What happens if you certify for unemployment while working in New York?
I'm really confused about something and hoping someone can help clarify. I've been receiving NYS Department of Labor benefits for about 2 months now, and I just started a part-time job last week that pays about $180 per week. I know I'm supposed to report this when I do my weekly claim certification, but I'm honestly scared about what will happen. Will they cut off my benefits completely? Will I get in trouble for working while collecting? I've heard different things from people and the NYS Department of Labor website isn't super clear to me. Has anyone been in this situation before?
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Alexis Renard
You absolutely need to report that income when you certify! NYS Department of Labor allows you to work part-time while collecting benefits, but you have to be honest about it. They'll reduce your weekly benefit amount based on what you earn, but you won't lose everything unless you're working full-time or earning too much. The general rule is they subtract 25% of your gross earnings from your weekly benefit rate. So if you're getting $400/week in benefits and earn $180, they'd subtract $45 (25% of $180) from your $400, leaving you with $355 in benefits plus your $180 in wages.
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Brianna Schmidt
•Oh wow, that's actually not as bad as I thought! So I won't lose everything? I was so worried they'd just cut me off completely. Thank you for explaining the math - that makes way more sense now.
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Camila Jordan
Yeah definitely report it or you could get hit with an overpayment notice later. NYS Department of Labor cross-checks with employers and they WILL find out eventually. I made the mistake of not reporting some cash work I did a few years ago and ended up owing them back like $800. Not worth the risk at all.
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Tyler Lefleur
•This exactly. My cousin got caught not reporting income and they made him pay back 6 months of benefits plus penalties. NYS Department of Labor doesn't mess around with that stuff.
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Madeline Blaze
Wait I'm confused about this too. I thought if you work ANY hours while on unemployment they automatically disqualify you? That's what someone at my old job told me. Are you saying you can actually work part-time and still collect some benefits?
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Alexis Renard
•No, that's a common misconception! NYS Department of Labor encourages people to take part-time work while job searching. You just have to report all earnings on your weekly claim. The key is staying under the maximum earnings threshold and still being available for full-time work.
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Madeline Blaze
•Oh my god I've been turning down part-time jobs thinking I'd lose my benefits! This changes everything. Thank you so much for clarifying that.
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Max Knight
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about reporting part-time income. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at NYS Department of Labor within like 20 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. The agent was able to walk me through exactly how to report my earnings properly and what to expect.
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Brianna Schmidt
•That sounds really helpful! I've been dreading trying to call them because I know how impossible it is to get through. Might have to check that out if I run into any issues with my certification.
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Emma Swift
Just make sure you're still actively looking for full-time work and keeping your job search log updated. NYS Department of Labor requires 3 job contacts per week and if they audit you during a week when you're working part-time, they'll still expect to see that you're searching for better employment.
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Isabella Tucker
good for you getting some work! better than sitting around doing nothing while collecting benefits
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Emma Johnson
This is really helpful information! I've been on unemployment for about 6 weeks now and have been hesitant to take on any part-time work because I was worried about losing my benefits entirely. The way everyone explained the partial benefit calculation makes so much sense - I had no idea NYS Department of Labor actually encourages part-time work while job searching. I'm definitely going to start applying for some part-time positions now since I know I can still receive reduced benefits. Thanks for sharing your experiences, especially about the importance of reporting everything honestly!
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