NY unemployment system says 'break in claim' when reporting 10 hours part-time work - how to fix?
I'm having trouble with the updated NY unemployment partial benefits system. When I try to certify for this week (worked only 10 hours, so claiming 0 days), the system keeps giving me a 'break in claim' error message. I don't understand why this is happening - I haven't missed any weekly certifications and I'm reporting everything correctly. Has the system changed how we report part-time hours? Anyone else running into this issue or know how to fix it? I really need my partial benefits this week.
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Vanessa Chang
The partial unemployment system was updated last month and there are definitely some bugs. When reporting part-time work, you now need to count ANY day you worked even one hour as a full 'day worked' - so 10 hours spread across 3 days would count as 3 days worked, not 0. The 'break in claim' message usually appears when the system thinks you've gone more than a week without certifying or when your reporting doesn't match their expectations. Try logging back in and reporting the actual number of DAYS you worked those 10 hours, not just the hours. That should resolve the error.
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Noah Irving
•Thanks for explaining! I worked those 10 hours across 2 days (Thursday and Friday). So I should be reporting 2 days worked instead of 0? That's different from how it used to be calculated. I'll try that right now.
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Madison King
had the same probelm last week!! the new system is soooo confusing. i worked 12 hrs and it gave me same error. turns out u gotta count the DAYS not hours now. its stupid.
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Noah Irving
•It IS confusing! Did you manage to fix it after you reported the days correctly? Did you have to call anyone or did it just work when you fixed the days?
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Julian Paolo
NYSDOL changed the partial unemployment system in January 2025. Now you must report EACH DAY you worked as a full day, regardless of hours. Even 1 hour = 1 day worked. If you worked 10 hours across multiple days, you need to report each of those days. The old hours-based calculation is gone. The "break in claim" error happens when there's inconsistency with what they expect. Here's how to fix it: 1. Log back in 2. Select "File a new claim/Certify for benefits" 3. When asked how many days you worked, enter the ACTUAL NUMBER OF CALENDAR DAYS (not zero) 4. Complete the certification If you keep getting errors, you might need to speak with an agent to reset your claim status.
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Noah Irving
•Thank you for these detailed steps! This makes sense now. So basically I worked Thursday and Friday, 5 hours each day, so I need to report 2 days worked. I'll try this right away.
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Ella Knight
the break in claim thing happened to me too!! such a hassle. ended up having to call them and wait foreeeever. the system is broken IMO
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William Schwarz
•I went through something similar and couldn't get through on the phone after trying for DAYS. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE It was worth it because the agent fixed my claim issue on the spot and I was able to certify correctly. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to solve these system errors.
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Lauren Johnson
lol everyone thinks the system is broken but u just gotta read the instructions they sent out. i work part time and had no issues once i actually read the email they sent explaining the new rules 🤷♂️
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Jade Santiago
•Not everyone received that email though. I've been on partial unemployment for months and never got any notification about the change. The first I heard about it was when I got the same error as OP. The NYSDOL really needs to improve their communication about these important changes.
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Noah Irving
UPDATE: You guys were right! I went back and reported 2 days instead of 0, and it went through without any error. I even got the confirmation number. Thanks for helping me understand the new system - I wish they had made this change clearer when they updated everything.
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Vanessa Chang
•Great! Glad it worked out. For future reference, here's how the new partial unemployment calculation works in NY: - Each day you work, regardless of hours, counts as 1 day - 0 days worked = full weekly benefit rate - 1 day worked = 75% of weekly benefit - 2 days worked = 50% of weekly benefit - 3 days worked = 25% of weekly benefit - 4+ days worked = no benefits You should receive your payment in 2-3 business days as usual.
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Madison King
My brother had this same issue with the break in claim thing. He said he just waited a few days and tried again and it magically worked. The system is jst glitchy sometimes.
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Julian Paolo
•While waiting sometimes works for temporary glitches, the "break in claim" error usually requires action. If you wait too long (over 2 weeks), you might have to completely reopen your claim, which can cause payment delays of 2-3 weeks. It's almost always better to resolve these issues immediately rather than hoping they'll fix themselves.
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