good for you for trying to better yourself! the job market sucks right now so might as well use the time to learn something new

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago and here's what I learned: You absolutely need to contact your local One-Stop Career Center BEFORE enrolling in any classes. They can help determine if you qualify for programs like WIOA or TAA that will actually pay for your training. I ended up getting approved for a web development bootcamp that was 100% covered, and I was able to continue receiving UI benefits throughout the program. The key is getting the proper approval first - don't just enroll and hope for the best. Each local office has slightly different procedures, so definitely go in person if you can rather than trying to navigate this over the phone.

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! Filed my claim about 5 days ago after being laid off from a retail company that closed our location, and predictably they've been completely unreachable since the store closure. It's actually such a relief to find this thread and see how many people have successfully navigated this same scenario. The 3-4 week timeline everyone keeps mentioning is really helpful for setting realistic expectations instead of obsessively checking my claim status every day. I immediately started filing weekly claims after reading all the advice here - thank goodness I found this before making the mistake of waiting for approval first! I have my termination letter that clearly states the reason as "store closure due to corporate restructuring" so hopefully that documentation will be sufficient. It's honestly mind-boggling how these companies can just disappear and ignore their legal obligations, but it sounds like NYS DOL has this scenario down to a science at this point. Thanks so much for starting this discussion - it's been invaluable for my peace of mind!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my unemployment claim about 2 weeks ago after getting laid off from a consulting firm that basically went dark after they eliminated half their staff. Just like everyone else here, my former employer has been completely unresponsive to all attempts at communication since the layoffs happened. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - the consistent 3-4 week timeline everyone keeps mentioning gives me realistic expectations instead of constantly refreshing my claim status. I've been diligently filing my weekly claims based on all the advice in this thread (almost made the mistake of waiting for approval first!). I have all my termination documentation saved including the official notice that clearly states "position elimination due to organizational restructuring." It's honestly frustrating how these companies can just abandon their legal obligations, but it sounds like NYS DOL has robust processes for dealing with non-responsive employers. This thread has been a lifesaver for understanding what to expect and managing the stress of this whole process. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know so many others have successfully navigated this same scenario!

This is such a valuable thread! I've been working part-time (about 25 hours/week) for the past month and was also confused about this exact question. Following everyone's advice, I've been answering "No" to returning to work and then reporting my hours and earnings accurately. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you report earnings for the week you WORKED, not the week you got paid. I made that mistake my first week and it threw off my benefit calculation. Also, if anyone is wondering about the timing - I usually get my reduced benefit payment 2-3 days after certifying, same as when I was getting full benefits. The system seems to process partial benefits just as quickly as regular claims. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here, especially the detailed breakdown of the 4-day rule and earnings limits!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in the exact same boat - just started a part-time retail job (22 hours/week) and was completely confused about the certification process. The way everyone explained the difference between "returning to work" (full-time) vs "working during the week" (part-time) finally makes it click. I've been stressing about this for two weeks! One additional tip I discovered - if you're unsure about any of your previous certifications, you can actually view your certification history in your NY.gov account under "View Payment History." It shows exactly how you answered each question and what earnings you reported. This helped me double-check that I'd been doing it correctly. Also, for anyone else who might be starting part-time work soon, I found it helpful to call your new employer ahead of time to understand exactly when and how they report your hours - some places are better than others at providing clear paystubs that show your gross earnings before deductions. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences here - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's impossible to find on the official NYSDOL website!

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Just certified yesterday and today being a federal holiday has me worried about when my payment will actually come through. Reading everyone's experiences here is really helpful - sounds like Wednesday is the most realistic expectation. It's so stressful when you're already dealing with unemployment and then have to worry about payment delays on top of everything else. I really wish the NY DOL website was clearer about how holidays affect the payment schedule. At least now I know to always factor in extra time around federal holidays. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it makes me feel less anxious knowing this is a common issue and the payments do eventually come through!

I've been dealing with NY unemployment for about 4 months now and can definitely relate to the holiday stress! From what I've experienced, when you certify on Saturday before a federal holiday Monday, your payment almost always gets pushed to Wednesday. The DOL processes everything on Sunday night, but since banks don't handle ACH transfers on federal holidays, it creates that extra day delay. I actually keep a little calendar now marking all the federal holidays so I can plan my budget around these delays. It's frustrating that they don't make this clearer on their website, but once you know the pattern it's pretty predictable. Your payment should definitely hit by Wednesday morning - try not to stress too much about it!

Just went through this same situation about 3 weeks ago! The key thing is to file your new claim as soon as your benefit year ends - don't wait. I made the mistake of waiting a few days thinking I needed some kind of official notice, but you can file immediately. The whole process took me about 30 minutes online. One tip: have your bank account info ready because they'll ask if you want direct deposit set up again. Also, if you've been keeping track of your job search activities, make sure you have those records handy because they might ask about what you've been doing to look for work. The waiting period for the new claim was only about a week for me, much faster than my original claim last year.

I just went through the refiling process last month and wanted to add a few things that helped me. First, make sure you file your new claim during business hours if possible - I tried filing late at night and kept getting system timeouts. Second, when they ask about your reason for unemployment, be specific about your job search efforts since your benefit year ended. They want to see you've been actively looking. Also, don't panic if your new weekly benefit amount is different from your old claim - they recalculate everything based on your most recent base period wages. The whole thing felt overwhelming at first but it's really just like filing your very first claim all over again. Good luck!