benefit payment is reduced to a small amount. This helps maintain your claim while supplementing with part-time work.

I tried to call ESD like 50 times about a similar question and never got through until I used this service called Claimyr. They got me connected to an actual ESD agent in like 15 minutes after I'd been trying for days. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 and their site is claimyr.com. Worth it when you need specific answers about your claim situation.

wait im confused do u have to report doordash earnings before they take out their fees or after? and what about gas expenses??

The ESD system is DESIGNED to confuse people and deny them benefits!! I went through this exact situation last year and ended up with a $4,800 overpayment because they didn't explain ANY of these rules clearly. Now I'm on a payment plan for 18 months. The whole system is rigged against people trying to survive while finding work. Every agent tells you something different too.

One more important thing about gig work while on UI - make sure you're meeting the job search requirements each week (3 job search activities). Gig work doesn't automatically satisfy those requirements since it's not seeking permanent work. You still need to be looking for suitable permanent employment and documenting those efforts.