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Thanks everyone for the info! Sounds like I need to focus on the disability benefits route instead of unemployment. I'll check with my HR department tomorrow about what forms I need to fill out. Hopefully I can get something started soon because these bills aren't going to wait for me to heal up.
Just wanted to add that if your back injury happened at work (which it sounds like it did since you mentioned it was from your warehouse job), you should definitely look into filing a workers' compensation claim in addition to the disability benefits. Workers' comp can cover your medical expenses and provide wage replacement while you're recovering. You can file a workers' comp claim even if you're still technically employed. The process is separate from both unemployment and regular disability benefits, and since it was a work-related injury, you might be entitled to more comprehensive coverage. Your employer should have provided you with the necessary forms when you reported the injury.
This is really important advice! @Lim Wong is absolutely right - if this happened at your warehouse job, workers comp' should definitely be your first priority. Workers comp' typically pays a higher percentage of your wages than regular disability benefits and covers all your medical costs related to the injury. Plus, your employer is required by law to have workers comp' coverage, so you shouldn t'have to worry about whether they have disability insurance or not. Did you report the injury to your supervisor when it happened? You ll'need that documentation for the workers comp' claim.
I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and can definitely relate to the confusion! You're absolutely on the right track with reopening your existing claim - those 8 unused weeks are still there and you don't want to lose them by filing a new application. The process is actually pretty straightforward once you get started. Make sure you have all your temp job details ready before you begin: exact start and end dates, employer's full name and address, total gross wages earned, and reason for separation. When they ask why you stopped filing, be completely honest that you took temporary work expecting it to become permanent but it didn't work out. That's a totally valid reason and won't cause any issues with your claim. The reopen process typically takes 5-10 business days, and you'll get a determination letter in your online message center once approved. One crucial tip - file your weekly certification the moment your account becomes active again after approval. Don't wait for any paperwork or letters. I made that mistake and ended up missing a week of benefits. Your weekly benefit amount will stay the same as before since you're reopening, not starting a new claim. The system handles these temporary work gaps all the time, so try not to stress too much about it!
This thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! I'm in almost the exact same boat as @StarStrider. I stopped filing in September for what I thought was a permanent opportunity that ended up being just temporary contract work. It's such a relief to hear from so many people who've successfully navigated this process. The consistent advice about being completely transparent about the temp work and having all employment details ready beforehand really gives me confidence. I'm definitely going to follow the tips about gathering everything first before starting the online form to avoid those timeout issues. One quick question for anyone who's been through this - did any of you have to deal with questions about availability to work while you were doing the temp job? I'm wondering if they'll ask whether I was actively seeking other employment during that period or if they just focus on the reason for stopping and restarting claims.
I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just submitted my reopen application yesterday after stopping claims in December for a temp position that ended last month. Reading through all these experiences is so reassuring - I was really worried I'd lost my remaining benefits by taking that job. One thing I want to add that might help others: when you're gathering your employment documents, don't forget to include any separation paperwork from the temp job if you have it. My temp agency gave me a "completion of assignment" letter that clearly stated the temporary nature of the work, which I included with my reopen application. I figured it couldn't hurt to have that extra documentation showing it wasn't a voluntary quit situation. Fingers crossed my reopen goes as smoothly as everyone else's! The consistency in everyone's advice about being completely transparent and having all details ready beforehand really gives me confidence this will work out.
That's a really smart tip about including the completion of assignment letter! I wish I had thought to ask my temp agency for something like that when my assignment ended. It would definitely help document that it was truly temporary work and not a voluntary quit situation. For anyone else in this situation, it's worth asking your temp agency or employer for any kind of written confirmation about the end of the assignment - even just an email acknowledging the completion of temporary work could be helpful documentation to include with your reopen application. Good luck with your reopen process! It sounds like you have everything well organized.
Just want to add that if you do qualify for both, you'll need to report your disability payments when you file your weekly unemployment claims. NYS Department of Labor needs to know about all income sources.
I'm going through a similar situation right now and from what I've learned, the key is getting a clear statement from your doctor about what type of work you can do with your disability. NYS Department of Labor told me they need documentation showing you're "able and available" for some type of work, even if it's limited. Since your doctor mentioned light work, that could actually work in your favor. I'd suggest getting a detailed letter from them specifying what kind of work activities you can handle - like sitting vs standing, lifting limits, hours per day, etc. That way you can show you're genuinely seeking work within your capabilities while still maintaining your disability benefits for the limitations you do have.
This is really helpful advice! I hadn't thought about getting such specific documentation from my doctor. That makes a lot of sense - if I can show exactly what work I'm capable of doing, it proves I'm genuinely available for employment within those limits. Do you know if there's a specific form the doctor needs to fill out or just a detailed letter on their letterhead? I want to make sure I get all the right documentation before I apply so I don't run into issues later.
Went through this last year. You need to file both a part-year NY return and a PA resident return. NY will tax the unemployment benefits you received while you were a NY resident, but not after you established residency in PA. Your best bet is talking directly to NY unemployment - I used claimyr.com to get past the phone tree hell and got answers in 15 minutes.
I'm in a similar situation - moved from NY to FL in 2023 but kept getting NY unemployment through early 2024. From what I've researched, it seems like you'll need to file as a part-year NY resident since you lived there for part of the tax year AND received the benefits. The unemployment income should be taxable to NY for the period you received it, regardless of where you moved to. PA should give you a credit to avoid double taxation. Honestly though, with all the conflicting info in this thread, I'd recommend just biting the bullet and talking to a tax pro or getting through to NY unemployment directly to get the definitive answer for your specific dates and situation.
This is exactly the kind of thorough breakdown I was looking for! The part-year resident angle makes so much sense - I was definitely overthinking it. It sounds like getting that direct confirmation from NY unemployment is really the way to go since there's so much conflicting info online. Thanks for sharing your research, really helpful to hear from someone in basically the same boat!
Juan Moreno
just file online its super easy compared to calling
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Sophia Carson
I went through this exact situation a few months ago - got laid off suddenly and panicked about not having official paperwork. Filed my claim that same day with just the basic info (employer name, address, last work date) and it went smoothly. The NYS Department of Labor system walks you through everything step by step. Your employer will get notified automatically and they'll handle the verification process. The most important thing is getting your claim date established - you can't backdate benefits, so definitely don't wait!
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