@Santiago Diaz I totally get your anxiety about this - I was terrified of messing up my first certification too! One tip that saved me: before you start your weekly certification, gather everything you need first. Have your job search activities written down (company names, dates, how you applied), any earnings info, and answers to the basic questions ready. The questions are pretty standard each week - did you work, are you able to work, are you available for work, did you look for work, etc. Also, the system usually saves your progress if you need to step away, so don't feel rushed. You're doing great by asking questions first - that shows you care about doing it right!

Hey Santiago! I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - you're definitely not alone in feeling anxious about this process. I've been certifying for about 3 months now and it really does become routine. One thing that helped me was doing a "practice run" - I went through the certification questions without submitting just to see what they looked like. Also, for your job search activities, don't overthink it! Even simple things like updating your resume, browsing job boards, or reaching out to a contact counts. The key is just being consistent and honest. And definitely report that $180 - NYS DOL is pretty good about calculating the partial benefits automatically. You'll probably still get most of your regular amount. Hang in there, the first certification is always the scariest but you've got this!

I went through something similar after a back injury two years ago. One thing to keep in mind is that workers comp benefits aren't taxable, while unemployment benefits are. So even though your workers comp might be around $670/week (2/3 of your wages), you keep all of it. If you were getting unemployment at $500/week, you'd owe taxes on that. Also, workers comp will continue as long as you're unable to work, while unemployment has time limits. Definitely stick with workers comp for now, and once your doctor clears you for light duty, then you can explore other options if your employer can't accommodate you.

I work in workers comp administration and wanted to add a few more details that might help. In NY, workers comp pays 2/3 of your average weekly wage with no cap (unlike disability benefits), and as others mentioned, it's tax-free. The weekly amount is calculated based on your wages from the year before your injury. Since you're making $52k, that should work out to around $667 per week tax-free, which is significantly better than the $170 max from state disability. Also, workers comp will pay for all your medical treatment related to the injury, including physical therapy when you're ready. Once your doctor releases you to light duty, your employer is required to offer you suitable work if available, or your benefits continue. Don't switch to anything else right now - you're actually in the best financial position possible given your situation.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what happened to me recently since it sounds very similar to your situation. I had a forfeit hearing scheduled about 3 months ago for underreporting some delivery driver hours - totally my fault for misunderstanding the weekly reporting form. They continued paying my regular benefits the entire time while waiting for the hearing. The key thing I learned is that they only stop payments if there's an actual determination of willful fraud, not just for reporting mistakes. Since you mentioned it was a misunderstanding about hours and not intentional, you should be okay. My hearing was actually conducted over the phone (not sure if yours will be the same), and I had all my evidence ready - work logs, screenshots of the confusing parts of the reporting system, and text messages with my supervisor about schedule changes. The whole thing took about 20 minutes and the hearing officer was very reasonable. I ended up with just 1 forfeit week as a penalty, which honestly felt fair since I did make the mistake. The most important thing is to keep certifying every week like everyone else mentioned - I almost stopped doing it out of stress but thankfully didn't! Hang in there - it sounds like you're handling this the right way by gathering evidence and being proactive. The fact that you're being transparent about it being a mistake will definitely work in your favor.

I just went through a similar situation last month and wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease your worries a bit. I had a forfeit hearing for incorrectly reporting some freelance work hours (the online form really is confusing!) and they continued paying my regular weekly benefits throughout the entire process. The key thing I noticed from reading through all these responses is that everyone who had payments continue had situations involving honest mistakes rather than suspected fraud - which sounds exactly like your case. Since you only received a hearing notice and not a formal determination stopping benefits, that's a really good sign. For the hearing preparation, I'd definitely recommend taking screenshots of the confusing parts of the reporting system like others mentioned. I also brought a simple timeline showing exactly what happened and when, which helped demonstrate it was just a genuine mix-up with dates and hours. One thing I learned is to stay calm during the hearing and just be straightforward about what happened. The hearing officer could tell I was being honest about the mistake, and I think that really helped my case. I ended up with 2 forfeit weeks, which honestly felt fair considering I did make the error. Keep certifying every week and gathering your evidence - you're doing everything right! Based on all the experiences shared here, it really sounds like you'll keep getting paid while this gets resolved.

I went through this same calculation last year when I was laid off from my warehouse job. The key thing to remember is that NYS looks at your "base period" which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at roughly April 2023 through March 2024. With your steady work history at $400/week, you should definitely qualify. I'd estimate you'll get somewhere between $180-200 per week, but definitely use that online calculator someone mentioned - it's more accurate than guessing. Also heads up that benefits max out at 26 weeks unless there are extensions, so start looking for work right away if you do get laid off.

Just to add some perspective from someone who recently went through this process - I was making about $380/week when I got laid off in September. My weekly benefit ended up being $186, which was pretty close to the 50% estimate others mentioned. The application process itself wasn't too bad, but make sure you have all your employment dates and employer info ready. Also, don't wait to file if you do lose your job - there's a waiting period before benefits start, so the sooner you apply the better. One thing that surprised me was they required me to do work search activities even though I was told it was a temporary layoff. Just something to keep in mind for budgeting purposes.

I'm dealing with the exact same frustrations right now! Been waiting 4 weeks with my claim stuck in pending status and the phone system is absolutely useless. What's really getting to me is how unclear everything is - like I had no idea there were specific work search logging requirements beyond just applying to jobs. The whole system feels like it was designed to discourage people from actually getting benefits. Has anyone found a reliable way to get status updates without having to spend entire days on hold?

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now - filed 5 weeks ago and still stuck on pending with zero communication from NYS DOL about what's causing the delay. The most frustrating part is how the system gives you no real information about what's happening behind the scenes. I've tried calling dozens of times but like everyone else, I just get disconnected after hours of waiting. Starting to wonder if there's some magic trick to actually getting through to a human being who can explain what documents they need or what's holding up the process. At this point I'm considering reaching out to my local representatives because this can't be how the system is supposed to work.