just wanted to say good luck with your claim! nonprofit work is really important and its good that you can get benefits while you look for something new

I went through this same situation last year when I got laid off from a nonprofit arts organization in Brooklyn. The uncertainty was really stressful! But like others have said, most nonprofits in NY do pay into the unemployment system. I was able to file my claim online and got approved pretty quickly. One tip - when you file, make sure to list your job title exactly as it appeared on your pay stubs. The NYS Department of Labor system can be picky about matching employment records. Also keep copies of everything you submit because sometimes they'll ask for documentation later during the review process. Hope this helps and hang in there!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! My hours got cut from 35 to about 22 per week at my restaurant job in January. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so eye-opening - I had no idea about NY's day-counting system or that I could even apply for partial benefits while still working. The advice about clustering shifts into fewer days is genius and something I never would have thought of on my own. I'm definitely going to apply this week after seeing how much it helped so many people here. One thing I'm curious about - for those who successfully negotiated schedule changes with their managers, did you find that having fewer but longer shifts actually worked better for you work-wise too, or was it mainly just beneficial for the unemployment calculations? I'm hoping I can frame it as a win-win situation when I talk to my supervisor. Also want to echo what others have said about not feeling guilty - we've all been paying into this system and situations like involuntary hour cuts are exactly what it's designed to help with. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed and honest experiences!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! My hours got cut from 40 to about 18 per week at my department store job last month and I've been stressing about how to make ends meet. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the day counting system or that I could negotiate my schedule to work around it. The tip about clustering shifts into fewer days is brilliant! I'm definitely going to talk to my manager about consolidating my hours into 2-3 longer shifts instead of having them scattered throughout the week. It's reassuring to know so many others have successfully navigated this process. I'm planning to apply this weekend after I gather all my documentation. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - knowing I'm not alone in this and that there's actually help available makes such a difference when you're worried about rent and bills!

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 actually had success with a similar approach to what Sean described, but I wanted to add a few practical tips that helped me. First, I called the main NYS DOL number and asked specifically for the mailing address for adjudication correspondence - they gave me a more direct address than what's listed online. Second, I included a brief timeline of events in my letter (like "Filed claim on X date, last contact on Y date, issue has been pending for Z weeks") which seemed to help them understand the urgency. Also, I made sure to reference any confirmation numbers or case worker names I had from previous interactions. The certified mail receipt actually came in handy because when I called later, I could reference the tracking number and delivery date to show I had submitted additional documentation. It took about 4 weeks total, but my claim did get resolved. The key really is being organized and making their job easier by presenting everything clearly. Good luck!

I went through this exact same frustration last month and ended up getting results by combining both approaches mentioned here. I wrote a formal letter using Sean's format but also kept trying to call. The letter definitely helped establish a paper trail, but what really moved things along was when I finally got through to someone on the phone and could reference my certified mail tracking number as proof I'd already submitted additional documentation. They were able to pull up my case immediately and see the letter in their system. My advice: write the letter for sure (it shows you're serious and organized), but don't stop calling either. Sometimes having both bases covered is what gets you noticed. Also, I found calling right at 8 AM on Tuesday or Wednesday gave me the best chance of getting through. The whole process took about 5 weeks from letter to resolution, but it was worth the effort. Don't give up!

something similar happened to me but they actually found i qualified for a higher amount after i talked to an agent! definitely worth calling. i couldnt get through for days until i used claimyr.com - finally got a human on the phone who fixed everything

I'm going through something similar right now - my BYE date was last month and I'm still waiting for my new claim to process. The website kept crashing when I tried to file online too. From what I've learned lurking here, the benefit reduction is unfortunately normal when you refile after your BYE date. The system recalculates based on your recent work history, so if you were mostly on unemployment during that time (like most of us), your new amount will be way lower. It's brutal but that's how it works. For your missing payment from the old claim - mine took almost 3 weeks to finally show up, so don't panic yet. Just keep certifying every week even if things look weird in the system. I'd definitely recommend trying to get through to a real person though because sometimes there are mistakes in the calculation that only an agent can fix. I keep seeing people mention claimyr.com for getting through the phone lines - might be worth trying if you're still stuck after days of calling.