I'm in a very similar situation with my marketing consulting business - no clients since late December and really struggling financially. Reading through these responses is incredibly helpful, especially Isabella's detailed experience. One thing I'm still unclear about though is the timing of filing. Should I wait until I've been without income for a certain period, or can I file as soon as the work dried up? I've been hesitant to file because I keep hoping a new client will come through, but at this point I think I need to be realistic about my situation. Also, has anyone had experience with NYS Department of Labor questioning whether you're genuinely seeking other employment opportunities while your business is dormant? I'm worried they might think I'm just waiting for my business to pick back up rather than actively looking for work.

I'm going through this exact situation right now with my freelance writing business. After reading everyone's experiences here, I decided to file my claim last week even though my business is technically still open. What really helped me was keeping detailed records of when my last client payment came in (December 15th) and screenshots showing zero new inquiries or projects since then. During my initial phone interview, the NYS Department of Labor representative seemed most concerned about whether I was doing any work activities at all - even things like updating my portfolio or networking. I had to assure them that I've completely stepped back from all business activities and am focusing solely on finding traditional employment. The process is definitely nerve-wracking, but based on what I've read here and my own research, as long as you're completely honest about your situation and can prove you're genuinely unemployed (not just slow), you should be eligible. The key is documenting everything and being prepared to show that your business income has truly stopped, not just decreased.

Hey Marcus! I just went through this exact situation a few months ago when I got laid off from my restaurant job and started doing Uber Eats. You can absolutely file for unemployment while doing DoorDash part-time - it's called partial unemployment. The main things to remember: 1) Apply immediately, don't wait! There's a waiting week and you're missing out on money. 2) Report your DoorDash earnings honestly every week when you certify - they want the gross amount before DoorDash takes their commission. 3) Keep screenshots of your weekly earnings summaries for your records. 4) You'll still get benefits, just reduced based on what you earn from DoorDash. Since you're only making $200-300/week, you should still qualify for a decent partial benefit. The hardest part honestly is getting through to someone on the phone if you have questions, but the online system works okay once you understand how to report gig work earnings. Don't stress too much about it - thousands of people are in your exact situation and the system does handle it, even if it's not always intuitive. Good luck!

I actually just went through this process last month after getting laid off from my retail job! You can definitely file for unemployment while doing DoorDash part-time. Here's what worked for me: Apply right away - don't wait because you're losing money every week you delay. When you certify weekly, report your GROSS DoorDash earnings (the full amount before they take their cut). The system will reduce your benefits but you'll still get something, which is way better than nothing. I was making about $250/week with gig work and still got partial unemployment benefits of around $280/week. The key is being 100% honest about your earnings - they will eventually cross-check with tax records so don't try to hide anything. Also, make sure to keep doing your work search requirements even though you're dashing. The whole process was less scary than I thought it would be once I actually started. You've got this!

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! The key is to report it BEFORE your first day of work if possible. I called the NYS Department of Labor the Friday before I started my new job on Monday, and they were really helpful about walking me through the process. They'll ask for your exact start date and make sure your benefits stop at the right time. Don't worry too much - as long as you're proactive about reporting it, you'll be fine. The worst thing you can do is keep filing weekly claims after you start working. Congrats on the new job!

I just went through this exact process two weeks ago! Definitely report it immediately - I used the my.ny.gov portal to report my return to work the day I got my job offer, even before my actual start date. The online system is pretty straightforward - there's a "Report Return to Work" section where you just enter your employer info and start date. The most important thing is to NOT file your weekly claim for any week you're working full-time. I was paranoid about messing it up too, but as long as you report it promptly and stop filing claims when you start working, you'll be fine. NYS Department of Labor actually prefers when people are proactive about reporting employment changes. Good luck with the new job!

This is really helpful advice everyone! I'm in a similar boat - making about $825/week and worried about potential layoffs at my company. @Omar Zaki that's a great point about keeping records now. I just started downloading all my pay stubs and employment docs just in case. One question - does anyone know if the base period includes the most recent quarter or is there a lag? I'm trying to figure out if my recent raise would be factored into the calculation or if they'd use older, lower earnings.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year - making $780/week when I got laid off. Like others mentioned, the benefit calculation isn't straightforward but I ended up getting about $375/week. One thing I wish I'd known is that you can actually do a rough estimate yourself: they typically take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then apply the benefit formula (around 50% but varies). Also worth noting that benefits are taxable, so factor that in when budgeting. The good news is that at your income level, unemployment should cover most basic expenses, though you'll definitely need to tighten the belt a bit. Start organizing your paperwork now like others suggested - having everything ready makes the application process much smoother!

@Nia Thompson I just went through this exact same frustration a few weeks ago! Here's what finally worked for me: I called my assembly member's office (you can find yours by putting your address into nyassembly.gov) and they got me a callback from DOL within 48 hours. Also try the online message center super early in the morning around 6-7am when there's less traffic - I actually got responses that way. The physical offices are basically useless right now except for scheduled appointments. Don't waste your time going in person, focus on the assembly rep route and early morning online attempts. The system is completely broken but these workarounds actually get results! Hang in there 🙏

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been lurking here dealing with the same nightmare! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I've been trying the regular phone line for over a month with zero success. Definitely gonna try the assembly rep route first thing Monday - seems like that's the most consistent success story here. Also setting my alarm for 6:30am to try the online portal when traffic is low. Really appreciate everyone sharing actual solutions instead of just venting (though the venting is totally justified lol). This community has been more helpful than any official government resource. Will report back if any of these methods work for me! 🤞