This is such a valuable thread! I've been working part-time (about 25 hours/week) for the past month and was also confused about this exact question. Following everyone's advice, I've been answering "No" to returning to work and then reporting my hours and earnings accurately. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you report earnings for the week you WORKED, not the week you got paid. I made that mistake my first week and it threw off my benefit calculation. Also, if anyone is wondering about the timing - I usually get my reduced benefit payment 2-3 days after certifying, same as when I was getting full benefits. The system seems to process partial benefits just as quickly as regular claims. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here, especially the detailed breakdown of the 4-day rule and earnings limits!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in the exact same boat - just started a part-time retail job (22 hours/week) and was completely confused about the certification process. The way everyone explained the difference between "returning to work" (full-time) vs "working during the week" (part-time) finally makes it click. I've been stressing about this for two weeks! One additional tip I discovered - if you're unsure about any of your previous certifications, you can actually view your certification history in your NY.gov account under "View Payment History." It shows exactly how you answered each question and what earnings you reported. This helped me double-check that I'd been doing it correctly. Also, for anyone else who might be starting part-time work soon, I found it helpful to call your new employer ahead of time to understand exactly when and how they report your hours - some places are better than others at providing clear paystubs that show your gross earnings before deductions. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences here - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's impossible to find on the official NYSDOL website!

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Just certified yesterday and today being a federal holiday has me worried about when my payment will actually come through. Reading everyone's experiences here is really helpful - sounds like Wednesday is the most realistic expectation. It's so stressful when you're already dealing with unemployment and then have to worry about payment delays on top of everything else. I really wish the NY DOL website was clearer about how holidays affect the payment schedule. At least now I know to always factor in extra time around federal holidays. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it makes me feel less anxious knowing this is a common issue and the payments do eventually come through!

I've been dealing with NY unemployment for about 4 months now and can definitely relate to the holiday stress! From what I've experienced, when you certify on Saturday before a federal holiday Monday, your payment almost always gets pushed to Wednesday. The DOL processes everything on Sunday night, but since banks don't handle ACH transfers on federal holidays, it creates that extra day delay. I actually keep a little calendar now marking all the federal holidays so I can plan my budget around these delays. It's frustrating that they don't make this clearer on their website, but once you know the pattern it's pretty predictable. Your payment should definitely hit by Wednesday morning - try not to stress too much about it!

This is happening to me too right now! I've been trying to certify since this morning and keep getting that same "not authorized" error. It's so frustrating because I've been claiming for about 7 months with absolutely no issues until today. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really comforting though - it seems like this is hitting a lot of people at the same time which definitely makes it sound like a system-wide problem rather than individual account issues. I'm going to try some of the solutions people have mentioned - starting with the incognito browser window since that's quick, then clearing all my browser data completely. If those don't work, I'll definitely try calling that technical support number (1-888-581-5812) that someone shared since it sounds way better than the main line. The timing is just terrible - I have utilities due this week and was counting on this payment. But it's reassuring to read that people have been able to get backpay even when they miss their certification window due to technical issues. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is such a lifesaver when dealing with NY unemployment's disaster of a system! I'll post an update if any of these fixes work for me. 🤞

I'm having this exact same issue right now! Just tried to certify this morning and got hit with that "not authorized" message too. Been claiming for about 4 months without any problems until today. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - it sounds like this is happening to a bunch of people at the same time, which makes me think it's probably a system-wide glitch rather than individual account problems. I'm going to try some of the solutions people have mentioned - starting with the incognito browser window trick since that's quick and easy, then clearing all my browser data if that doesn't work. If neither of those help, I'll definitely call that technical support number (1-888-581-5812) that someone shared since it sounds way better than sitting on hold for hours with the main claims line. The timing is just awful since I have car insurance due next week, but it's comforting to read that people have been able to get backpay even when they miss their certification window due to technical issues like this. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is such a lifesaver when dealing with NY unemployment's disaster of a system! I'll make sure to post an update if any of these fixes work for me. Really hoping we all get this sorted out soon! 🤞

Just went through this same situation about 3 weeks ago! The key thing is to file your new claim as soon as your benefit year ends - don't wait. I made the mistake of waiting a few days thinking I needed some kind of official notice, but you can file immediately. The whole process took me about 30 minutes online. One tip: have your bank account info ready because they'll ask if you want direct deposit set up again. Also, if you've been keeping track of your job search activities, make sure you have those records handy because they might ask about what you've been doing to look for work. The waiting period for the new claim was only about a week for me, much faster than my original claim last year.

I just went through the refiling process last month and wanted to add a few things that helped me. First, make sure you file your new claim during business hours if possible - I tried filing late at night and kept getting system timeouts. Second, when they ask about your reason for unemployment, be specific about your job search efforts since your benefit year ended. They want to see you've been actively looking. Also, don't panic if your new weekly benefit amount is different from your old claim - they recalculate everything based on your most recent base period wages. The whole thing felt overwhelming at first but it's really just like filing your very first claim all over again. Good luck!

medical coding is probably a good choice right now, lots of healthcare jobs. but definitely get the approval first like everyone is saying

I went through the training benefits process last year and wanted to share some tips that might help. First, the approval process Miguel asked about typically takes 2-3 weeks, so definitely apply before your program starts. Second, there are actually two main pathways - the Training Extension Benefits (TEB) that Zainab mentioned, and also Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) if your job loss was due to foreign trade impact. For medical coding specifically, that's usually approved since healthcare is a high-demand field. The key is to have all your paperwork ready - enrollment letter from the training provider, course curriculum, and evidence that it leads to employment in your area. Also, keep copies of everything because you'll need to submit progress reports to maintain your benefits.