Just wanted to say I'm in the same boat with Grubhub. It's reassuring to know others are dealing with this too. The weekly claim form really wasn't designed for gig workers.

I went through this exact same situation last year with DoorDash and NYS Department of Labor. Here's what worked for me: Report it under "self-employment earnings" and use the gross amount before any deductions. Keep detailed records of your weekly earnings from the DoorDash app because they may ask for documentation later. Also, make sure you understand the earnings threshold - if you make over a certain amount in a week, you might lose that week's benefits entirely. The good news is once you get the reporting format right, it becomes routine. Don't give up!

Just filed my claim yesterday and it went through fine. This is my fourth time filing since 2022. Construction life lol

Emma, you're totally fine! I work in seasonal landscaping and have filed probably 6 times in the last 3 years. As others mentioned, there's no limit as long as each claim is legitimate. The key is making sure you have enough work credits in your base period for each new claim. NYS DOL actually expects multiple filings from seasonal workers - it's built into the system. Just keep good records of your work history and you shouldn't have any problems. The construction industry is notorious for this kind of cyclical employment pattern.

Just to be super clear - you earned these benefits through your work history. Your employer paid unemployment insurance taxes specifically for this purpose. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about using a system you paid into!

Your coworker is definitely wrong - unemployment benefits are not a loan at all! I went through the same situation a few years ago and was worried about the same thing. The benefits are funded by employer contributions to the unemployment insurance system, so you've essentially already "paid" for them through your work history. The only time you'd need to pay anything back is if there was an error (like getting benefits you weren't entitled to), but that's not the normal situation. You're dealing with enough stress from being laid off - don't let misinformation add to your worries. Just focus on your job search and filing your weekly claims correctly.

This is really scary but you're doing the right thing by acting quickly! I work in banking and we see this type of fraud all the time unfortunately. In addition to contacting NYS Department of Labor fraud hotline, I'd recommend placing a fraud alert on your credit reports with all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) right away. Also check if your employer has been notified - sometimes the state will contact employers about unemployment claims filed by their "employees." Document everything and keep records of all your communications with NYS Department of Labor. The sooner you report it, the easier it will be to resolve.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! As someone who went through a similar identity theft situation (not unemployment related but still scary), I wanted to add that you should also consider filing a report with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov. They'll create a personalized recovery plan and give you an affidavit that can be helpful when dealing with NYS Department of Labor and other agencies. Also, keep detailed records of every phone call, email, and document - write down names, dates, reference numbers, everything. It might seem excessive now but it really helps if you need to escalate or if there are any lingering issues later. The good news is that you caught this early and everyone here is giving you solid advice. You've got this!

Wait, I'm confused now. I thought if you worked ANY hours you couldn't claim that week? I've been skipping my weekly claims whenever I pick up shifts at my retail job. Have I been losing money I was entitled to?

I went through something similar and had to learn the hard way that NYS allows part-time work while collecting unemployment - it's actually encouraged! The key things to remember: 1) You must work less than 4 days per week, 2) You must report ALL earnings and hours worked on your weekly claim, and 3) Your benefits get reduced based on a formula, but you don't lose eligibility entirely. I was terrified I'd committed fraud too, but as long as you're honest on your weekly certifications, you're following the rules. The Department of Labor website has a worksheet that shows exactly how they calculate partial benefits - it helped me understand that working part-time wasn't cheating the system, it was exactly what they expect people to do while job searching.