NY unemployment - working part-time during paid training (under 30 hrs) - how to certify correctly?

Report it correctly as part-time work. You need to say yes that you worked, but then you'll enter the hours and earnings. They'll calculate partial benefits. Don't lie about working - they'll find out when the employer reports your wages and you'll have to pay everything back plus penalties.

After spending WEEKS trying to get through to someone at unemployment, I finally discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was skeptical at first but they actually got me connected to a real person who helped sort out my part-time work situation. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast! Check out this video too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Yes, you need to report that you returned to work, but also report the exact hours and pay. You can still collect partial benefits as long as you don't work more than 30 hours or make more than your benefit rate + $504 in a week. Don't worry, saying "yes" to working doesn't automatically end your claim - they'll just reduce your weekly benefit based on what you earned.

Here's exactly what you need to do. I've been through this exact situation and navigated the system for months: First, YES you must report that you've returned to work. When you certify, you'll indicate you worked and then enter your hours and gross wages (before taxes). NY uses a partial unemployment system where they reduce your benefit by 25% for each day you work, even if it's just an hour. So if you work 3 days, even at just 5 hours per day, you'd get only 25% of your weekly benefit. Be 100% honest - they cross-check with employer reports and any discrepancy will trigger an investigation and potential overpayment issues. If you can't get through to ask questions (which is likely), I'd highly recommend using claimyr.com to connect with an agent. It was a game-changer for me when I needed clarification on my part-time situation. Keep detailed records of all your hours, pay stubs, and certification submissions in case there are any issues later. Screenshots of your certifications can save you a lot of headache down the road.

Pro tip: make sure you understand how NY calculates partial benefits! They go by DAYS not HOURS which is stupid af. So working 2 hours a day for 4 days is worse than working 8 hours a day for 2 days, even though total hours are lower. Try to consolidate your work days if possible.

omg i just went thru this!!! say YES that you returned to work, then report your hours/earnings accurately. you'll get partial benefits as long as u don't exceed their thresholds. in my case i was getting like $150 partial benefits while in training and it helped sooooo much until i got to full time. don't stress!

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LIE ABOUT WORKING!!!!! They WILL catch you and you'll have to pay everything back with penalties. I know someone who thought they could get away with it and ended up owing $6700 plus interest. Not worth it.

Ugh this system is so messed up. Why can't they just make a simple calculator or clear instructions? I swear they intentionally make it confusing so people mess up and get disqualified. Good luck OP.

When I was in ur situation I couldn't get a straight answer from anyone! The website is useless and I couldn't get thru on the phone for weeks. Finally I found claimyr.com and they got me connected to an agent who explained everything clearly. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent. Hope this helps!

When i startd my job with training it was like 22 hours a week and i still got partial benefits. make sure u select yes that u worked, enter your hours correctly, and they'll figure out what ur eligible for. the system is actually designed for this exact situation so ur good

I've been working with NY unemployment for yeaaaars and here's the truth: Just be honest. Report that you're working part-time. Their system will calculate how much you're still eligible for. If you make a mistake, call and explain. If you can't get through (which is likely lol), try claimyr.com - it's worth it to actually speak to someone who can fix your claim.

fun fact: if ur doing training for a job, that's still considered work even if it feels like school! i learned this the hard way 😩

Be super careful with how you report. I was in a similar situation and I accidentally put the wrong hours one week. Ended up with a huge mess that took months to fix. If you're unsure about anything, try to talk to a rep before certifying. It's nearly impossible to get through on the phone, but I used claimyr.com and they got me connected within an hour.

my friend works at the unemployment office and says the BIGGEST mistake people make is not reporting when they start working. even if it's part time, u gotta report it. u can still get benefits (reduced obvs) but if u don't report at all they'll consider it fraud

I went through this exact same situation last year! You absolutely need to report that you're working - select "yes" when it asks if you returned to work, then it will prompt you to enter your hours and gross earnings for that week. The system is actually set up to handle partial unemployment situations like yours. As long as you're under 30 hours and your earnings don't exceed the threshold (your weekly benefit rate + $504), you'll still get reduced benefits. Don't stress about it cutting off your claim completely - that only happens if you're working full-time or earning too much. Just be honest about your hours and pay, and you should be fine!

I'm in a really similar situation right now! Just started a new job last week and they have me doing paid training at about 20 hours per week. I was terrified about how to handle the certification too, but after reading everyone's advice here I feel much better. It sounds like as long as we're honest about the hours and earnings, we should still get partial benefits since we're under that 30-hour threshold. The day-based calculation system seems really confusing though - I had no idea it worked that way! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this thread has been super helpful for understanding how to navigate this whole process without messing up our claims.