Can I do Uber while on unemployment benefits in NYS?
I've been collecting unemployment for about 6 weeks now and things are getting tight financially. I'm thinking about signing up to drive for Uber part-time while I keep looking for full-time work. Does anyone know if this is allowed with NYS Department of Labor? I don't want to mess up my benefits but I really need some extra income. Do I have to report the earnings from ride sharing on my weekly claim certification?
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Dylan Baskin
Yes, you can work part-time including gig work like Uber while collecting unemployment, but you MUST report all earnings on your weekly claim. NYS Department of Labor will reduce your benefit amount based on how much you earn. The general rule is if you earn more than $405 per week, your benefits get reduced dollar for dollar. Anything under that threshold gets a partial deduction.
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Hunter Brighton
•Thanks! So if I make like $200 driving Uber one week, how much would that reduce my weekly benefit? My current weekly benefit amount is $320.
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Nia Harris
•@Dylan Baskin is right about the $405 threshold. For your situation with a $320 weekly benefit and earning $200 from Uber, here s'how it works: NYS has a partial benefit formula where they subtract 25% of your earnings over $100 from your weekly benefit amount. So $200 - $100 = $100, then 25% of that is $25. Your benefit would be reduced from $320 to $295 that week. Just make sure to report it accurately on your weekly certification!
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Lauren Wood
definitely report it or you'll get hit with an overpayment notice later. i learned this the hard way when i did doordash last year
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Ellie Lopez
•What happened when you got the overpayment notice? Did you have to pay it all back at once?
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Chad Winthrope
Just make sure you're still available for full-time work and actively job searching. NYS Department of Labor requires you to be able and available for work, so if you're driving Uber 60 hours a week that might be a problem. Also keep track of your job search activities - you still need to do 3 work search activities per week even if you're doing gig work.
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Hunter Brighton
•Good point about the job search requirement. I was planning to just drive during off hours anyway, maybe evenings and weekends.
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Paige Cantoni
I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks about a similar question but their phone lines are always busy. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there? I keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold for hours.
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Ellie Lopez
•I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr - it's a service that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. Check out claimyr.com, they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I used it last month and actually got to speak with someone within 30 minutes instead of waiting hours.
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Kylo Ren
The system is so confusing! I reported my part-time earnings last week and now my claim status changed to 'under review.' Should I be worried? I made sure to report everything honestly.
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Malik Johnson
•Don't panic! "Under review" is pretty normal when you first start reporting part-time earnings. They just need to verify your income and adjust your benefit calculation. It usually takes 1-2 weeks to process. As long as you reported everything accurately like you said, you should be fine. The system flags any changes to review them manually. Just keep certifying your weekly claims as usual while you wait.
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Ava Martinez
Just wanted to add that when you do sign up for Uber, make sure to keep detailed records of all your earnings - not just what Uber reports to you, but also track your mileage, gas, car maintenance costs, etc. NYS Department of Labor wants to know your gross earnings from ride sharing, but you'll also need those expense records for tax purposes since you'll be considered an independent contractor. Also, don't forget that Uber earnings can be unpredictable - some weeks you might make $50, others $300 - so always report the actual amount you earned that specific week on your certification.
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Yara Elias
•This is really helpful advice about keeping detailed records! I hadn't thought about tracking all the car expenses. Do you know if there's a specific app or method that works best for tracking mileage and expenses for Uber drivers? I want to make sure I'm doing this right from the start since I'll need those records for both unemployment reporting and taxes next year.
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