What happens if you stop certifying for unemployment - NYS Department of Labor consequences?

If you stop certifying, you'll immediately lose eligibility for any future unemployment benefits. NYS Department of Labor considers this a voluntary abandonment of your claim. You won't owe back any benefits you already received legitimately, but your claim becomes inactive and you'd need to file a completely new application if you want benefits again later. The bigger issue is that any gap in certification can affect future claims even if you reapply.

I stopped certifying last year when I got overwhelmed with the job search log requirements. Biggest mistake I made. When I tried to restart my claim 3 months later, they made me go through the entire application process again AND they questioned why I stopped the first time. It delayed my new claim by weeks while they investigated whether I was actually unemployed during that gap period.

Just went through this nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor to reopen my claim after stopping for 2 months. Called for weeks and couldn't reach anyone. Finally used claimyr.com after seeing their demo video (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) and got connected to an actual agent who explained that stopping certification creates red flags in their system. Wish I'd known that before I stopped filing.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP! They know most people will get frustrated and stop filing so they don't have to pay out benefits. DON'T FALL FOR IT! Keep certifying even if you hate the job search requirements because starting over is ten times worse than dealing with the weekly hassle.

From what I understand, NYS Department of Labor treats stopped certification as you declaring yourself no longer unemployed or available for work. This means your claim ends permanently - not just paused. If your circumstances change and you become unemployed again, you'd file as a new claimant, not a continued claim. The job search requirements are annoying but way easier than going through the entire application and waiting period again.

I was in a similar situation last month and almost stopped certifying because I was so burned out from the weekly requirements. What helped me push through was setting up a simple system - I keep a basic spreadsheet with just the minimum required job contacts and spend 30 minutes every Sunday updating it. The weekly certification then takes me maybe 10 minutes instead of the hour it used to take when I was scrambling to remember what I did. Trust me, the temporary frustration is nothing compared to having to restart the entire process. The NYS system is definitely designed to be annoying, but once you find your rhythm it becomes much more manageable.