What does ineligible week mean for unemployment - NYS Department of Labor claim showing this status
I've been filing my weekly claims for the past month and everything was going fine until this week. When I logged into my.ny.gov to check my payment status, it shows 'ineligible week' for last week's claim. I have no idea what this means or what I did wrong. I answered all the questions the same way I always do - I'm still unemployed and actively looking for work. Has anyone else seen this on their NYS Department of Labor account? I'm really worried because I need these benefits to pay rent.
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Jamal Wilson
An ineligible week typically means something in your weekly claim certification triggered a flag in the NYS Department of Labor system. Common reasons include reporting work or earnings that exceed the allowed threshold, answering 'no' to being able and available for work, or indicating you weren't actively seeking employment. Check your responses from that week's certification - did you report any work hours or income? Even small amounts can sometimes make a week ineligible if it pushes you over the earnings limit.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•I did report some freelance work I did - maybe $150 for a small project. Could that be it? I thought as long as I reported it honestly it would be okay.
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Mei Lin
Yeah that freelance income could definitely cause an ineligible week. In New York, if your earnings exceed a certain amount (usually around $143 per week after deductions), you might not be eligible for benefits that week. The NYS Department of Labor has specific formulas for calculating this. You should still report the income honestly like you did, but it might make that particular week ineligible for payment.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•So does this affect my future weeks or just that one week? And will it mess up my claim somehow?
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Jamal Wilson
•Just that one week typically. Your claim should continue normally for future weeks as long as your earnings stay within limits. The ineligible week won't harm your overall claim.
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Liam Fitzgerald
Had the same thing happen to me when I picked up a one-day gig. The system automatically flags weeks where your earnings are too high. It's frustrating but at least you reported it correctly - that's way better than trying to hide income and getting caught later.
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Amara Nnamani
If you need to speak with someone at NYS Department of Labor about this, I'd suggest trying claimyr.com - they can help you get through to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. I used them when I had questions about my weekly claims and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Way easier than trying to call the regular number and getting disconnected.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•Thanks, I might try that if I can't figure this out. The regular phone lines are impossible to get through on.
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Giovanni Mancini
ugh the NYS Department of Labor system is so confusing!! I had an ineligible week last month and panicked thinking my whole claim was ruined. Turns out it was just because I answered one question wrong by accident. Just keep filing your weekly claims like normal and it should be fine.
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