NYS Department of Labor - how to close unemployment account after finding work?
I started a new job last week and want to make sure I properly close my unemployment account with NYS Department of Labor. Do I need to do anything specific or does it automatically close when I stop filing weekly claims? I don't want any issues down the road if I need to file again in the future. Also worried about accidentally getting overpaid if there's some delay in the system.
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Olivia Garcia
You don't actually 'close' your unemployment account - it just goes inactive when you stop filing weekly claims. The important thing is to file your last weekly claim and report your return to work date accurately. Make sure you report any wages earned during your last week of unemployment.
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Liam Brown
•Should I call NYS Department of Labor to confirm or is stopping the weekly claims enough?
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Noah Lee
Just stop filing your weekly claims once you're back to work full time. Your benefit year stays open in case you need it again within that year. I made the mistake of filing one extra week after starting work and had to pay back $400 in overpayment.
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Ava Hernandez
•ugh overpayments are the worst! how long did it take them to catch that?
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Isabella Martin
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to confirm anything, I used claimyr.com recently when I had questions about my claim status. They have a service that helps you reach agents by phone without waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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Liam Brown
•Thanks, might check that out if I need to talk to someone. The hold times are ridiculous.
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Elijah Jackson
yeah just dont file anymore weekly claims and ur good. i went back to work in november and never had any problems. the account just sits there dormant
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Sophia Miller
MAKE SURE you report your exact start date and any training pay or partial week wages correctly on your final claim! NYS Department of Labor will audit this stuff and if you mess up the dates they'll say you committed fraud. I've seen people get in serious trouble for not being precise about their return to work timing.
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Liam Brown
•Good point about the exact dates. My start date was clear but I did have one day of orientation that was paid - should I report that on my final weekly claim?
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Olivia Garcia
•Yes, report any wages earned during the claim week, even orientation pay. Better to be accurate than deal with overpayment issues later.
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Omar Zaki
Just wanted to add - keep all your documentation from your last claim filing and your new job start date. Screenshot your final weekly certification if possible. I had to reference mine months later when there was a discrepancy in their system about my benefit year balance. Having that proof saved me from having to jump through hoops to prove I filed correctly.
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Zara Shah
•Great advice about keeping documentation! I just started screenshotting everything after reading horror stories about people having to prove their filing history months later. Did you have to deal with DOL directly or were you able to resolve the discrepancy online?
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Charlotte White
Also worth noting - if you worked any part-time or temporary jobs while collecting unemployment, make sure those are all properly reported before you stop filing. I forgot to report a one-day gig I did and it came back to bite me during an audit six months later. NYS DOL cross-references with employers so they'll eventually find unreported work. Clean slate is always better when transitioning off benefits.
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Oliver Schulz
•This is such an important point! I had a few small freelance jobs while collecting and was paranoid about reporting everything correctly. Better to over-report than under-report. Does anyone know if there's a statute of limitations on these audits? Like how far back can they go to check for unreported work?
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