Need help figuring out how to file weekly certification for unemployment properly
I'm completely lost on how to file my weekly certification for unemployment benefits correctly. This is my second week claiming and I'm scared I'm going to mess something up and lose my benefits. When I log into my.ny.gov, I see the weekly certification section but some of the questions are confusing me. Like it asks if I was 'able and available' for work - does that mean I have to be available 24/7? And there's a question about refusing work, but what if someone offers me a job that pays way less than my previous salary? I also had to do some freelance work for 3 hours last Tuesday but I'm not sure how to report that income. Should I report it as the gross amount or after taxes? I really don't want to accidentally commit fraud or anything. Has anyone else struggled with understanding these weekly questions?
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Angel Campbell
The weekly certification questions can definitely be tricky at first! For 'able and available,' you just need to be ready to accept suitable work during normal business hours - you don't have to be available 24/7. For the freelance work, report the gross amount you earned before any deductions. The system will automatically calculate how it affects your benefits. And regarding job offers, you can refuse work that doesn't meet your skill level or pays significantly less than your previous wage, but document your reasons. The key is being honest about everything - NYS Department of Labor would rather you report accurately than try to hide income.
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TommyKapitz
•Thank you so much! That makes me feel a lot better. So for that 3 hours of freelance work, if I made $90 gross, I just put down $90 even though after taxes it was only like $75?
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Payton Black
Yeah definitely report the $90 gross amount. The NYS Department of Labor wants to see your earnings before any deductions. Also make sure you're doing your job search activities each week - you need to complete at least 3 work search activities per week and keep records. I learned that the hard way when they asked for documentation during my adjudication process last month.
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Harold Oh
•Wait, is it still 3 job search activities? I thought they changed it to 2 after COVID ended. I've been doing 2 per week for months and haven't had any issues.
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Payton Black
•I'm pretty sure it's still 3 for regular UI benefits. You might want to double-check that because if they audit your job search log you could have problems.
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Amun-Ra Azra
ugh the weekly certification is such a pain. i always stress about whether im answering right too. last week i put yes for available but then realized i had a doctors appointment wednesday morning so technically wasnt available then?? but nothing happened so i guess its fine
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Angel Campbell
•A doctor's appointment wouldn't make you unavailable for work! That's normal life stuff. 'Available' means you're generally ready to accept employment, not that you can't have any personal commitments during the week.
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Summer Green
I've been having a nightmare time just getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask these same questions. Every time I call I either get disconnected or sit on hold for 2+ hours before giving up. It's ridiculous that we can't get basic help with something this important. I actually found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to an actual agent faster - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone directly about your specific situation.
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Gael Robinson
•interesting, never heard of that before. how much does something like that cost?
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Summer Green
•I'm not sure about pricing but honestly at this point I'd pay something reasonable just to get through without wasting my entire day on hold. The stress of not knowing if I'm doing everything right is killing me.
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Edward McBride
This whole system is designed to confuse people and make them mess up so they can deny benefits. I swear they make these questions deliberately vague. I've been dealing with unemployment for 6 months and still second-guess myself every week. The 'suitable work' thing is especially ridiculous - they expect you to take any minimum wage job even if you're a skilled professional.
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Harold Oh
•I feel you on that. But honestly most of my weekly certifications have gone through fine when I just answer honestly. The system isn't perfect but it's not trying to trick you either.
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