I went through this same situation about 4 months ago. The reopening process itself is pretty simple once you find the right button on my.ny.gov, but here's what I wish I had known: make sure you have your last employer's information ready (company name, address, dates of employment, reason for separation) because they'll ask for all of that again even though you're just reopening. Also, if your previous claim had any outstanding issues or appeals, those might need to be resolved before you can reopen. The good news is that since you're within your benefit year, you should be able to pick up where you left off with your remaining balance.

I just went through this exact process last month! You can definitely reopen your claim since it's only been 6 months. One tip that really helped me - when you log into my.ny.gov, if you don't see the "reopen claim" button right away, try clicking on "View Claim History" first, then the reopen option should appear. Also, have your recent pay stubs ready because they might ask for them to verify your employment dates. The whole process took about 10 days for me from reopening to getting my first payment. Good luck!

This is really helpful info! I'm in a similar situation - just started collecting last month and had no idea about the tax implications. Quick question: if I set up withholding now, does it only apply to future payments or can they somehow withhold extra to cover what I've already received without withholding? I'm worried about owing a chunk at tax time like @Amara mentioned.

Just a heads up for everyone dealing with the phone wait times - I found that calling the Tel-Service line right when they open at 8am tends to have shorter hold times. Also, if you're tech-savvy, the my.ny.gov portal is usually your best bet for making changes to tax withholding since it's available 24/7. I set mine up online in about 5 minutes once I figured out where to navigate. One more tip: keep screenshots of your withholding elections in case there are any discrepancies later - I learned this the hard way when there was a glitch and my withholding didn't take effect for two weeks.

The whole system is ridiculous. I've been dealing with an adjudication issue for 6 weeks now with NO explanation of what they're even reviewing. You jump through all their hoops, provide every document they ask for, and then they just leave you hanging. Make sure you document EVERYTHING because they'll find any excuse to delay or deny your claim.

Just to add some practical advice - when you apply online, have all your employer info ready including exact addresses and supervisor names if possible. The system can be glitchy so save your progress frequently. Also, file your weekly certifications on the same day each week to avoid any issues. I found Sunday mornings work best since the system is less busy. Make sure to keep detailed records of all your job search activities from day one - employer names, contact methods, dates, and responses. The job search log is crucial if they ever audit your claim.

This is such a common issue! I work at a workforce development center and we see this all the time. For future reference, here are some tips to avoid this happening again: 1) Set a calendar reminder to log into your account every 6 months even if you're not filing, 2) Update your email/phone in your profile before switching providers, and 3) Write down your username somewhere safe (separate from your email). The 12-18 month inactivity rule catches so many people off guard. Really glad you got it sorted out though - that tech support line is definitely the way to go for account recovery issues!

Wow, this thread is incredibly helpful! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now - my account shows "no account found" and I switched email providers about 6 months ago. Reading through all the responses, it sounds like calling the tech support line at 800-833-3000 is definitely the way to go rather than creating a new account. The inactivity deactivation thing makes total sense - I probably haven't logged in for over a year. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions! This gives me hope that I can get it resolved without too much hassle.

Going through the exact same nightmare right now - my restaurant closed down for "renovations" but then my manager told unemployment I was fired for being late too many times. It's been 3 weeks in adjudication and I'm barely keeping my head above water financially. What really helped me was writing down everything I could remember from my last few weeks there - the owner talking about needing to shut down temporarily, other servers getting the same news, even the exact date they told us not to come in anymore. I also kept screenshots of the restaurant's social media posts about "temporary closure for improvements." The hardest part is just waiting and not knowing, but reading everyone's experiences here is giving me hope that the truth will come out. Stay strong OP - sounds like you have a solid case if it was clearly downsizing!

I just went through this exact situation a few months ago - my employer contested my claim saying I was terminated for "performance issues" when I was actually part of a reduction in force. The adjudication process was stressful but here's what I wish someone had told me: collect ANY documentation that supports your version of events, even if it seems minor. In my case, I found an old email from HR about company-wide cost-cutting measures that helped prove the layoffs were legitimate. The adjudicator conducted a phone interview with me where I could explain everything in detail - they were actually very fair and asked specific questions about the circumstances. It took about 7 weeks total but I won and received all my backdated benefits. The key is being thorough and honest in your responses to DOL. Also, definitely keep filing those weekly claims! I almost stopped because I wasn't getting paid, but my case worker told me I would have lost those weeks forever if I hadn't continued filing. You've got this!