UPDATE: I decided to file and was upfront about my business during the application. Got approved! They did ask for some additional documentation about my business income and I have to report any earnings weekly, but my claim is active. Thanks everyone for the advice.

Congratulations on getting approved! Your success story is really helpful for others in similar situations. I'm curious - how long did the whole application process take from when you first filed to getting your approval? And did they give you any specific guidelines about what level of business income might start affecting your benefits? I'm in a somewhat similar boat with a side business that's not making much, so your experience is really valuable to know about.

ugh this whole system is so confusing why cant they just make it simple!! i never know when anything expires or what im supposed to do

One thing that helped me was setting a calendar reminder about 2 months before my benefit year end date so I could start preparing. Also, if you're getting close to the end and still actively job searching, you might want to start gathering your wage documents early for the new claim. The transition can be smoother if you have all your paperwork ready to go. And definitely keep certifying every week right up until your benefit year ends - don't let any weeks lapse thinking it doesn't matter.

One thing to watch out for - make sure your seasonal employer reports your wages correctly to NYS Department of Labor. I had issues because my summer job didn't report all my hours properly and it affected my benefit calculation. Double check your wage history online after you file your claim.

Also keep in mind that as a seasonal worker, you might be eligible for benefits even if you don't have a full year of work history. NYS Department of Labor looks at your "base period" which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. Since ski resorts usually operate winter to spring, make sure you include any other work you did during the off-season last year when calculating your eligibility. Even part-time or temporary work can help establish your claim.

This thread is exactly what I needed! I've been getting unemployment since October 2024 and noticed my weekly amount hasn't changed at all. After reading everyone's experiences, I just checked my my.ny.gov account in the "Benefit Rate Information" section and found there's actually been an updated rate since January showing about $20 more per week than what I've been receiving. It's crazy that NYS Department of Labor doesn't send any notification about these updates - I had no idea this section even existed! I'm going to call them this week to ask about getting the retroactive payments since it's been over 6 weeks now. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and specific steps to check - this community is so much more helpful than trying to navigate the DOL website alone!

I just went through this exact same situation last month! I was getting the same weekly amount since filing in November 2024 and had no idea about any increase until I saw a similar discussion in another forum. The key thing I learned is that you really need to check the "Benefit Rate Information" section in your my.ny.gov account - not just your payment history. When I finally looked there, I found an updated rate that had been sitting there since early January showing about $19 more per week than I was actually receiving. I called NYS Department of Labor and they confirmed it was a processing delay on their end. The good news is they made it retroactive back to January 1st, so I got a nice chunk of back payments in my next deposit. Definitely call if you're not seeing the increase by now - you shouldn't have to miss out on money because of their system delays!

Just make sure you understand the benefit formula. In NY, your weekly benefit rate gets reduced by 25% of whatever you earn over $143. So if your weekly benefit would normally be $300 and you earn $200 that week, you'd get $300 minus 25% of ($200-$143) = $300 - $14.25 = $285.75. It's worth doing the math to see if it makes sense for your situation.

I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago when my hours at the warehouse got cut from full-time to part-time. The application process is straightforward - you file online just like regular unemployment, but make sure to indicate that you're still employed with reduced hours. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of my schedule changes and pay stubs from before and after the reduction. NYS DOL may ask for documentation to verify your hours were actually cut. Also, don't stress too much about the weekly certifications - just be honest about your earnings and hours worked each week. The system is designed to help people in situations like yours, so as long as you're truthful in your reporting, you should be fine.