Step-by-Step Guide for Filling out UI form for Rideshare Drivers in California

Under AB 5, app-based drivers and other gig workers are employees and likely qualify for
Unemployment Insurance (UI) in California. Because our employers, Lyft and Uber, refuse to follow the
law, there are some things that are unclear when filling in the Unemployment Insurance claim form.

We created this guide to help you answer some questions that may help your claim be processed. This is
a guide – and it is most important that you answer honestly all questions. Also, we are not lawyers, so
this is not legal advice.

● Here’s the California EDD website where you can file for UI online:
https://www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/Filing_a_Claim.htm
● Here’s EDD’s own helpful video on how to fill in a claim: https://youtu.be/9rPFvfznZvg

Everything else in this guide is especially for app-based drivers in California.

After you fill out General Information you will be asked
for your Social Security Number. Enter it and click next.

* Only file for UI if you have a valid Social Security

number – and you have a work permit, green card, or
are a citizen. If you are undocumented, unfortunately,
you do not have access to Unemployment Insurance.

* For immigrants with work permits or green cards, UI is

considered an earned benefit, it is NOT a public charge,
and will NOT negatively impact future immigration
status in the US.
Next you will be asked for information about your last
employer.

Here you will enter either Uber or Lyft.

- If you are still driving and work for both, enter
the one you worked for on your last day.

- If you have stopped driving and worked for both,

enter the one you work for the most.

- There will be a place to enter information for the

other company later in the claim form.
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Step 3:

Here you want to answer all the questions marked with

the Red Asterisk.

1. Type - No Supervisor
2. Enter the last day that you worked.
3. Separation Category – Choose from the drop
down menu the one that best matches your
situation:
- Laid Off/No Work (suggested)
4. Separation Explanation - Choose from the drop
down menu the one that best matches your
situation:
- *New option* Related to Covid-19

Leave the rest blank.

On an earlier page you were asked for information
about your last employer.

If you worked in 2019 click “Yes”

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Step 5:

Here you will add information about each company.

Include address info again.
1. Enter your approximate start date.
2. Enter the last date you worked.
3. Enter if you worked Full (40 hours or more per
week) or Part time (less than 40 per week).
4. You do NOT have to fill in what you make per
hour.
5. Do give an estimation of how many hours a
week you have worked over the last year and a
half.

Next you will need to enter what you have made for
each quarter for the last six quarters (18 months). It is
important to enter your GROSS income (that means
how much you earned without subtracting taxes or
expenses).

Our Step by Step Guide shows you exactly how to

gather this info from the Uber and Lyft Driver Apps.

- If you have not gathered this information ahead

of time, click on SAVE and come back. If you
don’t save, you will need to start over again.

After you have entered your Gross earnings for the six
quarters, click save.

You’ll need to do these same steps for all of the

companies you’ve worked for in the last 18 months.
Click on the “Add Employer” button for each company.

**Be sure to keep all of the income

information you’ve gathered by Saving it into a
folder. You will be asked for this information
again. You may have to print and mail it by
USPS. It is a process you don’t want to have to
do again.

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1. Once you’ve listed all the companies on the last page.

you can answer “No” to the 1st question.

2. Enter the Company name that you work for the most.
- Enter how many years and months you have
worked for them (approximate if you do not
know exactly).
- Choose - Private Employer from the dropdown
menu

Click on “Add Business Type”

Here you will get a drop down menu.

Choose “TRANS, COMM, GAS ELECTRIC & SANITARY
SERVICES”

This will give you another list.

Choose “Transportation Services”

Then click on “Add Work Type”

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Here you will type in “Driver”

Click on the “2”.

This will take you to the second page.
At the bottom of this list, choose “Car Driver”

Once you have completed this page, click next.

Answer this question and follow instruction as needed

for your individual situation. Then click next.

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When you arrive at this page there will be specific

questions, the answers we provide here should be
helpful when filling this out.
Questions:
- As done on previous page, Click on “Add Work
Type”, Click on the “2” to take you to the second
page and choose “CAR DRIVER”
- Repeat as you did in question #1, Choose “CAR
DRIVER”.

Suggested answers for the rest of the questions on this

page are as follows (Of course, please answer truthfully
if your personal situation is different).
- Choose – No
- Choose – YES
- Choose – No
6. There are a few options in this one.
- If you are willing and able to work in a job that
would not pose a health risk during this time,
then answer this way:
o a - Choose – Yes

- If you are unwilling or unable to work

regardless of the type of job offered, then you
can answer this way:
o a - Choose – No
o a1 - Choose Health, No Child Care, Caring
for Others, or Not Listed from dropdown
menu
o a2 - Choose – No
o Choose Health, No Child Care, Caring for
Others, or Not Listed from dropdown
menu
7. Choose – No (unless you are legitimately self-
employed with a business license outside of
rideshare or app-based delivery.)
8. Choose – No (unless you have another job that is
covered under a union and union contract)

Then click Next

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Answer these questions as they apply to you.

Here you will probably answer these questions as it

relates to your area. The questions that are important
to answer to your benefit are as follows:
1. Choose – Yes
a. Choose - “Public Health” from the dropdown
menu.
b. Choose the County you live in from the
dropdown menu.
c. Choose the County you mostly work in from the
dropdown menu.
d. Choose Yes
i. Choose Counties you normally work in
from the dropdown menu.
e. Choose “Unemployed Worker” from the
dropdown menu
i. Enter the approximate average hours you
work per week.

Leave the rest blank and click on Next.

At this point it will take you to a page to review your answers. Check it carefully because once you
submit it you will not be able to back and change anything.

Hope you find this helpful. Stay Safe and Healthy!