Finance and Benefits Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
| Does the SEAP provide start-up funding for my business? | No, the SEAP does not provide start-up funding for your business. However, if accepted into the SEAP, you will work full time on establishing your own business while receiving weekly Unemployment Insurance benefits, even if your business is making money. The SEAP does not pay for books, tuition, or school-related fees, and it does not extend the number of weeks that you can collect unemployment benefits. Therefore, you are responsible for any financial planning needed to complete the program. |
| Does the income I earn from my business affect my Unemployment Insurance benefits? | No. You are expected to report the income you earned from your business while in the SEAP. However, your Unemployment Insurance benefits will not be affected by your business income. • If you work part time for another employer, you may receive partial benefits when you work less than four days in a week and earn less than the maximum benefit rate. Your weekly SEAP benefits will be reduced by one-quarter for each day you work, up to three days. [Has this changed under the new partial benefits rules?] • If you work full time for another employer, you will no longer be eligible for the SEAP benefits. If your work for another employer ends during your benefit year, you may resume your SEAP benefits by contacting the Department of Labor Special Programs Unit at (518) 485-1597. Or, you may resume your Unemployment Insurance benefits by submitting a Withdrawal Form to end your participation in the SEAP. |
| How many weeks of benefits can I get while I am in the SEAP program? | You are only entitled to a maximum of 26 weeks of Unemployment Insurance benefits. This includes any weeks you collected before you were accepted into the SEAP. For example, if you start the SEAP in the fourth week of your Unemployment Insurance claim, then you will have 22 weeks of the SEAP benefits remaining. As a SEAP participant, you are not entitled to any extra or extended benefits. |
| How do I certify for my weekly benefits? | You can claim weekly benefits: • On the web with an NY.gov ID from 7:30 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday (Eastern Standard Time), all day Saturday and all day Sunday. Directions for creating an NY.gov ID are on our website at http://www.labor.ny.gov/signin. • By mail using a SEAP certification form, available on the Forms and Publications page for Unemployment Insurance claimants. If you don't fill out the forms completely and sign them, they won't be accepted. The forms can be mailed to: New York State Department of Labor, PO Box 1979, Albany, NY 12201. As a participant in the SEAP, you can no longer claim weekly benefits by telephone. When you claim benefits, you must answer questions to certify you were ready, willing and able to work on the business you indicated on your SEAP application. We recommend that you claim benefits online. It is convenient and secure, and it also results in faster benefit payments! |
| Can I accept other employment regardless of number of hours worked while in the program? | Yes. However, your SEAP benefits may be affected by other employment. |