How do you file for partial unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
My hours got cut from 40 to 25 per week at my retail job and I'm struggling to pay rent. I heard you can file for partial unemployment benefits but I have no idea how this works with NYS Department of Labor. Do I still need to do the weekly certification? And will they reduce my benefits if I'm still working? I'm worried about messing something up and getting in trouble. Has anyone been through this process before?
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Isabella Ferreira
Yes, you can definitely file for partial benefits when your hours are reduced! You'll file the same initial claim as regular unemployment through the NYS Department of Labor website. The key is reporting your reduced earnings accurately on your weekly certifications. They'll calculate your partial benefit amount based on your weekly earnings - generally you can earn up to a certain amount before your benefits start getting reduced dollar for dollar.
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Malik Johnson
•Thank you! Do you know what that earnings limit is? I don't want to accidentally go over it.
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Ravi Sharma
I did partial unemployment last year when my restaurant cut everyone's shifts. You still have to certify weekly and report EXACTLY what you earned that week. Don't try to estimate or round numbers - use your actual gross pay from your paystub. The system is pretty good at catching discrepancies and you don't want an overpayment notice later.
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NebulaNomad
•This is so important! I got flagged for adjudication because I reported my net pay instead of gross pay by mistake. Took weeks to resolve.
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Freya Thomsen
omg same situation here! been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask about this but can never get through, the phone system is impossible
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Omar Fawaz
•I had the same problem reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor. I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to unemployment agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. They basically handle the calling process so you don't have to sit on hold forever. I used it to get clarification on my partial benefits and it was super helpful.
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Chloe Martin
Wait I'm confused about the job search requirement. Do you still need to look for work if you're already employed but just with reduced hours? That seems weird.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Good question! For partial unemployment, you're typically exempt from the job search requirement since you're already employed. But you still need to be available for additional work if your employer offers more hours.
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Diego Rojas
The whole system is ridiculous honestly. Why should someone who's working have to jump through all these hoops just because their employer cut hours? It's not like we chose to have our income reduced.
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Ravi Sharma
Just make sure you understand the benefit formula. In NY, your weekly benefit rate gets reduced by 25% of whatever you earn over $143. So if your weekly benefit would normally be $300 and you earn $200 that week, you'd get $300 minus 25% of ($200-$143) = $300 - $14.25 = $285.75. It's worth doing the math to see if it makes sense for your situation.
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Abigail Patel
I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago when my hours at the warehouse got cut from full-time to part-time. The application process is straightforward - you file online just like regular unemployment, but make sure to indicate that you're still employed with reduced hours. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of my schedule changes and pay stubs from before and after the reduction. NYS DOL may ask for documentation to verify your hours were actually cut. Also, don't stress too much about the weekly certifications - just be honest about your earnings and hours worked each week. The system is designed to help people in situations like yours, so as long as you're truthful in your reporting, you should be fine.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•This is really helpful advice! I'm curious about those documentation requirements you mentioned. What specific records did NYS DOL ask you to provide? I want to make sure I'm prepared with everything they might need when I file my claim. Did they ask for anything beyond just the pay stubs showing the hour reduction?
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