Can you draw unemployment and social security benefits at the same time in NY?
My mom is 67 and still working part-time but her hours got cut way back last month. She's been collecting social security since she turned 62 but now she's wondering if she can also file for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor since her work hours were reduced. Is this even allowed? She's worried about getting in trouble or having to pay something back if it's not legal to collect both at once.
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Ravi Malhotra
Yes, you can collect both unemployment and social security in New York. There's no federal law that prevents this and NYS Department of Labor allows it. However, she'll need to report her social security income when filing her weekly claims. The unemployment amount might be reduced depending on how much social security she receives, but she won't be disqualified entirely.
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StarSurfer
•That's such a relief! Do you know if she needs to report the gross or net amount of her social security when filing the weekly claims?
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Freya Christensen
my dad went through this exact situation two years ago! he was collecting both for about 8 months until he found a new job. just make sure she's honest about all income on her weekly certification or NYS Department of Labor will flag it during their cross-checks with other agencies
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Omar Hassan
The key thing is she needs to be able and available for work to qualify for unemployment. At 67, NYS Department of Labor might scrutinize this more closely, especially if she's already receiving full social security benefits. She should be prepared to demonstrate she's actively job searching and available for suitable work. Also, if she's working part-time, those earnings need to be reported too - anything over $143 per week in 2025 will reduce her unemployment benefits dollar for dollar.
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StarSurfer
•She is definitely still looking for more work! Her current part-time job only gives her about 15 hours a week now instead of the 30 she used to get. Would that qualify as a reduction in hours for unemployment purposes?
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Omar Hassan
•Yes, a 50% reduction in hours would definitely qualify her for partial unemployment benefits. She should file a claim and report both her reduced work income and her social security income on each weekly claim.
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Chloe Robinson
Wait I'm confused about this whole thing. I thought once you start getting social security you can't get unemployment? My uncle told me that last year when he got laid off. Are you sure about this??
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Ravi Malhotra
•Your uncle might have been thinking of other benefit programs or maybe got bad advice. NYS Department of Labor definitely allows people to collect both unemployment and social security simultaneously. The rules changed years ago to allow this combination.
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Diego Chavez
I had so much trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about collecting both benefits. Spent weeks trying to call and either got busy signals or got disconnected after waiting on hold 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 that shows how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to navigate the phone system myself.
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StarSurfer
•Thanks for that tip! My mom hates being on hold forever. Did they help you get answers about the social security question specifically?
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NeonNebula
just wanted to say good luck to your mom! it's tough when hours get cut like that especially when you're trying to make ends meet on social security already
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