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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Zoe Papadopoulos
•This is really helpful information! I'm curious - when you say they may put you through a brief adjudication process, how long did that take in your experience? I'm hoping to get my benefits reinstated quickly since I've been without income for a couple weeks now. Also, did you have to provide any specific documentation about your temp job ending, or was it mostly just answering questions online?
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Kara Yoshida
•In my case, the adjudication took about 10-14 business days, but I've heard it can vary depending on how busy they are. I didn't need to upload any documents initially - they just asked questions through the online system about my job separation reason, whether I was laid off or quit, and if I was able/available for work. However, they did send me a questionnaire about 5 days later asking for more details about the temp job, and I ended up having to provide a letter from my temp agency confirming the assignment ended due to completion of the project. My advice would be to gather any documentation you have from your temp job (like emails about the assignment ending, final paystub, etc.) just in case they request it later. The good news is you can usually get paid retroactively once approved, so don't stress too much about the timing.
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Kayla Morgan
I had a similar situation last year with a seasonal job that ended. One thing to keep in mind is that when you reopen, they'll ask about your job search activities during the gap period. You don't necessarily need to have been actively searching the entire 6 weeks your claim was closed, but you should be prepared to explain what you were doing (like if you were expecting to be called back to work, dealing with personal issues, etc.). Also, make sure you file your weekly certification as soon as your claim is reopened - don't wait! The system can be glitchy and sometimes there's a delay between when you reopen and when the weekly filing option becomes available. If you run into any technical issues with the my.ny.gov site, try using a different browser or clearing your cache.
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Sophie Duck
•This is excellent advice about the job search activities question! I'm going through this process right now and was worried about that exact issue. During my 6-week gap, I wasn't actively searching because I thought my temp assignment might get extended, but it sounds like having a reasonable explanation is what matters. The tip about filing the weekly certification immediately after reopening is also super helpful - I'll make sure to do that right away. Has anyone else had issues with the my.ny.gov site being slow or timing out during the reopen process? I want to make sure I don't lose my progress halfway through.
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Eli Butler
•@Sophie Duck Yes, the my.ny.gov site can definitely be glitchy! I had timeout issues when I was reopening my claim too. A few things that helped me: try doing it early in the morning or late evening when there s'less traffic, use Chrome or Firefox instead of Safari, and make sure you save your progress frequently if the system allows it. If you get timed out, don t'panic - you can usually pick up where you left off by logging back in. Also, I d'recommend having all your information ready before you start employment (dates, reason for separation, etc. so) you can fill it out quickly without having to stop and look things up. The system seemed to work better for me when I completed the whole process in one sitting rather than leaving it partially done.
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Roger Romero
I just went through this exact situation a month ago! The key thing is to make sure you're still within your benefit year before trying to reopen. You can check this on your my.ny.gov account - it should show your benefit year dates somewhere in your claim summary. When I reopened mine, I had to answer questions about why I became unemployed again and confirm I was able and available for work. The process took about 3-4 business days for me, and then I could start filing weekly certifications again. One heads up - they may ask you to do a phone interview if there are any questions about your job separation, so make sure you have documentation about when and why your temp job ended. The reopening process is definitely better than filing a new claim since it preserves your original weekly benefit amount!
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Anthony Young
•This is really reassuring to hear from someone who just went through this! I'm definitely still within my benefit year - it doesn't expire until next March. The phone interview possibility is something I hadn't considered, so I'll make sure to keep all my documentation from the temp agency handy. Did they contact you by phone or email to schedule the interview, or was it just a random call? I want to make sure I don't miss it if they try to reach me. Also, when you say it took 3-4 business days, was that from when you submitted the reopen application to when you could start filing weekly certifications again?
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