Can I reopen my unemployment claim - NYS Department of Labor questions
My unemployment benefits ended about 6 months ago when I got a job, but that position was eliminated last week due to company restructuring. I'm wondering if I can reopen my previous claim with NYS Department of Labor or if I need to file a completely new application? The my.ny.gov website isn't very clear about this. I still have my old claim number and everything. Has anyone been through this process recently?
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Sean Murphy
Yes, you can typically reopen an existing claim if it's within the benefit year (which is usually 52 weeks from when you first filed). Since it's only been 6 months, you should be able to reopen rather than start fresh. Log into your my.ny.gov account and look for the 'reopen claim' option. You'll need to provide information about why your employment ended.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Thanks! I found the reopen option. Do I still need to do the work search requirements right away or is there a grace period?
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Santiago Martinez
•@Sean Murphy is right about the benefit year timeframe. Just to add - when you reopen, you ll'typically need to serve a waiting week again before benefits start, and yes, work search requirements usually kick in immediately unless you have a specific return-to-work date from your employer. The NY DOL website has a work search log you should start filling out right away.
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Oliver Becker
•@Santiago Martinez mentioned the waiting week - just wanted to clarify that if you re'reopening within your benefit year, you typically don t'have to serve another waiting week since you already served one when you first filed. The waiting week requirement is usually just for brand new claims. But definitely double-check this when you reopen since rules can vary based on your specific situation.
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StarStrider
i had to reopen mine last year and it was pretty straightforward but took like 2 weeks to process everything again
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Zara Malik
Make sure you file your weekly claim immediately after reopening, even if the claim is still being processed. I made the mistake of waiting and lost a week of benefits because of it. Also, you'll probably need to provide documentation about your recent job loss - separation notice, layoff letter, etc.
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Luca Marino
•Oh no, I didn't know about filing the weekly claim right away! I reopened mine yesterday but haven't done the weekly claim yet. Can I still file it today or did I miss the window?
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Zara Malik
•You should be able to file it today, but call the NYS Department of Labor to confirm. The weekly claim filing window is usually Sunday through Saturday, but they might make exceptions for newly reopened claims.
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Nia Davis
If you're having trouble getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about reopening, I had good luck using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to an actual agent instead of sitting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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Mateo Perez
•Is that one of those paid services? I'm already broke from being unemployed lol
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Nia Davis
•It's worth checking out their site for details, but honestly the time I saved was worth it. I was calling for days trying to get answers about my reopened claim status.
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Aisha Rahman
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A NIGHTMARE! I tried to reopen my claim 3 times and kept getting error messages. Finally had to go through the whole application process again like I was a first-time filer. NYS Department of Labor website is garbage and their phone system hangs up on you constantly!
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StarStrider
•that sucks but did you try clearing your browser cache? sometimes the my.ny.gov site gets weird with old cookies
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Kayla Morgan
I went through this same situation about 4 months ago. The reopening process itself is pretty simple once you find the right button on my.ny.gov, but here's what I wish I had known: make sure you have your last employer's information ready (company name, address, dates of employment, reason for separation) because they'll ask for all of that again even though you're just reopening. Also, if your previous claim had any outstanding issues or appeals, those might need to be resolved before you can reopen. The good news is that since you're within your benefit year, you should be able to pick up where you left off with your remaining balance.
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Savanna Franklin
•@Kayla Morgan This is really helpful info! I didn t'think about having all the employer details ready again. Quick question - when you say remaining "balance, does" that mean if I had like 10 weeks left on my original claim before I got the job, I can still use those 10 weeks now that I m'unemployed again? Or does the 6-month gap reset anything?
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•@Savanna Franklin Yes, exactly! The 6-month gap doesn t'reset your remaining balance as long as you re'still within your benefit year which (is 52 weeks from when you first filed .)So if you had 10 weeks left, those should still be available when you reopen. The only thing that might affect your weekly benefit amount is if you earned significantly more at your recent job - they might recalculate based on more recent wages, but that s'usually only if it would increase your benefit amount.
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Connor Murphy
I just went through this exact process last month! You can definitely reopen your claim since it's only been 6 months. One tip that really helped me - when you log into my.ny.gov, if you don't see the "reopen claim" button right away, try clicking on "View Claim History" first, then the reopen option should appear. Also, have your recent pay stubs ready because they might ask for them to verify your employment dates. The whole process took about 10 days for me from reopening to getting my first payment. Good luck!
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