Can you draw social security and unemployment NYS Department of Labor benefits at same time?
My dad just turned 62 and is thinking about taking early social security but he also lost his job last month. Can he collect both social security retirement benefits and file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor? I've heard conflicting information and want to make sure he doesn't mess anything up. He worked at the same manufacturing plant for 28 years before they closed down. Any advice would be really helpful.
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Diego Rojas
Yes, you can receive both Social Security retirement benefits and unemployment insurance in New York. The NYS Department of Labor allows this combination. However, your dad needs to meet the standard UI requirements - he must be able and available for work, actively seeking employment, and meet the job search requirements. The tricky part is that to get Social Security retirement benefits, you're essentially saying you're retired, but for unemployment you're saying you're ready and willing to work.
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Chloe Martin
•That makes sense about the contradiction. Do you know if the amounts affect each other? Like does getting social security reduce his unemployment payments?
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Anastasia Sokolov
I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! Started collecting early SS at 62 last year, then got laid off in December. Filed my unemployment claim and had no issues. The NYS Department of Labor doesn't reduce your UI benefits because of social security - they're completely separate systems. Just make sure he's honest about both income sources when he files his weekly claims.
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Sean O'Donnell
•Did you have any problems during the adjudication process? I'm worried they might question whether someone on social security is really looking for work.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•No problems at all. I think as long as you're genuinely job searching and reporting it properly, they don't care about the social security. The job search log is what matters most.
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Zara Ahmed
This is actually pretty common these days with people taking early retirement then getting forced back into the job market. The key thing is your dad has to be ACTUALLY looking for work, not just going through the motions. NYS Department of Labor will expect him to apply for suitable positions and document his job search activities. If he's just planning to coast on both benefits without seriously job hunting, that could be a problem.
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StarStrider
•What counts as 'suitable' work for someone who's 62 and been at the same job for decades? Do they expect him to take anything or can he be selective?
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Luca Esposito
honestly this whole system is so confusing... why can't they just give straight answers about this stuff?? I've been trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about a different issue and their phone lines are always busy. It's like they don't want people to actually understand the rules.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•I actually found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent when I couldn't reach them myself. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration when I needed to verify some details about my claim.
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Nia Thompson
Your dad should definitely apply for both. At 62 with that much work history, he's earned those benefits. Just document everything carefully and be prepared to explain his job search efforts if they ask. The worst they can say is no to the unemployment, but he'll still have the social security coming in.
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