Can I still collect unemployment if I owe unemployment money to NYS Department of Labor?

Yes, you can still file a new claim even with an existing overpayment. NYS Department of Labor will typically allow you to collect benefits but they'll deduct a portion from each weekly payment to recover the overpayment. Usually it's around 25% of your weekly benefit amount that gets withheld. You should still file your claim right away since there's a waiting period anyway.

same thing happened to me, they took like $75 out of my $300 weekly payment but i still got the rest

The overpayment won't prevent you from filing a new claim, but you should be prepared for the offset. You can also request a hearing to dispute the overpayment if you believe it was incorrectly calculated. Sometimes there are errors in their system, especially with work reporting or benefit calculations from previous claims. Check your my.ny.gov account to see the details of why the overpayment occurred.

Oh no this is exactly what I'm worried about happening to me! How did you find out about the overpayment? Did they send you a notice or did you just see it online? I've been so careful with my weekly claims but now I'm paranoid they're going to say I owe money somehow.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to discuss your overpayment options, you might want to check out claimyr.com - they help people get connected to actual agents. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I used it when I had questions about my own overpayment and was able to speak to someone within a few hours instead of calling for days.

Just file your claim and don't worry about it too much. The system will figure itself out and you'll still get most of your money. Better to have something coming in than nothing while you're unemployed.

I went through something similar last year. You can definitely still file a new claim - the overpayment won't block you from getting benefits. In my case, they automatically deducted about 30% from each weekly payment to recover what I owed. It wasn't ideal but I was still able to get enough to cover my basic expenses. The key is to file as soon as possible since there's usually a waiting week anyway. Also, make sure to keep detailed records of all your job search activities and any part-time work you might pick up, because they're really strict about reporting requirements now and you don't want to create another overpayment situation.

I'm in a similar situation but haven't filed yet because I wasn't sure if the overpayment would block me. This thread is super helpful! One thing I'm wondering about - if they take 25-30% from each payment, does that percentage stay the same until the overpayment is paid off, or do they adjust it based on how much you still owe? Also, has anyone had luck setting up a separate repayment plan so they don't have to take as much from your weekly benefits?

I'm dealing with a similar overpayment situation right now - about $1,900 from 2022 that I'm still paying back through weekly deductions. Just wanted to add that when you do file your new claim, make sure to report ANY income accurately, even small amounts from odd jobs or gig work. That's how a lot of these overpayments happen - people forget to report something or don't realize certain income counts. The good news is that once you're in the system paying back the overpayment, they usually don't hit you with penalties or interest as long as you keep filing honestly. Also, keep copies of everything - your weekly certifications, any correspondence from DOL, etc. It helps if there are ever questions later.