just file online its not that complicated, i did mine in like 10 minutes and got approved

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago when I got laid off from my marketing job and had to take a part-time gig at a coffee shop. The NYS Department of Labor was actually really helpful once I got through the initial application process. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - make sure you keep detailed records of ALL your part-time earnings and hours worked each week. They'll ask for this information when you file your weekly claims, and having everything organized made the process so much smoother. Also, don't be discouraged if your first payment takes a bit longer than expected - mine took about 3 weeks, but the back pay covered everything once it came through. You definitely qualify for partial benefits given your situation!

just remember you have to do the weekly claims every week even if its the same info over and over. miss one week and they make you start all over again its ridiculous

One thing to keep in mind is that your unemployment benefits may be subject to federal taxes, and you can choose to have 10% withheld automatically when you set up your claim. This might be worth doing if you don't want to deal with a big tax bill next year. Also, the $425/week you'd get is decent but definitely budget tight - I'd recommend applying to jobs aggressively since the benefits only last 26 weeks maximum in NY.

I had the same frustrating experience with the my.ny.gov system showing inconsistent information! What finally worked for me was clearing my browser cache and cookies before logging in, then checking the "Weekly Claim History" section instead of just the main dashboard. That section tends to be more reliable and shows the actual processing dates. Also, if you're still not seeing your payment after resolving the job search verification issue, try logging out completely and back in - sometimes the system doesn't refresh properly when you're continuously logged in. The whole system definitely needs an overhaul, but these workarounds helped me track my payments more accurately.

I've been dealing with similar payment status confusion on my.ny.gov for months now! One thing that really helped me was setting up text notifications through the DOL system - you can enable them in your account settings under "Communication Preferences." They'll send you updates when your claim is processed or if there are any issues. It's not perfect but at least you get notified instead of constantly checking the website. Also, I learned that payments typically get released between 2-4 AM on Wednesday mornings, so if you don't see it by Thursday, that's when you know something is definitely wrong and need to call.

The whole base period thing is so confusing!!! I wish they would just look at your last year of work and be done with it. Why does it have to be these weird quarter calculations that nobody understands?

The quarter system can definitely be confusing at first! One thing that helped me understand it better is that they use completed quarters, so if you're filing your claim in the middle of a quarter, that current quarter won't count toward your base period. Also, @Cameron Black, regarding your specific situation - since you worked consistently for 8 months in 2024, you should easily meet both the total earnings requirement ($2,600) and the high quarter requirement ($1,300) that @Ruby Garcia mentioned. The key is having that recent work attachment, which it sounds like you definitely have.

just keep in mind your weekly benefit amount is based on your previous earnings, and there's usually a one week waiting period before your first payment. so don't panic if you don't see money immediately after filing your first claim.

One thing to add - make sure you understand the difference between your "weekly benefit rate" and your total benefit amount. Your weekly rate is what you get each week (usually around 50% of your average weekly wage), but you have a maximum total amount you can receive over the entire benefit year. In NY it's typically 26 times your weekly rate. Also, if you do any part-time work while collecting, you need to report those earnings when you file your weekly claim - they might reduce your benefit for that week but you won't lose eligibility completely. The system is pretty good at catching unreported work so always be honest about any income.