Can I apply for NY unemployment while doing part-time DoorDash?

Yes, you can definitely file for unemployment while doing gig work like DoorDash. You just have to report your earnings each week when you certify. They'll reduce your benefit amount based on what you earn, but it's better than nothing. I was doing Instacart part-time while on unemployment last year and it worked fine.

After trying to call the NY unemployment office for days and never getting through, I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a live agent in 2 hours. Totally worth it to finally get my questions answered about my gig work situation. Talking to an agent got my benefits sorted out in one call - check out their youtube video (https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE) if you're struggling to reach someone.

Just be super careful about reporting your DoorDash income ACCURATELY. I know someone who forgot to report a week of gig work and got hit with an overpayment notice months later. NY unemployment is not forgiving with that stuff and they will make you pay it back with penalties.

Make sure you're classifying yourself correctly. If you're doing gig work like DoorDash you're technically self-employed for that portion of your income. The unemployment system can get confused when you have W2 income from your construction job and 1099 income from gigs. I recommend talking to a live agent to make sure its set up right.

Look up the term "partial unemployment" - thats what ur situation is. You can definitely still get benefits but they'll be reduced. I think you have to earn less than like $504/week to qualify for at least some benefits in NY. You should apply ASAP tho because theres a waiting week and the longer u wait the more money ur missing out on

I was in EXACTLY your situation last summer. Got laid off from my main job but did Uber Eats on the side. Here's what I learned after dealing with NY unemployment: - You CAN receive benefits while doing gig work, but you must report ALL earnings - You certify for benefits every week and report what you earned that week - NY has a partial unemployment system that reduces benefits on a sliding scale - The system is annoying but helps when you're making some but not enough money - Keep DETAILED records of your gig earnings - screenshot your DoorDash weekly summaries - If you have trouble with your application or questions, use claimyr.com to get through to a rep (this saved me hours of frustrated phone calls) - Don't try to hide income - they will eventually cross-reference with tax records - Your benefit rate is based on your construction job, not the DoorDash income Also, remember that DoorDash doesn't withhold taxes, so set aside some money for that too. You're basically running a mini-business with gig work which complicates things.

Beware that DD and uber eats dont withhold taxes so youll need to pay quarterly taxes. Also make sure youre tracking miles for tax deductions!!!

you absolutely can file while dashing part time. i was making like $250ish a week doordashing and got partial benefits of like $340 a week for a couple months. just be truthful on ur weekly certification or they'll catch you and make you pay it back.

Not related to your question but if ur only making 200-300 a week with doordash ur doing something wrong. multiapp with ubereats/grubhub and dash during peak times (lunch/dinner). i make $500-600 for 20-25 hours

the NY unemployment system is a total disaster rn 🤦‍♂️ prepare for frustration and delays no matter what u do

Make sure when you apply you're VERY clear that you were laid off and didn't quit. My coworker got denied initially because they thought she quit to do DoorDash when actually she got laid off and THEN started dashing. Had to appeal and it was a whole mess.

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned this, but there's a specific section of the weekly certification that asks about self-employment. You need to make sure you're answering that correctly for your DoorDash work. You need to report gross earnings (before DoorDash fees and expenses).

yall stop telling people to use claimyr its clearly just advertising 🙄

Anyone know if they count miles/gas expenses against doordash earnings? Or is it just the total amount you get paid that matters for unemployment?

Apply ASAP! You have nothing to lose by applying. Worst they can say is no. And start putting in 5 work search activities each week NOW even before you apply, so you can show you've been looking for work since your layoff.

I'm in a similar boat - got laid off from my warehouse job and started doing Instacart while job hunting. From what I've learned, you definitely CAN file for unemployment while doing gig work in NY. The key things are: 1) Report ALL your DoorDash earnings when you certify each week (they want gross pay before expenses), 2) Make sure you classify it as self-employment income, and 3) Keep detailed records of everything. The benefit reduction isn't dollar-for-dollar - there's a formula they use. I'd recommend applying right away since there's a waiting period, and honestly after reading all these comments, it sounds like talking to a live agent might save you headaches down the road. Good luck with the job search!

Hey Marcus! I just went through this exact situation a few months ago when I got laid off from my restaurant job and started doing Uber Eats. You can absolutely file for unemployment while doing DoorDash part-time - it's called partial unemployment. The main things to remember: 1) Apply immediately, don't wait! There's a waiting week and you're missing out on money. 2) Report your DoorDash earnings honestly every week when you certify - they want the gross amount before DoorDash takes their commission. 3) Keep screenshots of your weekly earnings summaries for your records. 4) You'll still get benefits, just reduced based on what you earn from DoorDash. Since you're only making $200-300/week, you should still qualify for a decent partial benefit. The hardest part honestly is getting through to someone on the phone if you have questions, but the online system works okay once you understand how to report gig work earnings. Don't stress too much about it - thousands of people are in your exact situation and the system does handle it, even if it's not always intuitive. Good luck!

I actually just went through this process last month after getting laid off from my retail job! You can definitely file for unemployment while doing DoorDash part-time. Here's what worked for me: Apply right away - don't wait because you're losing money every week you delay. When you certify weekly, report your GROSS DoorDash earnings (the full amount before they take their cut). The system will reduce your benefits but you'll still get something, which is way better than nothing. I was making about $250/week with gig work and still got partial unemployment benefits of around $280/week. The key is being 100% honest about your earnings - they will eventually cross-check with tax records so don't try to hide anything. Also, make sure to keep doing your work search requirements even though you're dashing. The whole process was less scary than I thought it would be once I actually started. You've got this!