Self-employment while waiting for ESD claim approval - Will it affect my benefits?

yep, did uber eats deliveries while waiting on my claim last year. just make sure u report ALL earnings when u file ur weekly claims even if ur in pending status. keep track of hours worked + $ earned

You absolutely must file your weekly claims even while your initial claim is pending! This is critical. If you haven't been doing this, start immediately and try to file for any missed weeks if the system will let you. As for self-employment, it won't automatically disqualify you, but you must report all earnings when filing your weekly claims. ESD uses your gross earnings (before expenses) for the week to determine your benefit amount. If you earn over a certain threshold, your benefits will be reduced proportionally or possibly zeroed out for that week, but you'll still maintain your claim. Document everything carefully - hours worked, earnings, clients, etc. in case of an audit.

I went through EXACTLY this last winter!! My claim was stuck in adjudication for almost 12 weeks and I started doing DoorDash. Here's what happened: I reported all my earnings on my weekly claims (which you HAVE to file even while waiting!!!), and when my claim was finally approved, they adjusted my payments based on what I'd earned each week. Some weeks I got partial payments, some I got nothing because I earned too much. BUT my claim stayed active and when I stopped dashing, I got full payments again. Just keep super detailed records of EVERYTHING.

If you're struggling to get through to ESD to ask these questions (which you absolutely should), I found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent after weeks of trying. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 As for your question, I was in a similar situation and did some freelance writing while waiting. The key points from my experience: 1. You MUST file weekly claims even while your initial claim is pending 2. Report all self-employment earnings in the week you WORKED (not when paid) 3. Keep meticulous records of all work and payments 4. Self-employment won't automatically disqualify you, but it may reduce your weekly benefit amount Good luck!

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU FAIL!!!! They keep you waiting for months hoping you'll give up. I waited 14 WEEKS last year and nearly lost my apartment. Started doing TaskRabbit jobs and then they had the NERVE to say I was "not actively seeking work" because I was "self employed" even though I was applying to 5+ jobs EVERY WEEK. Had to appeal and fight for 2 months to get my benefits. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and don't trust what the first ESD agent tells you - call back and get a second opinion ALWAYS.

To clarify some confusion in this thread: there's an important distinction between casual gig work/side hustles and establishing an ongoing self-employment business. For temporary gig work (Uber, DoorDash, occasional freelancing), you simply report earnings each week and may receive reduced benefits. However, if you're establishing an ongoing business with the intention of it being your primary income source, ESD may consider you ineligible for benefits entirely because you're not "able and available" for traditional employment. For your missed weekly claims, you should call ESD immediately. The system only allows backfiling for 4 weeks, and after that, you may lose eligibility for those weeks entirely. This is definitely worth making the effort to speak with an agent.

my friend did instacart while waiting for unemployment and ended up getting denied completely bc she made too much money one week. just be careful how much u work

I went through this last year. Two important things to remember: 1. You have to file weekly claims WHILE your initial claim is processing. You can only backfile for 4 weeks, so if you've missed more than that, those benefits may be lost. 2. For self-employment: ESD considers your GROSS earnings before expenses in the week you performed the work (not when paid). They apply this formula: (your weekly benefit amount) - ((gross earnings) - ($5 × 20%)) = adjusted weekly benefit So if your weekly benefit amount would be $850, and you earn $400 in self-employment in a week: $850 - ($400 - $80) = $850 - $320 = $530 benefit for that week Hope this helps!