NY unemployment showing 'break in claim' message after reporting part-time work - help!

yeah i got that same message last month when i picked up a temp gig. dont worry too much its just their system being weird

A 'break in claim' message typically appears when the system detects a change in your employment status. Since you reported part-time work, the system needs to recalculate your benefits based on your earnings. This doesn't necessarily mean your claim is closed or invalid. You should: 1. Check if you received any messages in your online inbox 2. Make sure you continue certifying weekly even while this is being resolved 3. If it's not resolved within 72 hours, you'll need to speak with an agent I've had clients go through this, and usually it resolves automatically within 3-5 business days if your earnings were below the threshold that would disqualify you for that week.

I had this EXACT problem in February!!! The NYSDOL system is COMPLETELY BROKEN when it comes to part-time work. I reported 15 hours and they stopped my payments for THREE WEEKS!!! No explanation, no nothing. Just 'break in claim' and then silence. Had to eat into my savings which was already almost gone. The worst part is you CANNOT get through to anyone on the phone to fix it!!!! I tried for DAYS!!!

After you report part-time earnings, your weekly benefit amount gets adjusted based on what you earned. If you earned more than the threshold (which is 25% of your weekly benefit rate + $150 in 2025), your benefit gets reduced proportionally. That "break in claim" message usually happens when: 1. Your reported earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount 2. There's a discrepancy between what you reported and what your employer reported 3. The system needs manual review by a claims examiner If your claim status doesn't update to "paid" within 5-7 business days, you'll need to contact NYSDOL directly. Make sure you keep certifying weekly regardless of this status.

I had a similar situation back in January. It's frustrating but usually temporary. I spent 3 days trying to call NYSDOL with no luck - their phone system is always jammed. Finally discovered Claimyr.com which got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent explained that any time you report part-time work, there's a brief review period where they verify the information. Mine took about 4 business days to clear up, then I got back payments for the missed weeks.

dont panic too much, this happens ALL THE TIME. NYSDOL system freaks out whenever u report any change. its like the whole system needs 2b rebooted or something lol. just keep claiming every week and it'll probably fix itself. if not, good luck getting thru on the phone, it's a nightmare

I went through this exact situation last month! My situation was a little different though because I'm working part-time at two different places with varying hours each week. The break in claim message appeared for about 4 business days, then my payment processed normally. The key thing is to KEEP CERTIFYING every week even while this is happening. My theory is that they have to manually review any claim with part-time work the first time you report it, but then it goes back to automatic processing.

btw if u do need to talk to someone at unemployment don't waste time with the regular number. call right when they open at 8am or use one of those services that waits on hold for u. i waited 3+ hours last time i called the regular way

Update: I checked the NYSDOL website and noticed they just updated their part-time work reporting policies for 2025. Now any part-time work requires a one-time review of your claim the first time you report it. This typically takes 3-5 business days, but shouldn't interrupt your benefits as long as your earnings are below the threshold. For reference, the current formula for partial benefits is: - If you work less than 30 hours AND earn less than your weekly benefit rate - Your benefit is reduced by 25% of your earnings So if your weekly benefit is $500 and you earned $180, your payment would be reduced by $45 (25% of $180), meaning you should receive $455 for that week.

Just a quick addition - make sure you're calculating your work hours correctly for certification purposes. NY unemployment counts any part of an hour as a full hour. So if you worked 12 hours and 15 minutes total, you need to report 13 hours. This is a common mistake that can create issues with your claim.

My claim got resolved after using Claimyr to reach an agent. The rep told me this happens to almost everyone the first time they report part-time work. It's just a verification step to make sure everything's legit. After that first time, it should process normally as long as your hours stay below 30 per week.

any update? did ur payment go thru yet?

Just received an update from a colleague who works with NYSDOL claims. They confirmed the current processing time for first-time part-time work reports is approximately 4-5 business days. You should see your claim update by early next week if you reported it earlier this week.