Just remember you can't collect if you're getting severance pay in most cases. And if you have vacation time being paid out that might affect when you can start collecting too.

One thing to keep in mind is that even though you should file right away, it can take some time for your claim to be processed and approved. NYS Department of Labor typically takes 2-3 weeks to review your application, especially if they need to verify information with your employer. So don't panic if you don't see payments immediately - that's normal. Just make sure you continue certifying for benefits every week while your claim is being processed, even before you get approved.

Did you manage to get your certification done? The site was having maintenance issues last night.

Just wanted to add that if you're dealing with a busy interview schedule like the original poster, you can also certify online from your phone using the mobile site. I've done this between interviews when I couldn't get to a computer. The mobile interface is pretty straightforward and saves you from missing deadlines when life gets hectic. Good luck with the job search!

Just wanted to add that if anyone else is dealing with wage calculation issues, it's worth checking if your employer uses a third-party payroll service like ADP or Paychex. Sometimes the error happens at that level when they submit quarterly reports to the state, not necessarily with your direct employer. I had a friend who discovered her payroll company had been using the wrong state reporting codes for months, which threw off her unemployment eligibility. The payroll company had to file corrected quarterly reports with NYSDOL to fix it. Just another angle to consider if the wage discrepancy seems really off!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through a similar situation last year. One thing that really helped me was requesting a copy of my complete wage record from NYSDOL before filing the reconsideration. You can do this through their online portal or by calling. It shows exactly what each employer reported for each quarter, which makes it much easier to identify where the discrepancy is coming from. In my case, I discovered that one of my previous employers had reported my wages under a slightly different version of my Social Security number (they had transposed two digits), so those wages weren't being counted at all. Once I had that wage record in hand, I could see exactly what was missing and provide the right documentation to fix it. The whole process took about 2 weeks once I had all the right paperwork together. Definitely keep certifying weekly like others have mentioned - I got backpay for all those weeks once everything was sorted out.

I tried calling NYS Department of Labor about this exact situation last month and couldn't get through to anyone! The phone lines are always busy and when I do get connected, I get transferred around and then disconnected. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there about partial benefits?

Just be aware that you'll need to keep doing job searches even for partial benefits! A lot of people don't realize this but NYS Department of Labor still requires you to look for work and log your job contacts even if you're working full-time. It's annoying but that's the rule.

This EXACT same thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago! I was working part-time at a bookstore (about 16 hours/week, making around $200) and boom - "break in claim" message appeared out of nowhere. It's like the system punishes you for trying to work while on unemployment. I tried everything - online portal, messaging system, calling at different times. Finally got through after using that claimyr.com service that everyone's been mentioning (honestly didn't believe it would work but I was desperate). Got connected to an agent in about 45 minutes and she explained that their computer system has some glitch where it automatically flags part-time work as "return to full employment" sometimes. The agent reopened my claim immediately and I got my back payments within a few days. She also made a note on my account so it shouldn't happen again when I report similar hours. The most frustrating part is that you're doing exactly what you're supposed to do - reporting your work honestly - and the system basically breaks because of it. Keep trying to get through, and once you do, it should be a quick fix. The actual resolution is easy, it's just getting to a human that's nearly impossible. Hang in there!

This is such a common problem and it's absolutely maddening! The same thing happened to me when I started doing some freelance writing work - reported everything honestly, worked maybe 12 hours a week making $180, and suddenly got hit with the "break in claim" message. The NY unemployment system seems to have this ridiculous glitch where any part-time work triggers their computer to think you've gone back to full-time employment. It's like they designed it to discourage people from working part-time while collecting benefits, which is completely backwards. I spent almost 2 weeks trying to get through by calling constantly. What finally worked for me was calling at exactly 7:30 AM when they open - I had to redial about 15 times but eventually got through. The agent explained that this is a known issue with their system and was able to reopen my claim in literally 5 minutes. Got all my back payments within a few days after that. One thing the agent told me that might help - try to be super consistent with how you report your hours and earnings each week. Same format, same level of detail. Apparently the system gets confused when there are variations in how the information is entered. I know a bunch of people in this thread have mentioned claimyr.com and honestly, I wish I'd known about it earlier. Would have saved me days of frustration calling on my own. The whole situation is designed to make you give up, but don't! Once you get a human on the line, they can fix it quickly.