Do you have to cancel unemployment when you find a job in NY?
I just got hired for a full-time position starting Monday and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do about my unemployment benefits. Do I need to officially cancel my claim with NYS Department of Labor or does it automatically stop when I report working full-time on my weekly certification? I've been collecting UI for about 6 weeks and don't want to mess anything up or get in trouble for overpayment issues.
13 comments
Join the conversation
Mei Zhang
You don't need to formally 'cancel' your claim. Just report your work hours and earnings on your weekly certification when you file this Sunday. Once you report full-time work, your weekly benefit amount will be $0 but your claim stays active. This is actually better because if the job doesn't work out, you can immediately start certifying again without refiling.
0 coins
Jamal Anderson
•That makes sense! So I should still file my weekly claim and just report the work hours? I was worried I'd get flagged for fraud or something.
0 coins
Liam McGuire
yeah just keep filing weekly and report everything. i made the mistake of not filing for like 3 weeks when i started a temp job and had to reopen my whole claim when it ended
0 coins
Amara Eze
Definitely keep your claim active! Report your first day of work and all hours/earnings on your weekly certification. NYS Department of Labor will calculate your benefit amount based on what you earn - if you work full-time you'll get $0 but the claim remains open. You have to report work the week it happens, not when you get paid. Make sure you're accurate with dates and earnings to avoid any adjudication issues later.
0 coins
Giovanni Ricci
•Wait, what if you forget to report work for a week? I started a part-time job last month but forgot to report it on one weekly claim. Should I be worried?
0 coins
Amara Eze
•You should contact NYS Department of Labor immediately to report the unreported earnings. They have ways to correct this but it's better to be proactive than wait for them to discover it during a wage audit.
0 coins
NeonNomad
The whole system is confusing honestly. I've been trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about a similar question but their phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach an agent - there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Ended up getting through to someone same day and got my questions answered about reporting work.
0 coins
Jamal Anderson
•How much does something like that cost? I might need to call them if I run into issues with reporting my new job.
0 coins
NeonNomad
•It's worth checking out their site for details, but honestly getting through to an actual person who can answer questions about your specific situation is pretty valuable when you're dealing with unemployment stuff.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
Congrats on the new job! I'm in a similar spot - got offered a position but won't start for another two weeks. Should I report the job offer on my weekly claim or wait until I actually start working?
0 coins
Mei Zhang
•Only report actual work performed and wages earned. A job offer isn't the same as working. Report your first day of work when it happens.
0 coins
CosmicCrusader
Just went through this exact situation last month! You definitely want to keep filing your weekly claims and report all work accurately. I made the mistake of thinking I should stop filing completely when I got a job, but then the position ended after just 2 weeks and I had to go through the whole process of reopening my claim. It was a nightmare and delayed my benefits for weeks. The key is being consistent with your weekly certifications - report everything truthfully and let the system calculate your benefits. Your claim will essentially be "dormant" while you're working full-time but ready to activate again if needed.
0 coins
Connor Byrne
•That's really helpful to know about keeping the claim active! I was definitely leaning toward stopping my weekly filings completely. How long did it take you to reopen your claim when that job ended? I'm worried about gaps in coverage if something similar happens to me.
0 coins