I was in this exact situation about a year ago and want to add my experience to help ease your concerns! I had a 4-week gap between accepting my job offer and starting work, and I continued receiving benefits the entire time without any issues. The key points that worked for me: 1) Be completely honest on your weekly certification about accepting the job offer and include your February 10th start date, 2) You're still genuinely unemployed until you actually start working, so you're entitled to benefits, 3) Make sure you could still accept immediate work if offered before your start date (which it sounds like you could), and 4) Keep your offer letter handy just in case, though I was never asked for documentation. I remember being anxious about this too, but the NYS DOL understands that professional positions often have gaps between acceptance and start dates. You're doing everything right by being transparent and asking questions. Don't let the conflicting advice stress you out - stick to honesty on your certifications and you'll be fine. Congratulations on landing the job!

I'm dealing with this exact situation too - accepted a job offer on Monday but don't start until March 3rd! This thread has been a lifesaver because I was honestly losing sleep over whether I was doing something wrong by continuing to file my weekly claims. After reading everyone's experiences, it's clear that transparency really is everything. I've been making sure to answer "yes" when asked about accepting work with a future start date and always include March 3rd. The way everyone explains it makes so much sense - we're still unemployed until we actually start working, and we're still available for immediate work if something came up before our start dates. I'm definitely keeping my offer letter saved and taking screenshots of my weekly certifications just to be safe. It's amazing how much anxiety this process can cause when you're just trying to follow the rules! Thanks to everyone who shared their success stories - it really helps knowing so many people have been through this exact situation without issues.

I went through something similar a few years ago. The key thing to understand is that NYS Department of Labor looks at your intent and availability for work. If you're truly retiring and not planning to seek new employment, you won't qualify. However, if your company is downsizing or offering buyouts and you're willing to work elsewhere, that might be treated differently than a traditional retirement. I'd suggest calling the unemployment office directly to discuss your specific situation - they can give you a definitive answer based on your circumstances. Also consider looking into partial retirement options with your current employer or exploring contract/part-time work to bridge the gap until your pension kicks in.

I've been through a similar transition and wanted to share what I learned. The distinction between "retirement" and "layoff with retirement eligibility" can be crucial here. If your company is restructuring or offering voluntary separation packages (even if they call it "early retirement"), you might have a case - especially if you can demonstrate you're still willing and able to work elsewhere. The key is how you frame it when applying. Document everything about your company's situation and be prepared to show you're actively job searching if you do apply. Also, consider that even if you don't qualify initially, you can appeal decisions. I'd recommend consulting with an employment attorney who specializes in unemployment cases - many offer free consultations and can review your specific circumstances. Don't give up without exploring all options, especially since you've contributed to the system for 15 years.

I'm actually going through this exact situation right now too! Just finished 5 months on short-term disability for a herniated disc, got medical clearance last Friday, but found out yesterday that my department was "downsized" while I was out. It's so stressful but reading everyone's experiences here is giving me hope. I'm planning to file my unemployment claim tomorrow morning. Does anyone know if there's a specific timeframe after getting medical clearance that I need to file by, or should I just do it as soon as possible? Also wondering if I should mention in my application that my position was eliminated while I was on approved medical leave - seems like that might actually help my case based on what Andre mentioned earlier.

I'm currently in a very similar situation - was on short-term disability for 6 weeks due to a work-related injury, got cleared by my doctor to return to work last Monday, but my supervisor informed me that my role was eliminated as part of company-wide layoffs that happened while I was out. I filed for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor on Wednesday and wanted to share what I learned from the process. The online application was pretty straightforward, and they did ask specifically about my ability to work (which I confirmed with my medical clearance) and the circumstances of my job separation. I made sure to explain that my position was eliminated while I was on approved medical leave, not due to any performance issues. The rep I spoke with said this type of situation is actually quite common and shouldn't cause any problems with eligibility as long as I'm medically cleared and actively seeking work. Still waiting to hear back on approval, but feeling optimistic based on everyone's experiences here!

I wish I'd known about that recovery option! I ended up having to use Claimyr after days of failed calls. Was connected to an agent in about 25 minutes who manually updated my info. The $15 I paid was well worth it considering I would have lost a whole week's payment otherwise. But it's always better if you can solve it yourself for free like you did!

Glad to see you got this resolved @Anastasia! For anyone else reading this thread who might face similar issues in the future, it's worth noting that ID.me also has a backup authentication method using your Social Security number if the phone number recovery doesn't work. You can find this option under "Alternative verification methods" on their recovery page. Also, pro tip: once you regain access, consider adding a backup email to your ID.me account and writing down which email you used somewhere safe. I learned this the hard way after going through the same panic when I couldn't access my account during a critical payment period.

I just went through this same ordeal last week and finally got my documents uploaded! After trying everything mentioned here, what worked for me was a combination approach: I used Chrome in incognito mode, compressed my PDFs to under 500KB (way smaller than the 2MB limit), renamed files to simple formats like "notice.pdf" and "id.jpg" with no spaces, and uploaded at 6:30 AM when the system wasn't overloaded. The key breakthrough was realizing I had to wait at least 2 minutes between each upload attempt - if you try too quickly, the system seems to block you temporarily. Also, make sure you're on a stable internet connection and don't navigate away from the page while uploading. It's frustrating that such basic functionality requires so many workarounds, but these steps do work if you're patient and systematic about it. Don't give up!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now and this thread is a lifesaver! I've been stuck for days trying to upload my separation documents and was getting so frustrated. Based on everyone's suggestions, I'm going to try a systematic approach tomorrow: Chrome browser in incognito mode, compress everything to under 500KB, simple file names like "separation.pdf" with no special characters, upload around 6-7 AM, and wait 2 minutes between each attempt. It's crazy that we need a whole strategy just to upload basic documents, but I'm so grateful everyone shared what actually worked instead of just complaining. The my.ny.gov system is clearly broken but at least now I have hope and a real action plan. Will definitely report back on my results - fingers crossed!