Can you collect unemployment on social security in NYS?
I'm 67 and have been collecting social security for about 2 years now. I was working part-time at a retail store to supplement my income but they laid me off last month due to budget cuts. A friend told me I might be able to get unemployment benefits even though I'm on social security but I'm not sure if that's true. Has anyone been in this situation with NYS Department of Labor? Do they reduce your unemployment if you're getting social security payments?
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Eli Butler
Yes, you can absolutely collect both! Social security doesn't disqualify you from unemployment benefits in New York. The NYS Department of Labor treats them as separate programs. Your social security won't reduce your weekly unemployment benefit amount either - they don't count social security as wages when calculating your benefit rate. You'll still need to meet the normal requirements like being able and available for work and doing your job search.
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Ian Armstrong
•That's such a relief! I was worried I'd have to choose between them. Do I still have to do the weekly job search even at my age?
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Marcus Patterson
my dad was in the exact same boat last year - he's 65 and collecting social security but lost his part time job at home depot. He got approved for unemployment no problem. Just had to file his weekly claims like everyone else
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Lydia Bailey
The key thing is you need to be genuinely looking for work and available to accept suitable employment. NYS Department of Labor doesn't care that you're on social security, but they do care that you're actively seeking employment. Make sure you keep good records of your job search activities because they may ask for your work search log during adjudication if there are any questions about your claim.
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Ian Armstrong
•Good point about keeping records. I've already started applying to a few places but wasn't sure about the documentation requirements.
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Mateo Warren
Wait I thought there was some rule about this? My neighbor said something about not being able to get both but maybe she was thinking of disability benefits instead of social security?
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Eli Butler
•You might be thinking of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). That's different from regular retirement social security benefits. With SSDI there can be complications because you're claiming you can't work due to disability, which conflicts with unemployment's requirement that you be able and available for work.
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Sofia Price
OMG I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for WEEKS about this exact question and can never get through! The phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected after waiting forever. It's so frustrating when you just need a simple answer about whether you can collect both benefits.
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Alice Coleman
•I had the same problem reaching them until someone told me about this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. It was honestly a lifesaver when I needed to talk to someone about my claim status. Way easier than spending hours trying to get through on my own.
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Owen Jenkins
Just make sure when you file your weekly claim you report your social security as 'other income' if they ask. I think there's a section for that but I'm not 100% sure how it affects the calculation.
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Eli Butler
•Actually, you don't report social security retirement benefits as income on your weekly claim certification. NYS Department of Labor specifically excludes social security retirement benefits from countable income. You only report wages from work, not social security payments.
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