Hello, fellow freelancers!
After my most recent contract job ended, I've started doing some freelance writing on Medium. I'm also getting unemployment benefits.
This week I published my first paid piece, which I will be reporting as income and for hours worked, and am deep in the nitty-gritty on another longer piece, which will run (and be paid for) later this month. Because of the way unemployment benefit rules work in my state (New York), I'm a little unclear about how to report my income and working hours when they are in different weeks. Also, is there some point at which I could make enough freelance income to no longer be considered eligible for unemployment? I'm a long, long way from earning what I did at my last job (especially once I have to start paying my own health insurance and taxes), but I'm worried officialdom will see it as a job nonetheless.
I realize that some of these questions are best put to the state unemployment office hotline, but I'm curious how other folks have dealt with this situation. Any advice for navigating freelance work while receiving unemployment benefits?
Each state has different rules, but generally, they will ask you each week if you have any self-employment income and you will have to indicate how much you are earning in that week, even though you may not receive the money until later. In my state, any earnings, self-employment or part-time, have to be reported and depending on how much, they may reduce your unemployment. If it’s more than the unemployment benefit, you won’t get any benefit for the week. You may have to refile your claim if you earn more than the benefit for a few weeks but then your freelance or part-time work ends and you want to resume unemployment. Just be careful to follow the rules carefully and also have taxes taken out.