I'm completely new to seasonal work and just discovered this community through some online searching about unemployment benefits. I recently completed my first seasonal job working at a local pumpkin patch and corn maze that ran from September through November, and I honestly had no clue that seasonal workers could be eligible for unemployment benefits! This entire thread has been such a revelation - I was literally planning to just live off my savings until I could find another seasonal position in the spring. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences and success stories with NYS DOL has completely changed my perspective and given me the confidence to actually file a claim. I'm particularly grateful for all the practical advice about the $2,600 base period minimum, keeping detailed job search documentation, and being transparent about seasonal employment patterns. The fact that there's actually a system in place to support workers like us during transition periods is incredible. I'm planning to gather all my employment documents this weekend and file my first application early next week. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community - it's amazing to find people who actually understand the realities of seasonal work instead of just suggesting we get "regular" jobs!

I'm also brand new to seasonal work and just found this incredible thread! I recently finished my first seasonal job at a local Christmas tree lot and was completely stressed about how to handle the gap until next holiday season. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief - I had absolutely no idea that seasonal workers could qualify for unemployment benefits in New York! Like so many others here, I was just planning to burn through my savings and hope for the best. The detailed advice about the $2,600 base period requirement, keeping job search spreadsheets, and being honest about seasonal work patterns is exactly what I needed to hear. It's amazing to discover there's actually a support system designed for workers like us instead of being penalized for choosing seasonal employment. I'm definitely going to file my claim this week after gathering all my employment documents. Thank you to everyone who shared their success stories and practical tips - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating the unique challenges of seasonal work!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since it might help others. I got audited in February 2025 after being on unemployment for about 4 months. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but I'm really glad I had been keeping decent records. They asked for documentation from 8 specific weeks of my claim - not the whole thing. I had to provide proof of job searches, any income I reported, and explain a gap where I had marked "yes" to being available for work but hadn't applied to jobs that week (I was sick with the flu). The whole process took about 3 weeks from when I got the letter to when they approved everything. I submitted everything through the online portal and got an email confirmation that my benefits would continue. My advice: definitely keep those detailed records everyone mentioned. I used a simple Google Sheet with columns for date, company, position, how I applied, and any follow-up. Saved me a lot of stress when the audit came!

Thanks for posting this question - I've been wondering the same thing! I'm about 6 weeks into my claim and have been pretty casual about record keeping, but reading all these responses is making me realize I need to step up my game. I've been doing my job searches but mostly just saving confirmation emails in a random folder. Sounds like I need to get way more organized with a proper spreadsheet and screenshots. Better to be over-prepared than scrambling if I get selected for an audit. Has anyone found a good template or system for tracking all this stuff? I'm thinking I'll start with what @Isaac Wright suggested but wondering if there are any other details I should be capturing that might not be obvious.

I just wanted to thank everyone in this thread - you've all been incredibly helpful! I'm new to this community but have been struggling with NY unemployment issues for the past month. After reading through all these suggestions, I'm planning to try the incognito browser method for my ID.me problems first thing tomorrow, and if that doesn't work, I'll use the early morning calling strategy with the specific menu sequence that several people mentioned. It's both reassuring and frustrating to know so many others are dealing with the same broken system, but at least we're helping each other navigate it. This kind of peer support is exactly what we need when the official channels are so unreliable. Will definitely update with my results to help the next person who finds this thread!

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who recently went through this exact same ordeal! The ID.me verification issues are incredibly common right now - I think their system is just overwhelmed. What worked for me was actually a combination of several suggestions I'm seeing in this thread: I used incognito mode, cleared all my browser data first, and then tried with Firefox instead of Chrome. The key thing I learned is to make sure you're entering your information EXACTLY as it appears on your original documents - even tiny differences in spacing or punctuation can cause failures. For the phone system, I had success with the 7:58 AM approach on Wednesday mornings specifically. Also pro tip: if you do get through to someone, ask them to add notes to your file about the ID.me issue so future agents can see what's been tried. The whole system is definitely broken but these workarounds do help! Hang in there everyone - persistence really does pay off eventually.

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been waiting 3 weeks for my NY unemployment claim to move from "pending review" status. Reading through everyone's experiences here gives me hope that it's normal (even if frustrating) and that there are actual solutions like the Claimyr service. It's reassuring to see that @Jibriel Kohn got their full back pay once everything was resolved. Going to try calling at 8am again tomorrow, but if that doesn't work I'll definitely look into that calling service. Thanks for documenting the whole process - this is exactly the kind of real-world info that's hard to find elsewhere!

Just wanted to add my recent experience to help others! I filed my NY unemployment claim in early February and it took exactly 5 weeks to get approved. Like @Jibriel Kohn, mine was stuck on "review in progress" with no additional messages or alerts in my account. I tried calling the regular NYSDOL line dozens of times with no luck - always got disconnected or busy signals. Finally broke down and used the Claimyr service everyone mentioned here, and it was honestly worth every penny. Got through to an agent in about 15 minutes who found that my claim was flagged because my previous employer took the full 10 business days to respond (even though they didn't contest it). Once the agent noted that in my file, I was approved within 2 business days and got all my back pay. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're stressed about money, but it really does seem like most of these delays are just system backlogs rather than actual issues with people's claims. Keep certifying weekly no matter what - you'll get paid for all those weeks once it goes through!

This is really helpful information! I've been on unemployment for about 6 weeks now and have been hesitant to take on any part-time work because I was worried about losing my benefits entirely. The way everyone explained the partial benefit calculation makes so much sense - I had no idea NYS Department of Labor actually encourages part-time work while job searching. I'm definitely going to start applying for some part-time positions now since I know I can still receive reduced benefits. Thanks for sharing your experiences, especially about the importance of reporting everything honestly!

I went through this exact situation last year! I was working about 15 hours a week at $12/hour while collecting unemployment. The key thing to remember is that NYS Department of Labor has what's called a "partial benefit formula" - as long as you earn less than your weekly benefit rate, you'll still get some unemployment money. In my case, I was getting $320/week in benefits and earning about $180/week from part-time work. After they applied the formula (they subtract 25% of your earnings from your benefit), I ended up with $275 in unemployment plus my $180 in wages, so $455 total per week instead of just the $320 I would have gotten sitting at home. Just make sure you report EVERYTHING when you certify - even if you worked one day or made $20, report it. The system is designed to help you transition back to full-time work, not punish you for trying to earn some money.