How to reopen claim for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor after gap in filing

You'll need to reopen your existing claim rather than filing a new one since you still have unused benefits. Log into your my.ny.gov account and look for the 'Reopen Claim' option on your unemployment services page. You'll have to answer questions about why you stopped filing and provide details about your recent employment. Make sure you have your last employer's information ready including exact dates and reason for separation.

definitely mention the temp work! they need to know exactly why you stopped filing claims. i made the mistake of not being completely honest when i reopened mine and it caused a whole adjudication mess that took weeks to sort out

The reopen process is pretty straightforward but they will review your employment during the gap to make sure you're eligible to restart benefits. Since you worked during that time, they need to determine if you earned enough to potentially qualify for a new claim with higher benefits, or if reopening your existing claim is better for you. The system usually does this calculation automatically, but sometimes it gets stuck in adjudication if there are questions about your separation from the temp job.

just curious - how much did you make at the temp job? if it was enough you might actually qualify for a brand new claim with higher weekly benefits instead of reopening the old one

THE SYSTEM IS SO CONFUSING! Why can't they just make it simple - if you worked you worked if you didn't you didn't. Now I have to explain every single detail about a job that barely lasted. And good luck trying to reach anyone at NYS Department of Labor to get help with this stuff.

Had similar situation last year when my seasonal job ended. The reopen went through fine but took about a week to process. Just be patient and keep checking your account for updates.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The key thing is to be completely transparent about your work history when you reopen. Since you only worked temporarily for a few months, reopening your existing claim is definitely the right move rather than filing a new one. One tip - when you're filling out the reopen form, make sure you have the exact start and end dates of your temp work, your employer's information, and be clear that the job ended due to it being temporary (not permanent as expected). The whole process took about 5-7 business days for me to get approved and start receiving benefits again. Don't stress too much about it - the system is designed to handle these situations since temporary work gaps are pretty common.

I'm in a very similar boat right now! I had to stop filing in September for a contract position that ended unexpectedly last month. When I tried to log back in, I got the same message about my benefit year ending. I was so confused because I thought I'd lost all my remaining weeks, but reading these responses gives me hope that I can still access those unused benefits. One question though - has anyone had issues with the my.ny.gov website timing out during the reopen process? I've tried twice now and it keeps kicking me out halfway through the forms. Should I try a different browser or is this a common system issue?

I just went through this process last month and wanted to share what worked for me. When you reopen your claim, they'll ask about any work you did during the gap period. Be completely honest about the temp work - include start/end dates, gross wages earned, and reason for separation. The good news is that since you have unused benefits from your original claim, you should be able to access those remaining weeks once the reopen is approved. The process took about 10 days for me, and I received a determination letter through my online account confirming the reopening. Make sure to file your weekly certification as soon as the system allows you to after reopening - don't wait for the letter. You can backdate one week if needed but they're pretty strict about timely filing once you're back in the system.

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago! The process is definitely confusing at first, but it's actually pretty straightforward once you get started. You absolutely want to reopen your existing claim since you have those 8 unused weeks - don't file a new application. When you're filling out the reopen form, they'll ask detailed questions about why you stopped filing and what you did during the gap period. Be completely honest about the temp work - include exact start/end dates, employer name and address, gross wages earned, and clearly state that it was temporary work that didn't become permanent as expected. The system needs this info to verify your continued eligibility. One heads up - the reopen process typically takes 5-10 business days to get approved, and you might get a phone interview if they need clarification about your work separation. Keep checking your online account for updates and any correspondence. Once approved, you should be able to access those remaining benefit weeks from your original claim. Good luck!

I went through this same situation earlier this year! You definitely want to reopen your existing claim since you have those unused weeks - don't start a new application. When I reopened mine, the key was being completely transparent about the temp work. They asked for exact employment dates, employer details, wages earned, and reason for separation. Since your temp job just didn't work out as planned, that's a legitimate reason and shouldn't cause issues. The whole process took about a week for me once I submitted everything. Just make sure you have all your employment documentation ready before you start the online form, because it can time out if you take too long gathering info. Those 8 remaining weeks are still yours - the system will pick up right where you left off once the reopen is approved!