One thing to keep in mind is that your benefits might be subject to federal income tax, so that $504/week could be even less take-home depending on your tax situation. You can choose to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your weekly certifications. Also, since you're in finance, you might want to look into whether your company offers any outplacement services - many larger firms do, and that can help with your job search requirements while you're collecting benefits.

Another thing to consider is timing if you do get laid off in January - that's actually a good time to file because your benefit year will run through the end of December, so you'll have the full 26 weeks available if needed. Also, start documenting everything now about your work history and wages. NYS Department of Labor sometimes has issues with their wage records, especially for high earners, so having your own pay stubs and tax documents ready can speed up the process. And don't forget - even though $504 is way less than your current income, it's still something, and every week you delay filing after becoming unemployed is money left on the table since you can't backdate claims.

I can completely understand your fear - I went through something very similar with NYS DOL about 14 months ago over a $3,400 overpayment that stemmed from confusion about reporting income from freelance work alongside my regular part-time job. The panic about potential criminal charges was overwhelming, but I want to share what I learned that might help calm your anxiety: criminal prosecution for unemployment fraud in NY requires proving deliberate, systematic intent to defraud - which is completely different from honest reporting mistakes. After going through the entire process, including consultations with two employment attorneys, I learned that the DA's office focuses on cases involving identity fraud, completely fabricated employment history, or organized schemes worth tens of thousands of dollars. Your situation with part-time work reporting confusion is exactly the type of honest mistake that gets resolved through NYS DOL's administrative process, not criminal court. What made all the difference for me was immediately shifting from panic mode to documentation mode. I gathered every piece of evidence from that time period - pay stubs, bank deposits, work emails, even screenshots of the confusing parts of their online reporting system. I then submitted a detailed appeal explaining exactly where the reporting requirements were unclear and how I had been making good faith efforts to comply. The hearing officer was very understanding and could clearly see I was a legitimate worker who got confused by complex reporting rules rather than someone trying to cheat the system. They reduced my overpayment by about 65% and offered a reasonable payment plan. The most important thing I learned is that NYS DOL processes these cases all the time and they're very good at distinguishing between honest mistakes and intentional fraud. Don't let the scary legal language in their notices paralyze you - respond to the notice promptly, gather your documentation, and focus on clearly explaining your confusion about the reporting requirements. You're going to get through this and you're definitely not going to jail.

I completely understand the panic you're experiencing right now - I went through an almost identical situation with NYS DOL about 10 months ago involving a $2,500 overpayment from confused reporting while working variable retail hours. The fear of criminal charges was absolutely debilitating, but I want to give you some concrete reassurance: you are not going to jail over this. What I learned through the process is that criminal prosecution requires proving deliberate intent to defraud under NY Penal Law, which is an extremely high legal standard that applies to systematic schemes involving falsified documents or identity theft - not honest confusion about reporting requirements. Your $2,800 overpayment from part-time work reporting mistakes falls squarely into the civil administrative category that NYS DOL handles routinely. The key is responding to their notice promptly and gathering all your documentation from that period - pay stubs, work schedules, any communication about your hours. I successfully appealed mine by clearly explaining where the reporting instructions were confusing and showing my good faith efforts to comply. The hearing officer reduced my overpayment by about 55% after determining it was an honest error. Focus your energy on building your appeal case rather than worrying about criminal consequences that simply won't happen in your situation. You're going to get through this.

omg the system is so confusing!! why cant they just let you get both if you need the money?? dealing with all this paperwork while trying to take care of family is stressful enough

I'm sorry to hear about your mom's stroke, Amina. This is such a difficult situation to navigate. From what others have shared, you're right that you can't collect both simultaneously, but I wanted to add that you should also check if you're eligible for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) through your employer. While FMLA is unpaid leave, it provides job protection for up to 12 weeks if your employer has 50+ employees and you meet the other requirements. This could give you some security about getting your job back after caring for your mother. You might be able to use PFL for the income replacement while FMLA protects your position. Definitely worth asking HR about this option alongside the PFL application.

I'm on day 7 of waiting for my unemployment claim review after being laid off, and reading through everyone's experiences here is both comforting and nerve-wracking! It's reassuring to see that 7-10 business days seems to be the standard timeline for most people, especially for straightforward layoff cases. What's been driving me crazy is exactly what others have mentioned - the complete lack of transparency in the system. Just that vague "under review" status with no progress indicator or estimated completion date. I've been checking obsessively too, but I'm going to try that advice about limiting it to once per day. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - it really helps to know this waiting period is normal even though it feels eternal when you're stressed about finances!

I'm currently on day 4 of waiting for my unemployment claim to be reviewed after a company layoff, and this thread has been incredibly helpful for managing my expectations! It's such a relief to see that the 7-10 business day timeline is pretty consistent across everyone's experiences. What really struck me is how many people mentioned the anxiety of obsessively checking the portal - I thought I was the only one doing that! The suggestion about limiting checks to once per day is definitely something I'm going to implement. It's frustrating that NYS DOL doesn't provide more transparency in their process, but knowing that "under review" is normal and not a red flag makes me feel much better. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this waiting game!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I've been dealing with this exact same issue for about a month now - got a new job in September but those weekly filing reminders just keep coming. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful. It sounds like the consensus is to keep the account active but update the employment status and notification preferences rather than trying to delete it. I'm definitely going to try the three-step approach that @Hannah Flores outlined: updating employment status, unchecking notification preferences, and using the "Contact Us" feature. It's reassuring to know that this is a common problem and that there are actual solutions that work. Thanks to everyone who shared their successful strategies - this has been way more useful than hours of searching the official website!

I'm new to this community and just want to say thank you to everyone who shared their solutions here! I've been struggling with this exact same problem for over two months now - been employed since October but those weekly filing emails just won't stop. After reading through all the helpful advice here, I realize I was going about this completely wrong by trying to figure out how to delete the account. The step-by-step approaches from @Hannah Flores, @Ravi Gupta, and @Ethan Campbell make so much sense. I just updated my employment status to "Currently Employed," unchecked all the unemployment notification preferences, and submitted a "Report a Problem" request explaining my situation. Fingers crossed this finally resolves the issue! It's such a relief to find a community where people actually share what worked instead of just complaining. This thread should honestly be pinned somewhere - it's way more helpful than anything on the official NYS DOL website.