Can I get unemployment after SDI ends - NYS Department of Labor eligibility question
My short-term disability through my employer just ended last week and I'm still not cleared to return to work by my doctor. Can I transition from SDI to unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor? I was working full-time for 18 months before my medical leave started. Not sure if there's a waiting period or if I need to do anything special when filing my claim since I was on disability.
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Esmeralda Gómez
Yes, you can potentially qualify for unemployment after SDI ends, but there are some important requirements. You need to be able and available for work to receive UI benefits from NYS Department of Labor. Since you mentioned your doctor hasn't cleared you to return to work yet, that could be an issue. You'd need medical clearance showing you can work before filing your unemployment claim.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Thanks for the info! So I should wait until my doctor clears me before even applying? Or can I file now and then provide the clearance later?
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Klaus Schmidt
I went through this exact situation last year. You HAVE to be medically cleared and able to work before NYS Department of Labor will approve your claim. I made the mistake of filing too early and got disqualified. Had to wait 3 weeks for my doctor's clearance, then refile everything. Save yourself the hassle and get the medical clearance first.
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Aisha Patel
•seconding this - they're really strict about the able and available requirement
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LilMama23
Wait I'm confused... if you're not cleared to work yet how can you file for unemployment?? Don't you have to be actively looking for jobs? This doesn't make sense to me
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Esmeralda Gómez
•That's exactly the point - you can't file until you're medically able to work and available for employment. The SDI to UI transition requires that gap to be resolved first.
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Dmitri Volkov
I had a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor about this same question. Spent weeks calling and either getting busy signals or hung up on. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me time and frustration when I needed to clarify my eligibility after my disability ended.
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Yuki Tanaka
•That sounds useful! I've been dreading having to call because I know how hard it is to get through.
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Gabrielle Dubois
just file online when ur ready its not that complicated, the system will tell u if theres a problem
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Tyrone Johnson
Good luck with this whole process... the unemployment system is such a mess. Even when you do everything right they find ways to delay or deny claims. I hope you have better luck than I did.
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