ESD review period: Can I do Instacart without disqualifying my unemployment benefits?

You absolutely can work while claiming unemployment, but you MUST report all earnings when you file your weekly claim. ESD will deduct a portion of what you earn from your weekly benefit amount. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, you won't receive benefits for that week, but you won't be disqualified from the program altogether. For gig work like Instacart, report your gross earnings (before expenses) for the week you performed the work, not when you get paid. Keep detailed records of hours worked and earnings.

I did doordash while on unemployment last year. U have to report everything u make that week even if its just like $50. They take like 3/4 of what u make off ur benefits that week. better than nothing tho.

Be really careful with this! When I was on standby last year, I did some side work and didn't understand how to report it properly. ESD determined I had an "overpayment" and I had to pay back over $4,500!! Their formula is weird - they don't just subtract what you earned dollar-for-dollar. If your weekly benefit amount is $825, for example, and you earn $250 from Instacart, they don't just give you $575. They use some calculation where you can earn up to a certain percentage of your weekly benefit without reduction, then they start taking away more than what you earned. Definitely report ALL earnings, keep DETAILED records (screenshots of your Instacart earnings each day), and be prepared to explain everything if they call you for fact-finding.

I've been in your exact situation! The formula ESD uses is you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount with no reduction. After that, they deduct 75 cents for every dollar you earn. So if your weekly benefit is $800, you can earn up to $200 with no reduction. If you earn $300, they'd reduce your benefit by $75 (which is 75% of the $100 over your threshold). And yes, you should absolutely work and report while under review. When they approve your claim (assuming they do), they'll calculate your backpay based on your weekly claims, including any reported earnings. BTW, have you been able to get through to ESD to ask about your review status? I was stuck in review for almost a month until I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real agent. They have this service where they basically call ESD for you and then connect you once they get through. Saved me hours of redial hell. There's a demo video here if you're curious: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3

ESD considers you "unemployed" even if you work part time hours!!! As long as you don't make more than your weekly benefit amount. so yea u can do instacart but MAKE SURE you report every penny because they will find out if u dont. instacart reports to the irs and esd gets that info.

One critical thing no one has mentioned - when reporting Instacart earnings, you need to report the GROSS amount (before Instacart takes their cut, before expenses, before taxes). ESD considers your earnings to be the total amount paid for the service, not your net deposit. Also, make sure you're very careful about how you enter your hours worked. For each week you do gig work, you must report that you worked, enter the correct hours (even if it's just sitting in your car waiting for orders), and enter the gross earnings. Failure to report accurately could result in an overpayment determination or even fraud accusations in severe cases. Once your claim is approved, if you continue doing gig work, you'll need to satisfy job search requirements unless you get approved for standby status (which is unlikely for a regular unemployment claim in 2025).

wait so i have a question thats kinda related...if im on unemployment and start my own small business selling stuff online, do i have to report that too?? even if im not making much yet

One other thing to consider - since you mentioned your final paycheck is on hold, make sure you're reporting that correctly too. Unemployment is based on when you EARN money, not when you're paid. So if that final check is for work you did before filing for unemployment, it shouldn't affect your benefits. But if it's for work during weeks you're claiming, you'll need to report those earnings for those specific weeks. This trips up so many people! ESD's system doesn't automatically know which weeks your earnings apply to, so you have to report correctly on your weekly claims.

i did uber eats during covid when i was on unemployment and it was fine just reported everything

Just to follow up on some of the questions in this thread: 1. Yes, you should report GROSS earnings before Instacart's commission or any expenses 2. Keep your own records - screenshots of your earnings each day, hours worked, etc. While Instacart does report income eventually, it won't match up with weekly claims timing 3. For the person asking about maximum hours - there's no perfect formula, but many find it beneficial to stay under that 25% threshold of your weekly benefit amount if possible, as that income won't reduce your benefits at all 4. For the original poster: since your claim is under review, make sure you're filing weekly claims even with no payment coming through yet. Report any gig work during this time. If approved, they'll calculate back payments based on these weekly claims

Just wanted to add one more thing that saved me a lot of headaches - download a mileage tracking app if you're going to do Instacart! While you report gross earnings to ESD, you'll want to track your business expenses (gas, car maintenance, etc.) for tax purposes since you'll be getting a 1099 at the end of the year. Apps like MileIQ or even just the built-in mileage tracker in Google Maps can automatically log your delivery miles. Trust me, trying to recreate months of driving records at tax time is a nightmare! Also keep all your gas receipts. The gig work income might help you get through this rough patch, but don't forget about the tax implications later.

Hey Connor! I was in almost the exact same situation last year - claim under review, bills piling up, desperate for any income. I started doing Instacart while waiting and it definitely helped keep me afloat. A few things I learned the hard way: 1. YES, absolutely report it on your weekly claims - report the gross amount (what customers pay before Instacart's cut) 2. Keep screenshots of your daily earnings in the app as proof 3. The 25% rule everyone mentioned is key - I could earn about $200/week without any benefit reduction 4. Even during review, keep filing those weekly claims and reporting any work The process took about 3 weeks for my review to complete, but when it did, they calculated my backpay correctly based on all the weekly claims I filed (including the Instacart earnings). It's stressful but you're doing the right thing by asking these questions upfront. Better to be cautious and report everything than deal with overpayment issues later! Good luck with both the gig work and getting through to ESD about your review status!

One more thing to keep in mind - if you're doing Instacart during your review period, make sure you understand the difference between "able and available" for work vs. gig work. ESD requires that you be able and available for full-time employment, which means you can't turn down suitable job offers just because you're making decent money with Instacart. I'd recommend keeping your gig work flexible enough that you could start a regular job with short notice if something comes up during your job search. Don't get so locked into the gig schedule that it interferes with interviews or prevents you from accepting employment. ESD can ask about this during fact-finding calls, especially if your claim gets flagged for any reason. Also, just a heads up - some people find that once they start gig work, it's tempting to rely on it instead of actively job searching. Make sure you're still meeting the work search requirements (3 job contacts per week in WA) even while doing Instacart. The income might help short-term, but the goal is still finding stable employment with benefits!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since it might be helpful! I was in a similar situation a few months ago - claim under review and desperate for income. I ended up doing DoorDash and Instacart while waiting, and it worked out fine as long as I reported everything correctly. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: consider mixing different gig apps to maximize your earnings while staying under that 25% threshold. I found that doing a combination of DoorDash during lunch/dinner rushes and Instacart during weekend grocery runs gave me more consistent income than just sticking to one platform. Also, if your manufacturing background involved any specialized skills, don't forget to check TaskRabbit or Handy for handyman gigs - those often pay better per hour than delivery work, though they're less predictable. The review process is nerve-wracking, but reporting your gig earnings properly shows ESD you're being transparent and following the rules. Hang in there - most reviews do get resolved eventually, and the backpay will help catch you up once it comes through!

Connor, I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. I was stuck in ESD review for almost a month with zero income, so I started doing Instacart and it was a lifesaver. Here's what I learned: You can absolutely do gig work during the review period - just make sure you keep filing those weekly claims and report every penny you earn. I kept detailed spreadsheets of my daily Instacart earnings and hours, which saved me when ESD eventually called for fact-finding. The key is understanding that "review period" doesn't mean you can't work - it just means they're verifying your claim details. When they finally approved me, I got full backpay calculated properly based on all my weekly filings, including the weeks where I reported Instacart income. Pro tip: Try to stay around that $200/week mark if your benefit amount allows it (that 25% threshold everyone mentioned). I found that doing grocery deliveries on weekend mornings was the most reliable way to hit consistent earnings without going over. Also, don't stress too much about the review timeline - mine took 4 weeks total, but I've heard of people getting resolved in as little as 10 days. The waiting is brutal but you're doing the right thing by planning ahead and asking these questions. Hang in there!

Hey Connor, I just wanted to chime in with some encouragement since I know how stressful this situation is. I was in almost identical circumstances last year - manufacturing job ended, ESD claim stuck in review, bills piling up. I ended up doing Uber Eats and some odd jobs through Craigslist while waiting. The key things that helped me: 1) Keep meticulous records of everything (I used a simple notebook to track daily earnings and hours), 2) Report ALL income on your weekly claims even if it seems small, and 3) Don't let the gig work distract you from your job search requirements. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - if you have any tools or skills from your manufacturing job, Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor can be goldmines for quick handyman gigs that pay better than delivery work. I made $300 one weekend just helping people move furniture and fix basic stuff around their houses. The review process sucks but hang in there. Mine took about 3 weeks total and when it finally got approved, the backpay covered everything I'd been stressed about. You're asking all the right questions and being responsible about reporting - that's going to work in your favor when they review your claim. Good luck!