What happens if I keep collecting unemployment while working - NYS Department of Labor penalties?

You MUST report all work and earnings when you file your weekly claim certification. NYS Department of Labor has a partial benefit formula - you can earn up to $405 per week before your benefits get reduced, and you can earn up to $525 before you lose benefits entirely for that week. Not reporting work is considered fraud and can result in disqualification, overpayment demands, and even criminal charges.

yeah you have to report everything or they'll come after you. my friend didn't report some cash work and NYS Department of Labor found out somehow and now he owes like $4000 back plus penalties

The consequences for not reporting work while collecting unemployment are serious. NYS Department of Labor can impose a 10-week disqualification period for the first offense, plus you'll have to repay all benefits received during that time. They also charge a 15% penalty on top of the overpayment amount. For repeated offenses or large amounts, they can refer cases for criminal prosecution.

ugh the whole system is so confusing though!! like what if you do gig work or freelance stuff, how are you supposed to estimate your earnings when you file your weekly claim if you haven't been paid yet?

I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about reporting part-time work earnings. Kept getting busy signals and disconnected calls. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. The agent was able to explain exactly how the partial benefit calculation works for my situation.

Just be honest on your weekly claims and you'll be fine. The partial benefit thing actually works pretty well - you can make some money working part-time and still get some unemployment to help cover your bills.

I went through something similar when I started part-time work while on unemployment. The key thing to remember is that NYS uses a formula where they reduce your weekly benefit amount by 25% of what you earn over $50. So if your weekly benefit is $300 and you earn $300 from part-time work, you'd get $300 - (0.25 × $250) = $237.50 in unemployment benefits that week. Always report your gross earnings (before taxes) for the week you actually worked, not when you get paid. The system is designed to encourage people to work part-time while looking for full-time employment, so don't let fear keep you from being honest about your earnings.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - started a new part-time retail job while still collecting unemployment. The weekly certification process asks very specific questions about work performed and earnings, so there's really no ambiguity about what you need to report. One thing that helped me was keeping detailed records of my hours and gross pay each week, including any tips or bonuses. NYS Department of Labor also has a work search requirement waiver if you're working part-time, which is a nice benefit. The partial unemployment system actually makes it easier to transition back to full-time work without the financial cliff you'd face if benefits cut off completely. Just make sure you understand whether your part-time job affects your work search requirements too.