Loans during ESD unemployment - Do I need to report this income?

Loans are NOT considered income for ESD purposes! You don't need to report loan money when filing your weekly claim. Income that needs to be reported is money you EARN through work, not money you BORROW that you'll have to pay back later. A loan is debt, not income.

I had the exact same question last year. The key distinction is whether you're EARNING money or just RECEIVING money. Unemployment only cares about earnings from work activities. Since a loan isn't earnings (you have to pay it back!), it doesn't affect your unemployment eligibility or weekly claim amount. You absolutely SHOULD still claim for the week you get the loan - skipping weeks can mess up your claim and potentially delay future payments unnecessarily.

be careful tho... if its one of those payday loan things they can cause MORE problems for you in the long run. the interest is CRAZY high!!! maybe check if theres rent assistance programs instead?? just saying from experience

To clarify what everyone is saying: Under ESD rules, you only need to report EARNED income during your weekly claim filing. Things you must report include: - Wages from work (including part-time or temporary) - Self-employment earnings - Commissions - Tips - Holiday or vacation pay - Severance pay Things you DON'T need to report: - Loans (personal, family, bank, etc.) - Credit card advances - Monetary gifts - Food stamps/SNAP benefits - Most types of assistance programs However, you DO need to be available for work and actively job searching regardless of your financial situation. So don't skip filing your weekly claim just because you received loan money.

I got a loan to fix my car last summer while on unemployment and didn't report it - no issues. BUT I DID keep filing my weekly claims. Don't skip filing!!! Had a friend who skipped a week and it was a HUGE HEADACHE getting everything back on track. She had to call ESD like 50 times before finally getting through.

u know what's really messed up?? the whole system is so confusing!! i got a personal loan from my uncle last yr and the esd rep i talked to told me i DID have to report it!!! but then i talked to somebody else who said i DIDNT have to report it. i ended up not reporting it and nothing bad happened but jeez make up ur minds ppl!!!!!

One thing no one has mentioned: while the loan itself doesn't need to be reported, if you USE that loan to start a small business or self-employment activity, then any INCOME you earn from that activity WOULD need to be reported on your weekly claim. Just wanted to clarify that distinction in case it applies to your situation.

In summary: keep claiming your benefits, don't report the loan as income, and keep doing your job search activities. You'll be fine! And hopefully you find work soon so you can start paying off that loan and getting back on your feet financially.

Just wanted to add one more perspective as someone who's been through this situation twice. The most important thing is to KEEP FILING YOUR WEEKLY CLAIMS no matter what. Even if you're unsure about something, it's always better to file and potentially make a correction later than to skip filing altogether. Missing even one week can create a break in your claim that's a nightmare to fix. I've seen people wait months to get their benefits restored after skipping weeks. The ESD system is set up to assume you're no longer unemployed if you don't file, regardless of the reason. So definitely take the loan if you need it for rent, don't report it as income, but absolutely keep filing every single week!

I went through something very similar when I was on unemployment a few months ago. I was so worried about messing up my claim that I called ESD directly to ask about a loan I was getting from my credit union. The representative confirmed what everyone here is saying - loans are absolutely NOT income and don't need to be reported. She explained it like this: "If you have to pay it back, it's not income." The key is that you're not earning money through work or services, you're just borrowing money that you'll eventually have to repay. So definitely keep filing your weekly claims and don't stress about the loan affecting your benefits. Just make sure you're still meeting all the other requirements like being available for work and doing your job search activities. Hope this helps ease your mind!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - you're definitely overthinking this! I was in almost the exact same situation about 6 months ago when I needed a loan to cover utilities while job hunting. The way I understood it from ESD's perspective is that they only care about money you EARN, not money you RECEIVE. Since you'll have to pay the loan back, it's not earnings or income in their eyes. I kept filing my weekly claims the whole time and never had any issues. The important thing is to stay consistent with your filing schedule and keep up with your job search requirements. Don't let financial stress make you second-guess the basics - you've got this! And honestly, taking care of your housing situation with a loan is probably going to help your job search anyway since you'll have more stability and less stress. Just make sure to document your job search activities as usual and you'll be fine.