Wait so if you're disqualified you can still get benefits later if you win an appeal? I thought disqualification meant you were permanently banned from unemployment

The whole system is ridiculous. They disqualify people for the stupidest reasons and then make you jump through hoops to prove you deserve benefits you already paid into through your taxes. I got disqualified because they said I didn't look for work properly even though I submitted my job search log every week like they required.

I think as long as you're honest about the hours and pay when you certify each week, you should be fine. The main thing is just don't try to hide any work because they will find out eventually.

I've been in a similar situation and can confirm what others have said - you're absolutely doing the right thing by reporting your work hours and earnings! The NYS DOL actually expects people to work part-time while collecting benefits, it's totally normal. From my experience, they typically reduce your weekly benefit by about 25% of what you earn (up to your benefit amount), so you'll still get some unemployment money as long as you're not earning too much. The most important thing is to be accurate with your reporting - write down your hours and gross pay each week so you have records. I keep a little notebook with all my work details just in case. Don't stress too much about it, the system is designed to handle part-time work!

I'm on month 6 of unemployment and never had a single interview. My neighbor got laid off the same time as me from the SAME COMPANY and she's had two interviews already. Makes zero sense how they decide who to check up on.

I've been dealing with the same thing! Got my first eligibility interview after just 4 weeks on unemployment, then another one scheduled 6 weeks later. It's definitely frustrating when you hear about people who collected for months without any contact. From what I've gathered talking to others, it seems like there might be certain triggers - like if your initial claim had any delays or verification issues, or maybe certain industries get flagged more often. I keep meticulous records of every job I apply to with screenshots and confirmation emails, which has helped make the interviews go smoothly. Still annoying though when you're already stressed about being unemployed and they keep making you prove you're doing what you're supposed to be doing!

This happened to me last year and it turned out NYS Department of Labor was collecting on an overpayment from 2023 that I didn't even know about. They just started taking $25 per week without telling me. You should definitely call and ask for a detailed explanation of any deductions.

I had a similar issue a few months ago where my weekly amount dropped unexpectedly. It ended up being federal tax withholding that got automatically adjusted - apparently they can change the withholding percentage based on your total benefit year earnings. Check your payment history in the NYS DOL portal and look for any line items showing tax deductions or adjustments. You can also try messaging them through the secure inbox in your account, sometimes that gets faster responses than calling.

I went through something similar last year when I got laid off from my marketing job. The waiting can be really stressful, especially when bills are due! In my experience, NY unemployment payments usually show up 3-4 business days after you certify for the week following your waiting week. Since your waiting week was Sept 12th, and you've been certifying weekly since then, you should definitely see something soon if everything is processing normally. One thing that helped me was setting up text alerts through my bank so I'd know immediately when any deposit hit my account. Also, make sure to keep certifying every week even if you haven't been paid yet - they'll back-pay all the eligible weeks once the payments start flowing. If you don't see anything by Friday, I'd definitely try to get in touch with them somehow. The system can have random glitches that only a human can resolve. Hang in there!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed in late July after my startup laid off half the team, had my waiting week processed in early September, and I'm still waiting for my first payment. It's so frustrating because the online portal makes everything look like it's approved and processing normally, but then... nothing. I've been certifying every Sunday morning religiously and answering all the questions the same way each time. The financial stress is real - I had to ask family for help with rent last month which was really hard. Reading through these comments gives me some hope that it's just normal delays and not something wrong with my claim. I think I might try that Claimyr service if I don't see anything by this weekend. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps to know I'm not alone in this!