Your weekly claim certification and NYS Department of Labor approval process runs on their normal schedule regardless of holidays. The delay only happens at the final step when your bank receives the ACH deposit. So you'll still see your payment processed in your my.ny.gov account, it just takes longer to show up in your actual bank account.

I've been dealing with this for months now and here's what I've learned - holiday delays are pretty predictable once you know the pattern. If your normal deposit day is Tuesday and there's a Monday holiday, expect it Wednesday. If Wednesday is your day and there's a Thursday holiday, it'll likely come Friday. The key is knowing that it's always 1-2 business days after your normal day, never before. I actually started keeping track in a little notebook so I can plan my budget around holiday weeks. Hope this helps other people avoid the stress I went through my first few times!

I went through almost exactly this situation with NYS DOL about 8 months ago - $2,750 overpayment from reporting confusion while working variable hours at a coffee shop. The terror about potential criminal charges was absolutely consuming my life, but I want to give you some real reassurance: you are not going to jail over this. After going through the entire process and consulting with an employment attorney, I learned that criminal prosecution in NY requires proving deliberate, systematic fraud - usually involving identity theft, fake documents, or stealing benefits while fully employed. Your situation with honest confusion about part-time work reporting is exactly the type of civil administrative matter that NYS DOL handles routinely. What made all the difference was gathering my pay stubs and work schedules from that period and submitting a detailed appeal explaining where the reporting requirements were genuinely confusing to me. The hearing officer was surprisingly understanding and could clearly see I was a legitimate worker who made honest mistakes rather than someone trying to defraud the system. They reduced my overpayment to about $900 and offered a payment plan that worked with my budget. Focus on responding to their notice promptly and building your documentation for the appeal - the anxiety is by far the worst part of this process. Once you start taking concrete action instead of catastrophizing, everything becomes much more manageable. You're going to be okay.

I went through this exact same panic with NYS DOL about 6 months ago over a $2,100 overpayment from reporting mistakes during a period when I was working two different part-time retail jobs with overlapping schedules. The fear of criminal charges was absolutely debilitating - I couldn't function for weeks thinking I was going to end up with a criminal record over honest mistakes. But I want to give you some concrete reassurance from someone who actually lived through this process: you are absolutely not going to jail. What I learned is that criminal prosecution in NY requires proving deliberate, systematic intent to defraud - we're talking about cases involving fake identities, completely fabricated employment history, or organized fraud schemes worth tens of thousands of dollars. Your $2,800 overpayment from confusion about reporting part-time hours is handled as a routine civil administrative matter that NYS DOL processes constantly. The turning point for me was when I stopped panicking and started gathering my documentation - pay stubs, work schedules, even screenshots of the confusing online reporting portal. I submitted a detailed appeal explaining exactly where I was confused about the reporting requirements for overlapping work schedules. The hearing officer was actually quite understanding and could clearly tell I was a legitimate worker who got confused by complex reporting rules rather than someone trying to cheat the system. They reduced my overpayment by about 65% and set up a manageable payment plan. The most important thing you can do right now is respond to their notice before the deadline and focus your energy on building your appeal documentation rather than spiraling about consequences that won't happen. The anxiety is definitely the worst part - once you start taking concrete action, this becomes much more manageable. Trust me, you're going to get through this and you're definitely not going to jail.

I'm brand new to seasonal work and just discovered this amazing community! I recently finished my first seasonal job at a local holiday market selling handmade crafts and seasonal decorations, and I had no idea seasonal workers could even qualify for unemployment benefits. This entire thread has been such an eye-opener - I honestly thought we were just supposed to figure out how to survive the off-season on our own! Reading everyone's success stories and detailed advice about the NYS DOL process is giving me the confidence to actually file a claim instead of just stressing about finances until spring craft fair season starts. I'm particularly grateful for all the practical tips about documentation, wage calculations, and being upfront about seasonal employment goals. It's incredible to find a community that actually understands the unique challenges of seasonal work. Planning to start gathering my employment documents and file my application this week. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly - this has completely changed my perspective on what resources are available to seasonal workers!

I'm completely new to seasonal work and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I just finished my first seasonal position at a local ski rental shop and had no idea that seasonal workers could even apply for unemployment benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence to file my claim. The advice about keeping detailed job search records and being upfront about seasonal work patterns seems crucial. I'm especially grateful for learning about the $2,600 base period requirement - I need to calculate if my ski shop wages plus some summer work at a farmers market will meet that threshold. It's amazing to find a community that actually understands the unique challenges of seasonal employment instead of just assuming we should find "regular" jobs. Planning to file my application this week and feeling much more prepared thanks to all the practical advice shared here!

Mary, I went through this exact situation last year when my hours got cut at a clothing store! The good news is that NYS makes it pretty straightforward to file for partial unemployment benefits. A few quick tips from my experience: 1) File your claim online at my.ny.gov as soon as you know your hours are being reduced - don't wait for your first short paycheck. 2) When filling out the application, select "reduction of hours/days" as your reason rather than "layoff." 3) Keep detailed records of your actual hours worked each week since you'll report these on your weekly certifications. 4) Remember that business slowdown absolutely counts as a valid reason - you won't need to prove anything beyond what your manager already told you. The partial benefits really helped me bridge the gap until business picked back up. The process feels intimidating at first, but once you get your claim approved, the weekly filing becomes pretty routine. Hang in there - this is a temporary setback and the unemployment system is designed to help people in exactly your situation!

Mary, I'm really sorry to hear about your hour reduction - that financial stress is so real! I went through something similar when my retail job cut hours during a slow season. Just wanted to add a couple things that helped me: First, when you file your initial claim, have your last few pay stubs handy since they'll ask about your recent wages. Second, don't worry too much about the job search requirement while you're still employed part-time - you just need to show you're available and willing to accept full-time work if offered. The system is actually designed to help people in exactly your situation! Also, once you start receiving partial benefits, they'll come on the same schedule as regular unemployment (usually weekly), so you can plan your budget around that. The amount won't replace your full lost wages, but it definitely helps with rent and essentials. Everyone here has given you great advice - you're going to get through this! The hardest part is just taking that first step to file the claim, but you've got all the info you need now.

I had this exact same problem when I first applied! The NYS DOL system really doesn't make it obvious where to find your claim number. Here's what finally worked for me: I called the automated line at 1-888-209-8124 and was able to get my claim number without having to wait on hold for a live agent. You just need your SSN and some basic info from your application. If that doesn't work for some reason, try logging into my.ny.gov and look under "View Benefit Payment History" - even if you haven't received any payments yet, your claim number should be displayed at the top of that page. And don't stress too much about the weekly filing - you can absolutely file using just your SSN and PIN if you still can't locate the claim number. The system will find your claim automatically. Hope this helps!

I'm dealing with this same issue right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been searching everywhere for my claim number and getting really frustrated with the NYS DOL system. Based on everyone's suggestions here, I'm going to try the automated phone line at 1-888-209-8124 first since that seems like the quickest solution. If that doesn't work, I'll check the "View Benefit Payment History" section that several people mentioned. It's such a relief to know I can still file my weekly claim using just my SSN and PIN as a backup option. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's crazy that we need an entire community discussion just to figure out how to find basic information in the system, but I'm so glad this resource exists!