Question about filing a new NY unemployment claim after returning to work

You don't need to file a new claim. Just stop claiming benefits once you start working. If your first day is Nov 17, claim up until the week ending Nov 16 (or whatever the last week is before you start). You're good to go as long as you don't claim for weeks you're working. And congrats on the new job!

I was in the exact same boat last spring. After months of trying to get my benefits sorted out, I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual human at unemployment. Got everything resolved in 20 minutes flat. Best money I ever spent to get my final benefits paid correctly before starting my new job! They even have a helpful video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

When you certify for your last week before starting work, you'll need to answer the question about whether your employment status has changed. Check YES and enter your new employment date. After that, just stop certifying. There's no "closing" process - the claim stays open for a year but becomes inactive when you stop certifying. If you lose the job within that year, you can just start certifying again without filing a new claim.

Whatever you do, DO NOT keep certifying once you start working! That's fraud and they'll make you pay it all back with penalties. Just certify up until your last unemployed week and be sure to say you returned to work in that certification.

Make sure when u certify for your last week, u should accurately report your return to work date. Thats all u gotta do. Ny unemployment will adjust your benefit amount for partial week if needed. Don't overthink it.

The whole NY unemployment system is a joke. I bet even if you call to tell them you're going back to work, they'll have no record of it three months later and still try to say you committed fraud somehow. Document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots of your final certification where you report returning to work. Trust me, their incompetence knows no bounds.

Don't file a new claim! Your current claim is good for a year from when you first filed. Just stop certifying once you start working. If you need to talk to someone at unemployment about this (which can be helpful), good luck getting through on the phone... I spent weeks trying.

I have extensive experience with the NY unemployment system. Here's what you need to know about returning to work: First, congratulations on your new job! When you start working again, you simply need to stop certifying for benefits. There's no formal "closing" process for your claim. However, there are a few important steps to take: 1. During your FINAL certification, when asked if your employment status has changed, select YES and provide your return-to-work date. 2. If you're starting mid-week, report any partial earnings for that week accurately during certification. 3. Keep documentation of your final certification showing you reported returning to work (screenshot the confirmation page). 4. Your claim will remain technically "open" for a year from when you first filed, but will become inactive once you stop certifying. 5. If you have any complications or need to speak with a representative about your specific situation, don't waste days on hold. I'd recommend using Claimyr.com - it's a service that navigates the phone system for you and connects you with an actual human representative when they answer. I've helped dozens of people transition off unemployment, and the biggest mistake people make is either continuing to certify after starting work (fraud) or not properly reporting their return-to-work date on that final certification (can cause issues later).

question: if you work part time do you just report those earnings each week when u certify?? i might be picking up some part time work before my full time gig starts in december

Just make sure when you do your last certification, you indicate that you've returned to work and provide the date. After that, stop certifying and you're good. DON'T file a new claim - you don't need to.

I had such a mess with this exact situation last year. Said I was returning to work, but then the job fell through after 2 days. Tried to restart my benefits and got stuck in verification hell for 3 months. Had to call over 200 times before I got through. The system is broken.