NY unemployment question about returning to claim after one-time extra hours

You'll be fine. I've had weeks where I worked over 30 hours and didn't claim, then went back to claiming when my hours dropped again. Just make sure you answer everything truthfully when you certify. The system is designed to handle fluctuating work schedules.

I was in the same boat trying to deal with ny unemployment's nonsense. Couldn't get anyone on the phone for WEEKS. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me a callback with an actual human agent! Talking to an agent got my payments flowing again so fast. Check out this video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - honestly it was the only way I could get through to someone.

Your fine. When u certify again just put your correct hours for THIS week. The system already knows u didn't claim last week so don't worry about it. Just hop back on and continue like normal.

I switch between weeks where I claim and don't claim all the time. That's literally what partial unemployment is for. As long as you're honest about your hours each week, you're good. The key is you can't make more than your benefit rate in a week to qualify, so when you made more by working 34 hours, you correctly didn't claim. Now that you're back under, just claim again.

The real problem is when you try to get help if something DOES go wrong. The phone lines are ALWAYS busy and you can't get through to a human. I spent 4 days trying to get through before giving up.

I work in catering so my hours are ALL over the place. Some weeks I work 40+ hours, some weeks I get like 5 hours. The unemployment system is built to handle this exact situation. You only certify for weeks when your hours are low enough to qualify. Don't overthink it!

Actually, I want to point something out that nobody has mentioned. Make sure when you certify next time that you answer "NO" to the question about whether you've returned to work. Since you were already working part-time before, you haven't "returned" to work - you've just been continuing your part-time work. If you answer "YES" to that question, it could cause problems with your claim.

OMG I LITERALLY JUST WENT THROUGH THIS EXACT SITUATION LAST MONTH!!! You're totally fine, just certify normally when your hours go back down. The unemployment system is designed for exactly this kind of fluctuation. The only issue would be if you completely stopped claiming for like months at a time.

Here's what you need to know about New York unemployment and variable work hours: The system is specifically designed to accommodate fluctuating work schedules. That's the whole point of partial unemployment benefits. When your hours increase above the threshold (working more than 30 hours OR earning more than your benefit rate), you simply don't claim for that week. When hours decrease again, you resume claiming. There's no special process to "restart" your claim within the same benefit year. Some important things to remember: - Always report your actual hours and earnings accurately - There's no penalty for weeks you don't claim due to higher hours - Your benefit year continues for 52 weeks from your initial claim date - If you have trouble with your claim or need to speak to someone, using claimyr.com is honestly the fastest way to get a human on the phone The only time you need to reapply is when your benefit year ends (after 52 weeks) or if there's been a very long gap in your claims (usually 3+ months of not claiming). I've been dealing with variable schedules on unemployment for over a year now, and while the system is frustrating, this particular scenario works pretty smoothly.

Am I the only one whos been waiting 8 weeks for backpay? 😭 cant get through to anyone to help

Side note: make sure you document EVERYTHING. Keep track of the weeks you work, hours, pay stubs, etc. NY unemployment loves to randomly audit people and if your numbers don't match up they can make you pay everything back. Ask me how I know... 🙃

Unpopular opinion but the NY unemployment system actually works pretty well compared to other states. My sister lives in Florida and their system is a NIGHTMARE on purpose to deny claims. At least in NY you actually get paid when eligible.