Don't give up! Even if the initial denial sticks, you can still appeal to an Administrative Law Judge if you lose the first hearing. I've seen people win at that level even after losing the initial appeal. The key is having documentation and being able to clearly explain your version of events.

I work in HR and see this situation a lot. The key thing to understand is that "misconduct" in unemployment terms is very specific - it has to be willful or deliberate violation of company rules that the employee knew about. Simple poor performance or being a bad fit doesn't qualify as misconduct. If they truly just laid you off due to slow sales but are now claiming misconduct to NYS Department of Labor, that's dishonest on their part. Gather any documentation you have - your termination letter, employee handbook, performance reviews, etc. During the appeal hearing, you'll be able to cross-examine your former employer and they'll have to provide specific examples of the alleged misconduct. Don't let them get away with this if you were honestly just laid off.

I just wanted to add something that helped me when I was in your exact situation - if you're having trouble finding the unemployment services section on your my.ny.gov dashboard, sometimes it's hidden under different menu names depending on how your account is set up. I had to look under both "Services" and "Benefits" before I finally found it listed as "Labor Services" in my case. Also, once you do get to your claim information, pay attention to any "Next Action Required" or "Action Items" sections - these will tell you if there's anything specific you need to do while waiting for the eligibility review to complete. I missed one of these initially and it delayed my processing by almost two weeks. The waiting period while it says "Pending Eligibility Review" is honestly the most nerve-wracking part, but just know that most claims do get approved eventually as long as you meet the basic requirements!

Just wanted to share another tip that helped me during the waiting period - set up email notifications in your my.ny.gov account settings if you haven't already! I was obsessively checking the website multiple times a day, but once I enabled notifications, I got an email immediately when my status changed from "Pending Eligibility Review" to "Active." It saved me so much anxiety and time. You can find the notification settings usually under "Account Settings" or "Profile Settings" on your dashboard. Also, when your claim does get approved, don't panic if your first payment takes an additional week or two to actually hit your bank account - there's usually a processing delay even after you start filing weekly certifications. The system will show "Payment Issued" before you actually see the money, which confused me at first. Hang in there, the waiting is definitely the hardest part!

I'm 63 and went through this exact situation about 6 months ago when I got laid off from my retail job after 15 years. You absolutely CAN collect both Social Security and unemployment benefits simultaneously in New York! When I filed my initial claim with NYS Department of Labor, I was completely transparent about my Social Security income and the representative assured me it wouldn't disqualify me at all - she actually mentioned they handle cases like this regularly for people in their 60s. The key requirement is demonstrating you're genuinely able and available for work, which means being physically capable and actively seeking employment. On your weekly claims, you'll report your gross Social Security amount (before Medicare deductions) in the "other income" section, but it won't reduce your unemployment benefits dollar-for-dollar since it's not considered work income. Make sure to keep detailed documentation of your job search activities - I used a simple spiral notebook to track every application, networking contact, and interview since NYS requires 3 work search activities per week. They do verify this occasionally, especially for folks our age. I successfully collected both benefits for about 4 months until I found a part-time position that worked with my schedule. Don't let conflicting advice from friends discourage you Diego - you paid into both systems through years of work and you're absolutely entitled to these benefits as long as you meet the eligibility requirements!

I'm 61 and considering early Social Security retirement while still working, but this thread has been incredibly eye-opening about what options I'd have if I faced an unexpected layoff. The consistency of everyone's positive experiences collecting both benefits really puts my mind at ease. It's particularly reassuring to hear from so many people that NYS Department of Labor representatives say this situation is common for people in their 60s - it makes the whole process seem much more legitimate and less intimidating. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to navigate confusing government websites or listening to conflicting advice from friends who haven't actually been through the process themselves!

I'm currently in this exact situation and have been researching it extensively. One thing I want to add that hasn't been mentioned yet is the importance of understanding the "work test" that NYS Department of Labor uses for people with disabilities. They don't just look at whether you can work - they evaluate whether you can work in your "customary occupation" or other suitable work given your training and experience. Since you were successfully doing a 20-hour part-time job, that's strong evidence of your work capacity. I'd recommend gathering documentation from your previous employer about your job duties and any accommodations they provided - this can help speed up the adjudication process. Also, when you do your work searches, focus on positions similar to what you were doing before, as these will be considered "suitable work" for your situation. The key is showing consistency between your past work capability and your current job search efforts.

I was in a similar situation about 6 months ago - receiving SSDI and working part-time when I got laid off. The process was smoother than I expected once I understood the key points. First, make sure you have all your documentation ready before filing: your termination letter, pay stubs from your part-time work, and any medical records showing your work capacity. NYS Department of Labor will want to see that you were successfully working despite your disability. Second, be prepared for the work search requirement to be more detailed than for typical claimants - I had to explain in my weekly certifications not just where I applied, but why each position was suitable given my limitations. The adjudicators are actually pretty reasonable once they understand your situation. I ended up collecting both benefits for about 4 months until I found another part-time position. One tip: if you're having trouble reaching NYS DOL by phone, try calling early in the morning right when they open - I had better luck getting through around 8 AM. Good luck with your claim!

I'm having the exact same messaging system error and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stuck for 2 weeks trying to get through about my pending claim. I'm going to start with @Aaron Lee's browser switching suggestion since that seems like the quickest potential fix - I've been using Edge so I'll try Firefox first. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to @Zainab Omar's incognito method that so many people have had success with. The early morning calling strategy at 8:03 AM that @Zoe Wang confirmed also sounds promising as a backup plan. It's really encouraging to see so many people sharing solutions that actually worked instead of just complaining about the broken system. I'll definitely report back if any of these methods work for me - this community support is exactly what we need when dealing with these technical nightmares!

I'm dealing with the exact same messaging system error! This thread has been a lifesaver - I've been stuck for almost 3 weeks now with my claim pending and that "error processing request" message every time I try to send anything through the secure messaging system. I'm definitely going to try @Aaron Lee's browser switching suggestion first since that sounds like the quickest fix - I've been using Chrome so I'll try Firefox tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to @Zainab Omar's incognito method that multiple people have confirmed works. The early morning calling strategy at 8:03 AM that @Zoe Wang tested also gives me hope as a backup. It's honestly ridiculous that we need all these workarounds just to communicate about our benefits, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing real solutions that actually work. I'll definitely update this thread with my results - fingers crossed one of these methods finally gets me through!