Working DoorDash/Uber while on ESD unemployment - how will it affect my weekly benefit amount?

You definitely have to report ALL earnings during your weekly claim, including gig work. ESD wants to know the gross amount (before DD/Uber takes their cut). I learned this the hard way - got hit with an overpayment notice for $2,700 because I only reported my net earnings after the app's commission! The way it works is you can earn up to 1/3 of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction. So with your $1,030, you could earn about $343 without losing any benefits. After that threshold, they reduce your benefit dollar-for-dollar. So if you earn $400 in a week, they'd reduce your benefit by $400-$343 = $57, meaning you'd get $973 that week instead of the full $1,030. Be super careful with tracking your hours too. If you work more than 40 hours in a week (even at gig jobs), you're considered fully employed and won't get any unemployment for that week.

i do ubereats while on unemployment and its not a big deal just make sure u report ur earnings every week. they dont really care how many hours u work as long as u stay under that earnings limit but dont go over 40 hrs for sure

I tried that same thing last year and it was a NIGHTMARE dealing with ESD!!! They kept saying my claims were in adjudication because the earnings weren't matching what DoorDash reported to them quarterly or something!! I couldn't get through to anyone for WEEKS and almost lost my apartment waiting for them to fix it. Even if you report everything perfectly they still might flag your account for review if something doesn't match up in their system. The whole thing is RIDICULOUS and designed to make you give up!!

I want to add some clarification here as there seems to be some confusion: 1. You must report GROSS earnings (before app commissions) for the week you PERFORM the work, not when you get paid. 2. The earnings deduction formula is: - First 1/3 of your WBA has no effect on your benefits - After that, it's a dollar-for-dollar reduction 3. Hours matter too! Even if your earnings are low, working 40+ hours makes you ineligible that week. 4. For gig work specifically, ESD generally counts active working time, not just being logged in waiting for orders. However, this can be a gray area, so document your actual working hours carefully. 5. You MUST continue to meet job search requirements (3 job search activities per week) regardless of your gig work. The ESD handbook explains this in detail on pages 16-18. I recommend downloading it from the ESD website for reference.

To answer your follow-up question: Both DoorDash and Uber provide weekly earnings summaries in their driver apps. For ESD reporting purposes, you'll want to use the "Total Earnings" figure before any deductions or fees are taken out. For DoorDash: Go to Earnings > Select the week > Look for "Total Earned" For Uber: Go to Earnings > Select the week > Look for "Total Earnings" I recommend taking screenshots of these weekly summaries and saving them. If your claim ever goes into adjudication or review, having documentation ready will speed up the process. Remember that you need to report earnings for the week you WORKED, not when you got paid, which can be confusing with gig apps that sometimes delay payments.

i think everyone is overcomplicating this lol. ive been on unemployment 3 times and done side gigs the whole time. just report what you make each week and dont work too many hours and youll be fine. esd is too busy to check every little detail trust me

Has anyone had their account randomly go into adjudication when reporting gig work?? Mine did TWICE last year and I couldn't get anyone on the phone for WEEKS. Kept getting the "all agents are busy" message and then it would hang up on me!!! So FRUSTRATING!!

One additional important note: Make sure you're still meeting the job search requirements while doing gig work. You need to complete and document 3 job search activities each week, and those activities must be for suitable employment related to your skills and experience, not just any job. If you get selected for a job search review and don't have proper documentation of your activities, you could be disqualified and have to repay benefits. The WorkSource workshops can count as job search activities too, and they offer some good resources for finding employment in your field.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been doing this for about 6 months now. I do Instacart and DoorDash while on unemployment and here's what I've learned: Keep a simple spreadsheet with date, platform, hours worked, and gross earnings for each day. This makes weekly reporting so much easier and gives you backup documentation if needed. Also be aware that gig work earnings can vary wildly week to week - some weeks I make $200, others $400+ depending on demand and my availability. Since you're at the max benefit amount, even small earnings over that 1/3 threshold ($343) will reduce your unemployment dollar-for-dollar, so it's worth tracking your earnings mid-week to see if you should stop working to maximize your total income. One last tip: if you're doing multiple apps in one week, add up ALL the gross earnings across all platforms when reporting to ESD. Don't report them separately or you might confuse their system. Good luck with the job search! The gig work definitely helps bridge the gap financially while you're looking for something permanent.

This is really helpful advice, especially about tracking earnings mid-week to optimize total income! I hadn't thought about strategically stopping gig work if I'm getting close to that earnings threshold. Quick question - when you say "gross earnings," are you including tips that customers add through the app, or just the base delivery fees? I know tips are part of what the apps report to the IRS, but I want to make sure I'm reporting the right numbers to ESD. Also, do you use any specific spreadsheet template or just create your own columns? I'm pretty organized but want to make sure I'm tracking everything ESD might ask for if my claim gets reviewed. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's reassuring to hear from someone who's been successfully managing this for months!

I've been doing DoorDash while on unemployment for about 3 months now and wanted to share a few additional tips that have helped me stay compliant: 1. **Weekly claiming timing matters** - I always file my weekly claim on the same day each week and make sure to report earnings for the correct work week, not the pay week. The apps sometimes pay you the following week for work you did, so don't get confused by that. 2. **Track your mileage too** - Even though you're reporting gross earnings to ESD, you'll want mileage records for tax purposes. I use the Stride app to automatically track miles while doing deliveries. Come tax time, you can deduct business mileage which helps offset the self-employment taxes you'll owe on gig earnings. 3. **Be prepared for quarterly tax payments** - Since gig work is 1099 income, you'll likely need to make estimated quarterly tax payments to avoid penalties. Something to factor into your financial planning while job hunting. 4. **Keep your availability flexible** - I only work gig jobs during off-peak job search hours (early mornings, evenings, weekends). This way I'm always available for interviews during business hours and it shows ESD you're prioritizing your job search. The earning limit can be frustrating when you hit it mid-week, but honestly the flexibility to earn some extra cash while job hunting has been a lifesaver. Just stay organized with your tracking and you should be fine!