Just make sure you file soon after your job ended. There's usually a waiting period and you don't want to lose out on any weeks of benefits you're entitled to.

I'm 58 and was in a similar situation a few months ago - lost my part-time retail job and was worried about how my early Social Security would affect unemployment. Like others mentioned, you can definitely receive both! Just wanted to add that when you file your initial claim, they'll ask about all income sources but Social Security won't disqualify you. The key thing is being honest about your work availability - I made it clear I was looking for part-time work that would work with my schedule and had no problems. Good luck Paolo, and don't wait too long to file!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! The contradictory letters are definitely a system glitch - what likely happened is that the automated system processed your childcare reason correctly for the employer notification but somehow triggered a different decision pathway for your personal letter. A few things that helped me get it resolved faster: - When you call, ask to speak specifically to a "Claims Examiner" rather than general customer service - Have your confirmation number from both letters ready when you call - Try calling right when they open (8am) - I had better luck getting through then The good news is that since you have documentation showing you were already approved (the employer letter), this should be a pretty straightforward fix once you get someone on the phone. My case got corrected within 48 hours once I reached the right person, and I received full backpay dating to my original claim date. Definitely keep that hearing appointment though - better to be safe than sorry with the NY DOL system!

I'm going through something very similar right now! Got my denial letter about 2 weeks ago, but when I called my former employer to ask about their side of things, they mentioned they received a letter saying I was approved for benefits due to "involuntary separation." Meanwhile, my letter says I was denied for the same reason - it makes no sense! I've been trying to get through to someone at DOL for days now. The longest I waited was 4 hours yesterday before getting disconnected. It's so frustrating when you know there's obviously just a computer error but you can't get anyone to fix it. Reading all these responses is actually really helpful though - I had no idea this was such a common problem with their system. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned, and I'll make sure to ask for a Claims Examiner specifically when I do get through. Thanks for posting about this! Sometimes it helps just knowing you're not alone in dealing with these system glitches.

Congratulations on getting it sorted out! This is such a perfect example of why the NY unemployment system is so confusing - there are these edge cases that aren't clearly explained on the website. Your situation shows exactly why sometimes you just HAVE to talk to an actual person instead of trying to figure it out online. Really glad that calling service worked for you and thanks for sharing the update. This thread will definitely help other people who find themselves in the same boat!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation where I'm approaching the end of my 26 weeks but still have about 6 months left in my benefit year. Reading through all the responses here, it sounds like the key thing is whether you worked during your benefit year and earned enough to qualify for a new claim. @872b58869e00 your breakdown of the three scenarios is super clear - way better than anything I've found on the official NYSDOL website. And @33c9af4fbe1c congrats on getting it resolved! It's encouraging to hear that the Claimyr service actually works since I've been dreading having to call and wait on hold for hours. One question for anyone who might know - if you do qualify for a new claim within your benefit year, does it reset your 26-week counter or do you still only get whatever weeks were remaining from your original benefit year?

Going through the exact same thing right now! I certified on Wednesday morning and it's Friday evening with absolutely nothing in my payment history. Usually it shows up within a few hours like you said. After reading all these comments, it sounds like there's definitely some kind of system-wide issue happening this week. I'm going to check my message center tomorrow morning and try calling right when they open at 7:30am. If that doesn't work, I might have to bite the bullet and try Claimyr since so many people here are saying it actually works. It's just crazy that we have to pay a service to get through to our own state agency! Really hoping this resolves for all of us soon - the stress of not knowing if your payment is coming when you have bills due is awful. Keep us updated if you hear anything!

I'm experiencing the exact same issue! Certified on Tuesday and it's now Saturday with absolutely nothing showing in my payment history. This is really stressful because I have my electric bill due Monday and was counting on this payment. After reading through everyone's experiences here, it's somewhat reassuring to know this seems to be a widespread problem this week rather than something specific to my account. I'm going to follow the advice here and check my message center first thing Monday morning, then try calling right at 7:30am when they open. If I can't get through after a few attempts, I think I'll have to try that Claimyr service that so many people are recommending - it sounds like it actually works even though it's frustrating we have to pay extra just to reach our own state agency. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and solutions, it really helps to know we're not alone in this mess!

I had this same exact question when I filed my claim a couple weeks ago! Everyone's right - it's your Social Security Number. I was also confused by the vague wording "identification number" but that's just how the NY DOL system refers to your SSN. Enter just the 9 digits without any dashes, spaces, or other formatting. The system will accept it and move you to the next step. Don't worry, you're definitely not alone in finding that part of the form confusing!

I just went through this same process last month and can confirm everyone here is correct - it's your Social Security Number! The NY DOL website really should make this clearer since so many people get confused by the "identification number" wording. Just to add one more tip: make sure you have your most recent pay stub handy too, as you'll need information from it in the next few steps of the application. The whole process took me about 20 minutes once I got past that initial confusion. Good luck with your claim!