The whole system is ridiculous honestly. Like you get hurt at work and then you're punished for it by losing your unemployment. Makes no sense!!

I went through something similar when I was getting unemployment after my restaurant closed down, then I broke my wrist in a car accident. Had to choose between the two and went with disability since the doctor said I'd be out for at least 3 months. You definitely can't double dip though.

yeah the whole system is confusing af. took me forever to figure out you have to file every sunday for the previous week. missed my first payment because i thought you filed whenever

The timing is important - you can file your weekly claim starting Sunday for the week that just ended. You have until the following Saturday to file it, but don't wait because if you miss the deadline you could lose that week's benefits permanently. Also make sure you're reporting your job search activities accurately on each weekly claim.

One thing to keep in mind is that even if your initial claim is delayed, once it's approved you'll receive retroactive payments back to your filing date. So you won't lose any benefits you're entitled to, just the timing of when you receive them. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the determination.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim about 10 days ago and it's been stuck on "under review" status with no updates. It's so stressful not knowing when to expect anything. I called the phone line multiple times but either get a busy signal or sit on hold for hours before getting disconnected. Has anyone had any luck getting status updates through their online portal, or is calling really the only way to get information about what's causing the delay?

UGH this is exactly the kind of confusing information that makes the whole unemployment system so frustrating! Why can't NYS Department of Labor make this stuff clearer on their website? Your mom shouldn't have to worry about things like this but they don't explain how different benefit systems work. At least now you know they're separate but seriously, the lack of clear information is maddening.

Just wanted to add that if your mom is still worried, she can always call the Social Security Administration directly to confirm that unemployment benefits won't affect her disability payments. They have a customer service line and can give her peace of mind from the official source. But everyone here is absolutely right - these are two completely separate government programs with different funding sources and eligibility requirements. Your unemployment claim through NYS Department of Labor has zero impact on her Social Security disability benefits. Go ahead and file your claim - you've already waited 2 weeks and shouldn't delay any longer!

Just wanted to update - I sent in my certification history that the agent provided (after using Claimyr to reach someone), and I got confirmation yesterday that my verification was accepted! The letter says my benefits will continue without interruption. So there IS a solution to this, but you definitely need to get that official record from them.

FYI I just spoke to someone from NY unemployment (finally!!!) and they said this is part of a MASSIVE fraud investigation they're doing. Apparently there was some huge ring of people falsely certifying for others. She said they're sending these letters to thousands of people, even those who did everything correctly. She also said we're not supposed to send bank statements - only actual proof of certification.