How to delete unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor - made mistake filing
I accidentally filed an unemployment claim last week when I was just exploring my options. Turns out my employer is keeping me on reduced hours instead of laying me off completely. Now I'm worried this is going to cause problems. Is there a way to delete or cancel my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor before it gets processed? I haven't received any payments yet and don't want to mess up my employment status. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?
12 comments
Join the conversation
Jamal Edwards
You can't actually 'delete' a claim once it's submitted to NYS Department of Labor, but you can stop filing weekly claims and notify them that you no longer need benefits. Call the main number and explain the situation - they'll put a note on your account. Since you haven't received payments, this shouldn't cause any issues with your employer.
0 coins
ThunderBolt7
•Thanks! Do I need to do anything else besides stop filing weekly claims? I'm worried about getting in trouble for filing when I didn't actually need it.
0 coins
Mei Chen
same thing happened to my coworker last year, she just stopped filing and nothing bad happened
0 coins
Liam O'Sullivan
I had this exact situation in 2024. You need to call NYS Department of Labor and tell them you want to withdraw your claim. They'll ask why and you just explain you're still employed. Don't just stop filing - that can leave your claim in limbo. Get it officially closed. The phone lines are brutal though, took me 47 tries to get through.
0 coins
ThunderBolt7
•47 tries?? That's insane. Is there any other way to contact them besides calling?
0 coins
Liam O'Sullivan
•I tried the online message system but never got a response. Calling is really the only reliable way. I actually used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of redialing.
0 coins
Amara Okonkwo
Wait, can your employer see that you filed? I'm in a similar boat and freaking out about this
0 coins
Jamal Edwards
•Employers get notified when someone files a claim against their account, but if you withdraw it quickly most don't make a big deal about it. Just be honest if they ask.
0 coins
Giovanni Marino
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS SET UP TO TRAP PEOPLE!! Once you file they make it impossible to undo anything. I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for months over a similar issue. They don't care about mistakes - they just want to collect their federal funding!
0 coins
Fatima Al-Sayed
I work in HR and see this happen occasionally. As long as you contact NYS Department of Labor promptly and haven't received any benefit payments, it's usually a non-issue. Your employer might get a notice but most understand that people explore their options during uncertain times.
0 coins
ThunderBolt7
•That's reassuring to hear from someone on the employer side. I'll call first thing Monday morning to get this sorted out.
0 coins
Ravi Sharma
I went through this same exact situation about 6 months ago! Filed by mistake when I thought I was getting laid off, then my manager called me back for reduced hours. I was panicking thinking I'd get in trouble. Called NYS DOL and explained - they were actually pretty understanding about it. The rep told me it happens more than you'd think. They just marked my claim as "voluntarily withdrawn" and that was it. No issues with my employer either, they barely mentioned the notification they got. Don't stress too much about it, just call them ASAP and be honest about the mistake.
0 coins