Can I claim unemployment between accepting a job offer and the actual start date in NY?

Yes, you can continue claiming until your actual start date! When you file your weekly claim, you'll need to report that you accepted a job offer and include the start date. As long as you're still able and available for work before that date, you should be eligible. Make sure to answer honestly about job search activities - since you accepted an offer, you might not be actively searching, but you're still available until the start date.

i did this exact same thing last year and kept getting benefits until my start date. just be honest about everything on your weekly certification

Actually, be careful here. If you've accepted a definite job offer with a specific start date, NYS Department of Labor might consider you unavailable for other work. I'd call them to clarify because I've seen people get disqualified for not being available even with a future start date. The key question is whether you're still genuinely available and seeking work or just waiting for your new job to begin.

I had a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor when I had a similar question about my claim status. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Recently found out about Claimyr (claimyr.com) which actually connects you to real agents without the endless wait times. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Might be worth checking out if you need to clarify this with an actual person at NYS Department of Labor.

This whole system is ridiculous!!! Why should someone who FOUND A JOB be penalized for the gap between accepting and starting? The bureaucracy makes no sense and punishes people for doing exactly what they're supposed to do - find work! I swear NYS Department of Labor creates these confusing rules just to deny claims.

UPDATE: I just remembered when I did this, I had to report on my weekly claim that I had accepted work with a future start date. There's actually a specific question about this. Don't leave it blank or lie about it - just be transparent and you should be fine.

I went through this exact situation a few months ago! The key is being completely transparent on your weekly certification. There's usually a question about whether you accepted work - answer yes and include the start date. I continued receiving benefits right up until my start date without any issues. Just make sure you're still genuinely available if another employer called you before your start date. The Department of Labor mainly wants to ensure you're not double-dipping or unavailable for work. As long as you could theoretically start another job before February 10th if needed, you should be fine. Good luck with the new position!

I'm in a similar boat right now - accepted a job offer but don't start until next month. From what I've researched and heard from others, you should be able to continue claiming as long as you're honest about accepting the offer. The weekly certification form asks specifically about accepting work with a future start date, so just answer truthfully there. The main thing is that you're still technically unemployed and available until February 10th. I'd suggest keeping records of your job offer letter with the start date just in case they ask for documentation later. Better to be over-prepared than sorry!

I was in this exact situation last year and can confirm you should be able to continue claiming benefits until your actual start date. The key is complete transparency - when you file your weekly certification, there's a specific question about accepting work with a future start date. Answer yes and provide the February 10th date. As long as you're genuinely still available for work (meaning if another employer offered you a position that could start before Feb 10th, you could potentially take it), you meet the availability requirement. I kept detailed records of my job offer letter and had no issues receiving benefits right up until I started working. The NYS DOL understands there's often a gap between accepting an offer and starting, especially for professional positions. Just don't skip any weekly filings and answer all questions honestly!

I work in HR and deal with unemployment questions regularly. You're absolutely fine to continue claiming until February 10th! The NYS DOL expects gaps between job acceptance and start dates - it's completely normal. Just make sure when you file your weekly certification to honestly answer the question about accepting future employment and include your start date. The "available for work" requirement means you could accept immediate work if offered, which you still can until your start date. Keep your offer letter as backup documentation, but most people don't need to provide it unless specifically requested. Don't stress about this - you're doing everything right by being transparent and you deserve those benefits until you're actually employed again!

I went through this same situation about six months ago and successfully continued receiving benefits until my start date. The most important thing is to be completely honest on your weekly certification - there's a specific question asking if you've accepted work with a future start date, so make sure to answer "yes" and provide February 10th as your start date. I also recommend keeping a copy of your job offer letter just in case they need documentation later (though I was never asked for it). The key is that you're still technically unemployed and available for work until you actually start - if another employer somehow offered you immediate work that you could start before Feb 10th, you could theoretically take it. That's what satisfies the "available for work" requirement. Don't let the conflicting advice stress you out - this is a completely normal situation and you're entitled to benefits until you're actually working again!

I'm currently in almost the exact same situation! Just accepted a job offer last week with a start date of February 3rd, and I've been really stressed about whether I can keep claiming benefits. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially hearing from people who actually went through this process successfully. It sounds like the consensus is to be completely transparent on the weekly certification about accepting future employment and include the start date. I'm definitely going to keep my offer letter handy as documentation just in case. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know this is a normal situation and that we're entitled to benefits until we actually start working!

I just went through this exact situation a couple months ago and want to reassure you - you're absolutely doing the right thing by asking! I continued filing my weekly claims for about 4 weeks between accepting my offer and starting work, and had zero issues. The key really is that transparency everyone's mentioning - when you file your weekly certification, there's a clear question about accepting work with a future start date. Just answer honestly and put February 10th. I kept screenshots of my weekly filings and my offer letter, but never needed to provide additional documentation. The way I thought about it was: I'm still unemployed until February 10th, I could still accept immediate work if offered before then, and I'm still available during normal business hours. That satisfied all the requirements. Don't overthink it - you found a job (congrats!) and you deserve support until you actually start earning again. The system is designed to help people in exactly your situation.

I'm in a very similar situation right now - accepted an offer in mid-December but don't start until February 17th. After reading all these responses, I feel so much better about continuing to file my weekly claims! I've been completely transparent about accepting the job offer and including my start date on every certification. What's been helpful for me is keeping a simple checklist: 1) Answer honestly about accepting future work, 2) Include exact start date, 3) Confirm I'm still available for immediate work if needed, and 4) Keep my offer letter saved. The peace of mind from hearing so many success stories here is invaluable. For anyone else in this situation - it really seems like honesty and documentation are your best friends. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

I'm actually going through this exact same situation right now! Just accepted a job offer yesterday but my start date isn't until February 24th. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - I was honestly panicking about whether I should stop filing claims or not. It's clear from everyone's experiences that transparency is absolutely key. I've already been honest on my weekly certifications about accepting the offer and including my start date. The way everyone explains the "availability" requirement makes perfect sense - I'm still technically unemployed and could accept immediate work before my start date if something came up. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories, especially those who went through the exact same timeline. It's such a relief to know this is completely normal and that the system is designed to support people in exactly our situation. Definitely keeping my offer letter and screenshots of all my filings just in case!

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.