NYS Department of Labor - how much can I make and still get unemployment benefits?
I just got approved for unemployment after being laid off from my marketing job in December. My weekly benefit amount is $504. I have a chance to do some freelance graphic design work but I'm terrified of messing up my claim. How much can I actually earn per week and still collect my full unemployment? The NYS Department of Labor website is confusing and I don't want to accidentally get an overpayment notice later. Has anyone had experience with part-time work while collecting UI?
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Charlee Coleman
In New York, you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit rate without any reduction. So with your $504 benefit, that's about $126 per week. Anything over that gets deducted dollar-for-dollar from your benefit. You MUST report all earnings when you file your weekly claim, even if it's just $20. The NYS Department of Labor will find out eventually through tax records.
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Sara Hellquiem
•Thank you! So if I make $200 in a week, I'd get $504 minus $74 (the amount over $126), which would be $430? And I report this when I do my weekly certification?
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Liv Park
be careful with freelance work though... if they consider it self employment you might lose benefits entirely. i had this happen to a friend who was doing uber
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Leeann Blackstein
•That's not quite right. Freelance work is generally okay as long as you report it properly and meet the job search requirements. The issue with Uber is it can be classified as starting your own business rather than part-time employment. Graphic design freelance projects are usually fine if they're truly temporary gigs.
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Ryder Greene
I've been dealing with this exact situation! The key is reporting EVERYTHING. Even if you think it won't affect your benefits, report it. I made the mistake of not reporting a small $75 payment thinking it was under the threshold and got flagged for an interview. Now my claim is in adjudication for 3 weeks because I have to prove I wasn't trying to hide income.
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Sara Hellquiem
•Oh no! How do you report the income exactly? Is there a specific section on the weekly claim form?
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Ryder Greene
•Yes, when you file weekly there's a question about working and earning money. You put the gross amount you earned that week, not what you actually received if payment is delayed.
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Carmella Fromis
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about part-time work, I had success using Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get connected to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I used it when I had questions about reporting freelance income and actually got through to someone at claimyr.com who helped clarify the rules.
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Theodore Nelson
•Never heard of this... sounds too good to be true? How much does it cost?
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Carmella Fromis
•It's legitimate - they basically handle the calling and waiting for you. I was skeptical too but after 2 weeks of trying to reach NYS Department of Labor myself, I figured it was worth trying.
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AaliyahAli
The NYS Department of Labor is SO BAD at explaining this stuff clearly! I've been on unemployment twice and each time the rules seemed different. Just document everything you earn and when you earned it. Keep copies of all your weekly claim submissions too in case they ask for proof later.
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