Can you collect unemployment and SSDI at the same time in NY - confused about eligibility
I've been getting SSDI for about 8 months now due to a back injury, but my doctor says I might be able to do some light work soon. My question is - if I start looking for part-time work and can't find anything, can I collect unemployment and SSDI at the same time? I'm really confused about this because SSDI says I'm disabled but unemployment requires you to be able and available for work. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? I don't want to mess up either benefit by applying for the wrong thing.
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Mary Bates
This is actually a complicated situation that a lot of people face. You CAN potentially collect both, but there are specific requirements. For unemployment, you need to be able and available for work, which seems to contradict SSDI disability. However, if your doctor has cleared you for light work and you're actively seeking employment within your restrictions, NYS Department of Labor may approve your claim. The key is proving you can perform some type of work.
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Oliver Brown
•That's helpful, thank you. Do I need to report my SSDI payments when I file for unemployment? And will getting unemployment affect my SSDI at all?
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Clay blendedgen
Yes you have to report ALL income including SSDI when you file your weekly claims. The good news is that SSDI won't count against your unemployment benefits since it's not wages from work. But you need to be really careful about the able and available requirement - make sure you have documentation from your doctor about what kind of work you can do.
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Ayla Kumar
•This is exactly right. I went through this last year and had to provide medical documentation showing I was cleared for sedentary work. NYS Department of Labor was pretty thorough about reviewing my case.
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Lorenzo McCormick
Wait I'm confused... if you're getting SSDI doesn't that mean you're disabled and can't work? How can you be available for work if you're disabled?? This doesn't make sense to me.
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Mary Bates
•SSDI doesn't mean you can never work again. There are different levels of disability and work capacity. Some people can do limited work with accommodations. The determination comes down to whether you can perform substantial gainful activity in your current condition.
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Carmella Popescu
I had a similar situation trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor about this exact question. Could never get through on the phone - kept getting busy signals or disconnected after waiting forever. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Honestly saved me weeks of frustration trying to get answers about collecting both benefits.
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Oliver Brown
•Thanks for the tip! I've been trying to call for days with no luck. Did they charge you a lot for that service?
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Carmella Popescu
•It was worth it for me just to finally talk to someone who could give me definitive answers about my specific situation. Much better than guessing or getting conflicting information online.
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Kai Santiago
The system is so confusing with all these overlapping rules. I think as long as you're honest about everything and report all your income you should be fine. Just document everything in case they ask questions later.
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