How do I reopen my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor after it closed?
My unemployment claim got closed about 6 weeks ago when I started a temp job that only lasted 2 weeks. Now I'm unemployed again but when I try to log into my.ny.gov it says my claim is inactive. Do I need to file a completely new claim or is there a way to reopen my old one? I'm worried about losing my benefit year if I mess this up. Has anyone dealt with reopening a claim before?
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Isabella Tucker
You can reopen your existing claim as long as you're still within your benefit year! Go to your my.ny.gov account and look for the 'Reopen Claim' option on your unemployment services page. You'll need to answer some questions about why your claim closed and your current employment status. Don't file a new claim unless NYS Department of Labor tells you to - that could mess up your benefit year.
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Emma Swift
•Thank you! I found the reopen option but it's asking about job search activities. Do I need to have been looking for work during the 6 weeks my claim was closed?
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Jayden Hill
same thing happened to me last year... took forever to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to explain the difference between reopening and filing new
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LordCommander
The reopen process is pretty straightforward if you're still in your benefit year. You'll need to complete the reopen application online and then file your weekly claim for the current week. They may ask you to verify why you're unemployed again and whether you're able and available for work. Make sure you have documentation about your temp job ending in case they ask for it during adjudication.
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Lucy Lam
•What if you can't get through the phone lines to talk to someone about reopening? I've been trying for days and keep getting hung up on after waiting an hour.
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Aidan Hudson
•I had the same issue with getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to reopen my claim. I ended up using Claimyr to get connected to an agent. It's a service that calls you back when they reach someone at the unemployment office. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected.
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Zoe Wang
ugh the whole system is so confusing... why can't they just automatically reopen claims when people become unemployed again instead of making us jump through hoops
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Isabella Tucker
•I get the frustration but they need to verify eligibility each time. The good news is reopening is usually faster than filing a new claim since your work history is already in the system.
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Connor Richards
Just wanted to add - when you reopen make sure you understand the difference between 'able and available' and being on standby. If your temp job ended due to lack of work you might qualify for standby status which has different job search requirements.
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Lucas Lindsey
I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! You definitely want to reopen your existing claim rather than file a new one. When you reopen, you'll need to provide details about your temp job (dates worked, reason for separation, etc.) and they may put you through a brief adjudication process to verify your eligibility. The key thing is that as long as you're still within your benefit year, reopening preserves your weekly benefit amount. If you file a new claim, they'd recalculate your benefits based on more recent earnings which could be lower. The online reopen process usually takes a few business days to process, then you can start filing your weekly certifications again.
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