When to stop filing weekly claims with ESD if working but earning less than before?

You should definitely continue to report your earnings each week, even if you know you won't receive benefits. This properly closes out your claim and prevents potential overpayment issues later. As for when to stop filing completely, the general rule is you should continue filing until you've had four consecutive weeks where you reported earnings that exceeded your weekly benefit amount. After that, your claim becomes inactive automatically.

Same thing happened to me last year! Keep filing for at least 4 weeks after u start working again even if u dont get $$$. I stopped too early and they sent me a letter saying i needed to report those weeks anyway!!

The hours don't actually matter - it's all about if you're making more than your weekly benefit amount. If you're making $22/hr at 32 hours, that's $704 before taxes. What was your weekly benefit? If it was less than that, then you won't get anything. But if you're wondering about partial benefits because you're making less than your old job, that's not how it works. It's only based on your current earnings vs. your WBA.

EXACTLY WHY ESD IS A NIGHTMARE!! They make everything so complicated and then punish YOU when you make a mistake! I would keep filing EVERY WEEK until they tell you to stop. Better safe than sorry with these people trust me. I had a similar situation in 2023 and ended up owing them $1200 because I thought I was done with my claim but apparently wasn't!!

To clarify what everyone's saying - yes, continue filing for at least 4 consecutive weeks where your earnings exceed your WBA. Since your WBA is $812 and you're making less than that some weeks, you could still be eligible for partial benefits when you work fewer hours. You subtract 25% of your WBA from your earnings, and if there's still a gap between that and your WBA, you get the difference. Example: $812 WBA - [$700 earnings - ($812 × 0.25)] = partial benefit So $812 - [$700 - $203] = $812 - $497 = $315 benefit for that week Just make sure you report honestly and keep filing until you've had 4 straight weeks of being completely ineligible.

i was in the same boat last month... kept trying to call esd to ask but couldnt get through to anyone. ended up just filing every week for a month after i started my new job. better safe than sorry i guess

Hey, if you're having trouble reaching ESD by phone (which is super common), I found this service called Claimyr that actually helped me get through to a real person. They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 I used it when I was in a similar situation - had started a new job but needed clarification on when to stop filing. The ESD agent told me to keep filing for 4 weeks after I started working so they could properly close my claim.

also btw they ask if ur job is permanent when u file each week so make sure u mark YES since u got hired full time even if its not 40 hrs. my friend marked NO cuz she was on probation period and got flagged for review!!

One more important thing - if your hours increase to 40+ per week or your pay increases, make sure you still report that for your weekly claims. Technically, your claim stays open for a year from when you first applied, but once you have those 4 consecutive weeks over your WBA, it goes inactive. You can always reactivate it within that year if your hours get cut or something changes with your job.