Can you receive disability and unemployment at the same time NYS Department of Labor?
My wife is dealing with a complicated situation and we're not sure what's allowed. She's been getting disability benefits for her back injury since last summer, but her doctor just cleared her for light duty work (desk jobs only). She wants to file for unemployment while looking for work that accommodates her restrictions. Is it even legal to receive disability and unemployment at the same time in NY? The NYS Department of Labor website doesn't make this clear and we don't want to mess up her disability status or get in trouble for collecting both.
9 comments
Join the conversation
Aiden Chen
This is actually a tricky area but it IS possible in certain circumstances. The key issue is that unemployment requires you to be able and available for work, while disability typically means you can't work. However, if she's been medically cleared for light duty and can prove she's actively seeking work within her restrictions, she may qualify for UI benefits. She'll need documentation from her doctor specifying exactly what type of work she can perform.
0 coins
Sophia Bennett
•That makes sense. Her doctor did specify she can do sedentary work up to 4 hours a day. Would that count as being available for work?
0 coins
Zoey Bianchi
i think you can but you have to report both to each other? my cousin did this but im not sure of the details
0 coins
Christopher Morgan
The NYS Department of Labor will require her to register for work search and demonstrate she's genuinely looking for employment she can physically perform. She'll also need to report her disability payments as other income when filing weekly claims. The disability office needs to know about any work search activities too. I'd recommend calling both agencies to clarify before filing - this situation requires coordination between programs.
0 coins
Aurora St.Pierre
•How are you supposed to call the NYS Department of Labor though? I've been trying for weeks and either get disconnected or the line is busy. This is exactly the kind of complex question you need to talk to a real person about.
0 coins
Grace Johnson
•I had the same problem reaching NYS Department of Labor until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that handles the calling for you - you just give them your info and they get you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com, they even have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to resolve my adjudication issue.
0 coins
Jayden Reed
Be super careful with this! The government loves to find reasons to make you pay money back. Even if its technically allowed they might decide later that you weren't really available for work and demand repayment of everything. I've seen people get hit with huge overpayment notices years later.
0 coins
Sophia Bennett
•That's exactly what we're worried about. We can't afford to pay back thousands if they change their mind later.
0 coins
Nora Brooks
The main thing is being honest about everything. When she files her initial claim, she needs to disclose the disability situation upfront. During weekly certification, she has to report the disability income. As long as she's transparent and can demonstrate genuine work search efforts within her medical limitations, she should be okay. Keep detailed records of all job applications and doctor communications.
0 coins