Can you lose unemployment benefits during your claim period?
I'm currently receiving unemployment benefits and doing everything I'm supposed to do - filing my weekly claims on time, doing my job searches, etc. But I keep hearing horror stories about people losing their benefits for random reasons. What are the actual ways you can lose unemployment benefits once you're already approved? I'm paranoid about making some mistake that could cut off my payments.
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Grant Vikers
Yes, there are several ways you can lose your benefits even after approval. The main reasons include: not filing your weekly claim on time (you have a grace period but don't push it), failing to meet job search requirements (usually 3 contacts per week), refusing suitable work offers, not being available for work, or providing false information. The NYS Department of Labor also conducts random eligibility reviews that can trigger investigations.
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Amaya Watson
•What counts as 'suitable work'? I've been avoiding jobs that pay way less than my previous salary because I thought that was okay.
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Giovanni Martello
Don't stress too much but definitely stay compliant. I lost mine temporarily because I forgot to file one week and didn't realize until the following Monday. Had to call and explain what happened - took forever to get through but they restored it. The key is documenting everything you do for job searches and keeping records.
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Savannah Weiner
•How long did it take them to restore your benefits after you called?
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Levi Parker
The system is designed to trip you up honestly. They'll disqualify you for the smallest things and then make it impossible to reach anyone to fix it. I know someone who got cut off because they marked 'yes' instead of 'no' on one question by accident.
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Libby Hassan
•If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone, I had good luck with Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to fix an issue with my claim status.
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Amaya Watson
•Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely check that out if I run into problems reaching them.
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Hunter Hampton
wait what happens if you get a part time job while on unemployment? do you lose everything or just get reduced benefits?? I might have an opportunity but scared to mess up my claim
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Grant Vikers
•You can work part-time and still collect benefits! You just need to report your earnings on your weekly claim. They'll reduce your benefit amount based on how much you earned, but you won't lose everything unless you earn over a certain threshold.
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Sofia Peña
Been on UI for 6 months now and haven't had any issues. Just follow the rules exactly as they're written and you'll be fine. The people who lose benefits usually made some obvious mistake or weren't actually eligible in the first place.
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