I'm dealing with this same situation right now - my BYE is this Sunday too! Reading through everyone's responses has been super helpful. Just to make sure I understand the process correctly: certify for the final week first thing Sunday morning, then file the new claim later that same day, and expect a one-week waiting period for the new benefit year? I've got all my employer info from the past 18 months organized and ready to go. It's reassuring to see so many people have successfully navigated this transition. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Just wanted to add my experience from when I went through this last year - definitely certify on Sunday for your final week! I was in the exact same boat and was worried about the timing too. The system handled it perfectly fine. One thing I wish someone had told me is to print or save a copy of your final payment confirmation from the old claim, just for your records. Also, when you file your new claim that same day, the system might ask you to verify some information that seems repetitive, but just go through it carefully - it's setting up your new benefit year calculations. The whole process is actually pretty straightforward once you do it. Good luck!

Filing for unemployment was one of the smartest things I did when I got laid off. Even though I waited about 2 weeks myself, I still got benefits for months while job searching. The application process isn't too bad, just make sure you have your employer information and social security number ready.

Sean, I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - file TODAY! I work in HR and see this mistake all the time. People think they have to wait or that there's some complicated process, but you literally just need to go to ny.gov and start the application. The three weeks you've already lost are gone, but don't lose any more time. Also, make sure you have your last employer's information handy (company name, address, dates of employment, reason for separation) and your Social Security number. The system will walk you through everything step by step. You've got this!

I'm a per diem medical technologist and went through this exact same worry when I started collecting! The thing that really helped me was understanding that the weekly certification is literally asking about just those 7 days - nothing more, nothing less. If no shifts were posted or available during that week, then you genuinely didn't work (0 hours) and there was no work offered for you to refuse. I always answer that I was available because I truly was ready to pick up shifts if any had been offered. I've been doing this successfully for about 6 months now. The only time I had any issues was when I forgot to report some holiday pay correctly, but that was totally my fault. One thing that really gave me peace of mind was realizing that healthcare facilities rely heavily on per diem staff - we're not some edge case the system can't handle. DOL sees claims like ours all the time. Just be consistent, honest about what actually happened each week, and don't let the online horror stories make you second-guess yourself. You've got this!

I'm a per diem radiology tech and I was in your EXACT situation when I first started claiming! I remember staring at those certification questions for like 30 minutes trying to figure out if I was going to accidentally commit fraud or something. Here's what I've learned after doing this for about 4 months: those weekly questions are actually pretty literal. If you worked 0 hours that week because no shifts were available, then you didn't work - simple as that. And since no shifts were offered for you to turn down, you didn't refuse work either. The key is just being consistent and truthful about what actually happened during those specific 7 days. I keep a little note in my phone each week just to remember (like "Week of 3/20: Available Mon-Fri, no shifts posted"). Haven't had any issues so far and my payments come through regularly. The healthcare field is full of per diem workers so the system definitely knows how to handle us - don't let the online horror stories freak you out!

I've been dealing with partial unemployment for about 6 months now and honestly the earnings disregard calculation still trips me up sometimes. One thing I learned the hard way is that if you have any deductions from your pay (like union dues or health insurance premiums), you report your GROSS earnings, not what you actually take home. I was reporting my net pay for the first few weeks and it messed up my benefit calculations until I realized my mistake. Also, if you work for multiple employers in the same week, you have to add up ALL your earnings from that week - you can't treat each job separately. The NYS Department of Labor system will automatically apply the earnings disregard to your total combined income for that week.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation earning around $150/week part-time while on unemployment. One question I haven't seen addressed - does the earnings disregard calculation change if you're receiving any other benefits like SNAP or Medicaid? I've heard conflicting information about whether working part-time while on unemployment affects eligibility for other assistance programs. Also, for those tracking their earnings in spreadsheets, do you include any tips or bonuses in your weekly reporting? I sometimes get small cash tips at my job and want to make sure I'm reporting everything correctly to avoid any issues down the road.

Had this exact same issue happen to me back in October! I know how stressful it is when you see that denial message, but don't panic - it's totally fixable. Here's what I learned from my experience: - Call as early as possible (8 AM sharp when they open) - Have your claim number and the exact week you need corrected ready - Be direct: "I need to correct a certification error where I accidentally reported earnings I didn't actually make" - If the first agent seems unsure, ask for a supervisor or the corrections department The whole thing took me about a week to resolve once I finally got through. The agent was actually really understanding - apparently they see this mistake all the time, especially with how confusing the online form can be. One thing that helped me was writing down exactly what I was going to say before calling, so I didn't get nervous and ramble. They just need the facts: which week, what you reported vs what you actually earned, and that it was an honest mistake. You'll get your money! Just stay persistent with the calling and don't give up after a few busy signals. The system sucks but the people on the other end usually want to help once you reach them.

This happened to me too about a month ago! I was rushing through the certification and accidentally selected the wrong earnings amount. I totally understand the panic when you see that denial message. Here's what worked for me: I called right at 8 AM using the 1-2-1-3 button sequence someone mentioned earlier to skip the intro. Took about 45 minutes on hold but I got through. The agent was super helpful and fixed it immediately once I explained it was an input error. The key things that helped: - Being very specific about the week and the mistake - Having my claim number ready - Staying calm and polite (even though I was stressed) They corrected it on the spot and I got my payment 3 days later. Don't beat yourself up about the mistake - the agent told me they handle these certification errors multiple times every day. It's way more common than you think! Just keep calling and don't give up. Once you get the right person, it's a 5-minute fix. You've got this! 💪