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Q: Is there still an earnings cut-off for partial unemployment benefits? A: Yes, if a claimant earns more than $869 in weekly gross pay (the amount of money earned before taxes and deductions are taken out excluding earnings from self-employment, then they will not be eligible for unemployment or pandemic benefits for that week no matter how few hours they worked. Q: Does this change also apply to weekly certifications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits? A: Yes. Claimants who are eligible for PUA benefits will report their days of work using the new calculation method. Unlike regular UI benefits (or extended benefits), PUA claimants must report earning in self-employment over $869 as per Federal requirements. Q: If I work four hours in a week over four days, should I still report that I worked 0 days? A: Yes, under NYS DOL’s new partial unemployment system, four hours of work in a week -- regardless of the total days worked -- is equivalent to less than one day worked for certification purposes, as long as the claimant does not earn more than $869 in gross pay (excluding earnings from self-employment) for those three hours worked. Q: How does this change impact my benefits if I am not working part-time? A: NYS DOL’s change in how partial unemployment benefits are calculated will not impact claimants who work 0 hours in a week. Q: How will this change to partial unemployment impact the overall time that I can receive unemployment benefits? A: NYS DOL’s change in how partial unemployment benefits are calculated will not impact the number of weeks of unemployment available to New Yorkers. Q: I’m on Shared Work. How does this change affect my benefits? A: Partial unemployment benefits for claimants enrolled in the Shared Work program are calculated differently. Click here for additional information about certifying for Shared Work benefits. Q: What should I do if I reported the wrong number of hours worked while certifying? A: If a claimant mistakenly reports the number of days worked for weeks starting January 18, 2021 or later, instead of the using the new formula or if you use the outdated reporting guidelines for weeks starting August 16, 2021 or later, they should let NYS DOL know so we can ensure they are paid all the benefits they are entitled to. Q: What should I do if I’m certifying for back payments for weeks that I was partial unemployed between January 18, 2021 and August 16, 2021? To certify for part-time work between January 18, 2021 and August 16, 2021, you should refer to the previous partial employment guidelines below. • 0 – 4 hours of work (equivalent to 0 days worked): 100% of weekly benefit rate • 5 – 10 hours of work (equivalent to 1 day worked): 75% of weekly benefit rate • 11 – 20 hours of work (equivalent to 2 days worked): 50% of weekly benefit rate • 21 – 30 hours of work (equivalent to 3 days worked): 25% of weekly benefit rate • 31+ hours of work (equivalent to 4 days worked): 0% of weekly benefit rate P803 (10/25) The New York State Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aides and services are available upon request and free of charge to individuals with disabilities TTY/TDD 711 or 1-800-662-1220 (English) / 1-877-662-4886.