One important thing to keep in mind - if you do qualify based on your previous W-2 employment and file a claim, you'll need to report any earnings from your DoorDash work when you file your weekly claims. Even though it's 1099 income, any work and earnings need to be reported to NYS Department of Labor. This could affect your weekly benefit amount depending on how much you earn.

I went through this exact same situation about a year ago when my DoorDash earnings dropped significantly. I had worked at a retail job for about 10 months before switching to full-time gig work. What really helped me was gathering all my W-2 documents and pay stubs from my previous employer before applying. NYS Department of Labor was able to establish my claim based on those wages, but the process took longer than I expected - about 3-4 weeks to get my first payment. Just make sure you're prepared to actively job search for traditional employment positions and keep detailed records of your applications. It's worth applying even if you're not 100% sure about your eligibility since they'll review your work history and let you know.

same thing happening to me right now... filed 2 weeks ago and still showing under review. this is so stressful when you need the money

I went through something similar a few months ago. NYS DOL will contact your employer if they need clarification about your separation, but it's not guaranteed they will. In your case, since you mentioned they cut your hours drastically, that could actually work in your favor - "constructive dismissal" where they essentially forced you out by making the job unviable. Make sure you have any documentation about the hour cuts (pay stubs, schedules, emails) because that can really help your case if they do investigate. The "under review" status is normal and can last anywhere from 1-4 weeks depending on their workload.

To answer your original question more specifically - you need both the $2,600 minimum AND wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period. You can check your wage history by logging into my.ny.gov and looking at your unemployment services account. This will show exactly what quarters NYS Department of Labor has on record for you.

One thing that might help clarify your base period - it's usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would typically be January 2024 through December 2024. But if you don't have enough wages in that period, you might be able to use an "alternate base period" which would be the last 4 completed quarters. The my.ny.gov portal should show you exactly which quarters they're using for your calculation once you log in.

I had this same exact problem when Bank of America suddenly closed my account! Here's what I learned after dealing with this mess: If you're getting stuck on the verification questions, try using the "I forgot my username" option instead of just the security questions - sometimes that pathway works better. Also, when you do get through (either online or by phone), make absolutely sure to ask them for the EXACT date your new direct deposit will start. They told me "1-2 payment cycles" but didn't specify if that meant the very next payment or the one after. Turns out my next payment was already processed to the old account and bounced back, causing a 10-day delay while they reissued it as a debit card. If I had known the timing better, I could have requested that temporary hold everyone's mentioning. Also pro tip: take a screenshot of any confirmation pages if you do manage to update it online - I didn't do this and later had to prove I had actually made the change when there was confusion about my payment method. The whole experience was super stressful but it does get resolved eventually!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago when my local credit union unexpectedly closed! After trying everything mentioned here, what ultimately worked was a combination approach: First, I tried the "forgot security answers" link that @276e8b10c4c3 mentioned - that got me past the verification but then the site kept timing out when I tried to save the new bank info. So I called the DOL tech support line (different from regular unemployment line) at exactly 8:00 AM and got through in about 12 minutes. The key thing I learned is to specifically ask them to walk you through updating it in your online account while you're on the phone with them - they can see what's happening on their end and help troubleshoot any website errors. This way you get the change made AND learn how to do it yourself for future reference. They also confirmed the exact payment date when the new direct deposit would start (super important!) and put a note in my file about the bank closure so there wouldn't be any confusion later. The whole call took maybe 25 minutes but saved me weeks of stress. Also definitely screenshot everything once it's working - I've had to reference those screenshots twice now for other issues. Don't give up, it's totally fixable with a little persistence!

Congrats to everyone who finally got approved! This thread has been super helpful - I'm dealing with the same issue and filed in early February. Still stuck on pending review. Going to try the UI-578E form today and also look into Claimyr. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get benefits we're entitled to, but at least there are some workarounds. Really appreciate everyone sharing what actually worked for them instead of just complaining. Fingers crossed I'll have good news to share soon too!

Just wanted to add my experience - I filed in mid-January and was stuck on pending for 7 weeks. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: submitted the UI-578E form, contacted my state assemblyman's office, AND used Claimyr to get through to an agent. The agent discovered my claim was flagged because I had worked in both NY and NJ in the past year, which triggered their multi-state verification process. She was able to clear it up immediately once we spoke. One thing I learned - don't just submit the UI-578E form and wait. Follow up with multiple approaches because sometimes these claims get stuck for really specific technical reasons that only a human can resolve. The whole process is frustrating but there ARE ways to get through it. Keep pushing and don't give up!