Why do I have to reopen my unemployment claim - NYS Department of Labor requirements?
I'm really confused about why the NYS Department of Labor is making me reopen my claim. I was collecting unemployment for about 8 weeks earlier this year, then got a temporary job that lasted 3 months. Now that job ended and when I tried to file my weekly claim, the system is telling me I need to reopen my claim instead of just continuing where I left off. I thought once you had an active claim you could just keep filing weekly? Is this normal or did something go wrong with my account? I'm worried this is going to delay my payments.
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Declan Ramirez
This is completely normal when you've had a break in filing your weekly claims. When you stop filing for more than a few weeks because you're working, NYS Department of Labor closes your claim. You have to reopen it when you become unemployed again. It's not a new claim, just reactivating your existing benefit year. The process should be straightforward - just follow the prompts in the system.
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A Man D Mortal
•Thanks! Do I need to provide any documentation about the job that just ended or will they automatically verify it?
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Emma Morales
yeah this happened to me too last year... took like 2 weeks to get my first payment after reopening but then it was fine
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Katherine Hunter
You'll need to answer questions about your employment during the time your claim was closed. Make sure you report all wages earned during that period. The system will ask about any work you did and your reason for separation from the most recent job. If everything checks out, your claim should reopen without issues and you can resume filing weekly claims.
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Lucas Parker
•What if my temporary job was through an agency? Do I need to get any special paperwork from them?
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Donna Cline
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor when I needed to reopen mine because I wasn't sure if I was doing it right. Kept getting busy signals for days. Finally used claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent who walked me through the whole process. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole thing so much easier than trying to call on my own.
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A Man D Mortal
•How much does that service cost? I'm already stressed about money.
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Donna Cline
•The value is definitely worth it when you're stuck. Way better than spending days trying to get through on your own.
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Harper Collins
The NYS Department of Labor system is so confusing about this stuff!! Why can't they just explain it clearly instead of making us guess what we're supposed to do? I spent hours on the phone trying to figure out the difference between reopening and filing a new claim.
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Kelsey Hawkins
Same boat here - just had to reopen after a 4 month work period. The questions were pretty straightforward once I got started. Just be honest about your work dates and earnings.
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