NY Unemployment Benefits

Now they will.

If you're a freelancer, then you don't have a job. You may have clients whose projects you accept or not. How's the state going to find out?

This is OP.

I should have specified that I freelance for one (large) company.

Since you are in an ungodly situation can you move, please? Its time my girls and I make NY know it

if that company is paying unemployment benefits on you, yes, they absolutely will find out because the company will dispute it when they get the weekly summary from the state.

Hopefully, yes.

On the form it asks if you earned money that week or not. Personally I would call UE and ask what the regulation is of say one week you get a gig and the next 3 you do not work. But be careful because anything you tell them could turn on you...the UE workers are not exactly high IQ plateau

OP, it really depends on whether your company has the time or inclination to dispute it. I filed for unemployment years ago after I had quit working for a very large company. I filed thinking the company would dispute it and that would be that. But they didn’t dispute it and I received the unemployment benefits.

Now don’t jump all over me accusing me of unemployment fraud. The only fraud that occurs regarding unemployment benefits is when people simultaneously earn pay through employment AND receive unemployment. I felt I was being a bit unethical to make the unemployment claim, but I also had been paying into unemployment insurance for decades and had never before made a claim previously.

So OP, the worst that can happen is that your company somehow disputes it. From there you can decide whether to continue fighting for it.

Like the army says "volunteer nothing"