Will reporting work but not being paid yet affect my ESD payment tomorrow?
I just started a new job last week (after being on unemployment for almost 2 months) but won't receive my first paycheck until 9/25. I'm worried about how to handle my weekly claim for this week. If I honestly report that I worked but haven't been paid yet, will that reduce or eliminate my unemployment payment that I'm expecting tomorrow? I really need that money to cover bills for the next 2 weeks until my first paycheck comes through. Does anyone know how ESD handles this situation? Do they care about when you WORKED or when you actually GET PAID?
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Michael Green
You always report work when you perform it, not when you get paid for it. So yes, you should report all hours worked last week. ESD will reduce your benefit amount based on your earnings (even though you haven't actually received the money yet). This is because unemployment is based on when you work, not when you're paid. If you don't report it accurately, it could result in an overpayment issue later.
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Hannah White
•Ugh, that's what I was afraid of. So I'm basically stuck with no income for the next two weeks? I thought unemployment was supposed to help with gaps like this.
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Mateo Silva
just tell them u didnt work yet and fix it next week when u get paid lol thats what i did
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Michael Green
•That's fraud and could get you in trouble with both criminal penalties and having to pay everything back with penalties. Not worth the risk.
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Victoria Jones
When reporting earnings on your weekly claim, you need to report your gross earnings for work performed during that week, regardless of when you'll actually receive payment. ESD calculates your benefit deduction using a formula where they subtract 75% of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So you'll likely receive a partial payment depending on how many hours you worked. For example, if your weekly benefit is $800 and you earned $500 last week, they'd deduct $375 (75% of $500) from your benefit, leaving you with $425 for that week. Be honest about your hours worked - if they find out later through employer reporting (which they will), they'll hit you with an overpayment that you'll have to pay back plus potential penalties.
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Hannah White
•Thank you for explaining the formula! That's actually a bit better than I thought. At least I'll get something to help me through until payday. I definitely don't want to deal with overpayment issues.
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Cameron Black
I was in the EXACT same spot last year! It sucks but you have to report when you worked not when you got paid. ESD doesn't care about your cash flow problems!!
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Jessica Nguyen
•Same here. I had to borrow money from my parents to cover that gap. The system really doesn't account for that transition period very well.
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Isaiah Thompson
Have you tried calling ESD directly to ask? I've been trying to reach someone about my claim for THREE WEEKS and can never get through - always busy signals or disconnects after waiting forever. This system is absolutely maddening when you need actual help.
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Ruby Garcia
•I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual ESD agent in about 20 minutes. It was such a relief after weeks of failing to get through on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 and the website is claimyr.com. Definitely worth checking out if you're desperate to talk to someone at ESD directly.
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Alexander Evans
Is there any way to request a hardship payment or something? I mean there should be some provision for this exact situation!
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Victoria Jones
•Unfortunately, ESD doesn't offer any hardship provisions for this specific situation. The system is designed to support you during periods of no work, not during the transition to employment. You might want to check with local community assistance programs if you need emergency help with bills before your paycheck arrives.
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