Can I file new NY unemployment claim while working part-time for Uber Eats?

Yes, you can absolutely file a new claim while working part-time for Uber Eats! NY unemployment does allow partial benefits when you work less than 30 hours per week and earn under your benefit rate. When you certify weekly, you'll report your hours worked and earnings from Uber Eats. The system will automatically calculate any partial benefit you're eligible for. They use a formula where they deduct 25% of your benefit rate for each day you work (even if just an hour), but you can still receive partial payment for the days you don't work. Since your previous full-time job ended in 2023, you should have enough wages in your base period to qualify for a new claim. The key is being honest about your Uber Eats work during weekly certification.

i was in same situation last yr. u definitely CAN work uber eats while collectin benefits but u gotta report ALL ur earnings each week when u certify. they ask u how many days u worked (even partial days count as full days) and how much u made BEFORE expenses. dont try 2 hide anything, not worth it!

You need to report your GROSS earnings to unemployment, not your net earnings after expenses. For Uber Eats, this means the total amount you earned including tips before any deductions for gas, wear and tear, etc. For your question about when to report, you report earnings for the week you WORKED, not when you got paid. So if you did deliveries Tuesday and Thursday, you report those earnings for that certification week even if Uber doesn't deposit the money until the following week. Also important - each day you work even ONE HOUR counts as a full day of work according to NY unemployment. So if you did deliveries for 2 hours on Monday, 3 hours Wednesday, and 1 hour Friday, that counts as 3 days worked and will reduce your benefits accordingly.

I'm in a similar situation and struggling to get answers from NYSDOL. I've been trying to call about partial benefits with DoorDash income for TWO WEEKS and can't get through to anyone!!! The phone system just disconnects me after 20+ minutes on hold. Has anyone found a way to actually speak to a human being there? This is so frustrating!

To answer your original question more directly - yes, you can file a new claim in 2025 based on your previous transit contractor job. Since you worked there for 8 years and only lost that job in December 2023, those wages will still be in your base period for a 2025 claim. One important thing to understand is that NY uses your highest paid quarter during your base period to determine your weekly benefit amount. So your benefit rate will be based on your full-time job earnings, not your Uber Eats earnings. Then each week, you'll certify and report your Uber Eats work, and receive partial benefits according to the formula others have mentioned.

Just want to add my experience - I was on unemployment last year while doing Instacart part time. The key thing that helped me was keeping SUPER detailed records. I created a spreadsheet where I tracked: - Exact hours worked each day - Total earnings each day including tips - Screenshots of my weekly earnings summaries This saved me later when they did a review of my claim and I had to verify my reported earnings. Better safe than sorry!

Watch out with Uber income!!! My friend got hit with a HUGE overpayment bill because he didn't report correctly. The NYSDOL wants to know about ALL hours you're logged into the app waiting for orders, not just actual delivery time. And you need to report even PENDING tips that haven't been finalized. The whole system is designed to trip you up and make you pay everything back!!!

One thing nobody has mentioned yet - when you file your new claim, make sure to check the box indicating you're currently working part-time. This helps set up your claim correctly from the start. Also, when you're answering the availability questions during your application, indicate that you ARE available for full-time work despite your current part-time gig. That's important because you need to be available for full-time work to qualify for benefits. You might need to verify your Uber Eats income with documentation, so have those records ready in case they ask for them during the application process.

btw u need 2 report ur gross earnings EACH DAY on uber not just the weekly total. this tripped me up at first

Does anyone know if there's a certain amount I can earn per week before unemployment benefits get reduced? Like is there a threshold where they don't count small earnings?

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! Based on your advice, I'm going to: 1. File a new claim and indicate I'm working part-time 2. Set up a daily tracking system for my Uber Eats hours and earnings 3. Make sure I report gross earnings on the days I actually worked 4. Try to concentrate my Uber work on fewer days to maximize benefits I feel so much better knowing I can still get some unemployment help while doing delivery work to make ends meet. This forum has been incredibly helpful!

Great advice from everyone here! I just wanted to add that when you file your new claim, you might also want to consider the timing strategically. Since you're doing Uber Eats part-time, try to plan your delivery schedule around your weekly certification days if possible. For example, if you certify on Sundays, you could potentially do most of your Uber work on Friday-Sunday and then focus on job searching Monday-Thursday. This way you're maximizing your unemployment benefits while still earning some income. Also, don't forget that you're still required to do job search activities even while working part-time gig work. Keep track of your applications and interviews because they may ask for that information during certification too. Good luck with your claim! The fact that you're asking these questions upfront shows you're being responsible about following the rules correctly.

Just want to echo what everyone's saying about being completely honest with your reporting! I did DoorDash while on unemployment for about 6 months last year and it worked out fine as long as I was accurate with everything. One thing I learned the hard way - when you're doing deliveries, NY considers you "self-employed" for that work, so make sure you answer the self-employment question correctly during weekly certification. They ask if you worked for yourself or did any freelance/contract work, and Uber Eats definitely counts. Also, save all your weekly earnings statements from Uber because if they ever audit your claim (which they do randomly), you'll need to provide documentation. The Uber app lets you download these pretty easily. The combination of partial unemployment + gig work really helped me stay afloat while job hunting. Just be patient with the system and keep detailed records of everything!