When do you stop filing for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor - confused about cutoff
I've been collecting unemployment for about 18 weeks now and I'm getting confused about when I'm supposed to stop filing my weekly claims. I got a part-time job that pays about $280 a week but I'm still eligible for partial benefits according to my last certification. My question is - do I stop filing when I get full-time work, when my benefit year ends, or when I hit some kind of maximum? The NYS Department of Labor website isn't super clear about this and I don't want to mess anything up by filing when I shouldn't or missing weeks I'm entitled to.
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Liam O'Reilly
You continue filing your weekly claims as long as you're unemployed or underemployed, even with part-time work. NYS Department of Labor allows you to work and still collect partial benefits as long as your weekly earnings don't exceed your benefit rate plus $50. You only stop when you return to full-time work earning more than your weekly benefit amount, when your benefit year expires, or when you exhaust your 26 weeks of benefits.
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Aria Washington
•Thanks! So even though I'm working part-time I should keep certifying? I was worried they'd think I was trying to double-dip or something.
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Chloe Delgado
yeah keep filing until you dont need it anymore, i worked part time for like 3 months while collecting and never had any issues as long as i reported my hours correctly
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Ava Harris
The key thing is accurate reporting on your weekly certification. Report all hours worked and gross wages earned during the claim week (Sunday through Saturday). NYS Department of Labor will automatically calculate if you're eligible for partial benefits that week. If you earn too much, you'll get $0 for that week but it won't count against your total benefit weeks available.
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Aria Washington
•That's really helpful - I didn't know that earning too much in one week wouldn't count against my total weeks!
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Jacob Lee
Wait I'm confused about this too. I thought once you start working again you have to stop filing completely? I've been working 20 hours a week and stopped filing because I was scared of getting in trouble.
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Liam O'Reilly
•No, that's a common misconception! You can work part-time and still collect partial unemployment. As long as you report your earnings honestly, NYS Department of Labor encourages this because it helps people transition back to full employment.
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Jacob Lee
•Oh no, I think I missed out on like 6 weeks of benefits then. Can I go back and file those missed weeks?
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Emily Thompson
I had a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about this exact situation. Spent hours on hold multiple times and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration and got my questions answered same day.
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Aria Washington
•That sounds too good to be true. Did it actually work for you?
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Emily Thompson
•Yeah I was skeptical too but it really did work. Much better than sitting on hold for hours just to get hung up on.
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Sophie Hernandez
Just remember the golden rule - ALWAYS report your work and wages accurately. NYS Department of Labor will cross-reference with employer wage reports and if they find unreported income, you'll face overpayment penalties and possible fraud charges. Better to be honest and get reduced benefits than to risk the consequences.
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Daniela Rossi
The whole system is so confusing!! Why can't they just make it simple - work = no benefits, no work = benefits. All these partial payment calculations and reporting requirements are giving me anxiety.
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Liam O'Reilly
•I understand the frustration, but the partial benefit system actually helps people. It encourages taking part-time work while job searching instead of avoiding work entirely to keep full benefits.
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