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Fatima Al-Maktoum

Will filing a new NY unemployment claim affect my current benefits if I'm temporarily out of work?

Hi everyone, I'm in a confusing situation with my unemployment benefits in NY. I'm currently receiving weekly payments, but my job just informed me that we'll be shutting down for about 3 weeks due to renovations. My supervisor suggested I file a new unemployment claim for this period. I'm worried though - if I file a new claim because my job is temporarily out of work, will that mess up the current benefits I'm already getting? Will I continue getting my current payments until the new claim is processed? And once the new claim comes through, will the payment amount change? I really can't afford any gaps in payments right now and I'm not sure what's the right move here.

Dylan Mitchell

Don't file a new claim if you're already collecting benefits! This could seriously disrupt your current payments. When you're already on an active claim and experience a temporary work stoppage, you should just continue certifying weekly as usual. Make sure to accurately report any days you worked (or didn't work) during your weekly certification. The system is designed to handle temporary layoffs within an existing claim period. Filing a new claim might actually restart your benefit year and potentially change your benefit rate, usually not in your favor.

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Fatima Al-Maktoum

Thanks for clarifying that! My supervisor seemed pretty sure I needed to file again, but what you're saying makes more sense. So I just keep certifying as normal and report zero work days during the renovation period? Will my benefit amount stay exactly the same during those weeks?

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Sofia Gutierrez

ur supervisor is WRONG!! dont file new claim when u already got one going!!!! I did that last year when my restaurant closed for 2 weeks for repairs and it COMPLETLY messed up my benefits. took almost 2 months to fix and i almost got evicted. just keep doing ur weekly thing and say u didnt work those days.

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Dmitry Petrov

This happened to my cousin too! The supervisors don't always know how unemployment actually works. They just know you can file for unemployment when you're not working, but they don't understand all the technical details about existing claims.

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StarSurfer

To add some clarity here: If you're already receiving benefits on an active claim, filing a new claim during a temporary work stoppage is not the correct procedure and will likely cause significant complications in your payment schedule. What you should do during your renovation period: 1. Continue to certify weekly as you normally would 2. When certifying, report zero work and zero earnings for the days you didn't work 3. If you work partial days during the renovation, accurately report those 4. Your weekly benefit amount will remain unchanged during this period The NYSDOL system is designed to handle temporary work stoppages within an existing benefit year. Your supervisor is likely not familiar with unemployment insurance procedures. This is very common - employers often don't understand the technical details of unemployment claims management.

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Fatima Al-Maktoum

This is super helpful, thank you! I was getting really anxious about possibly losing benefits. I'll just keep certifying and make sure to report the days correctly. One more question - when we go back to work after the renovations, I just start reporting my worked days normally on the weekly certification, right? No need to notify them separately that I'm working again?

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Ava Martinez

I think everyone telling you not to file a new claim is giving good advice. But also just to add my own experience... the NY unemployment system is so overwhelmed right now that getting ANYTHING fixed takes forever. Like if you DO accidentally mess up your claim it could seriously take months to fix. So definitely err on the side of caution and just keep your current claim going.

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Miguel Castro

The phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE these days. I spent 3 full days trying to reach someone last month for a simple question. Eventually had to use Claimyr.com to get through - their service connects you to an unemployment agent without the wait. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE that shows how it works. Saved me from pulling my hair out after weeks of busy signals and disconnections. Worth checking out if you ever need to actually speak to someone at unemployment.

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Zainab Abdulrahman

Sorry to jump in with my own question but this is kinda related - I've been on partial unemployment for 2 months (working 2-3 days/week) and just learned my hours are being cut completely for one month. Do I need to do anything different on my weekly certification, or just report 0 days worked for those weeks?

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StarSurfer

You'd handle it exactly the same way as the original poster. Just continue with your existing claim and certify 0 days worked during the weeks you don't work. No need to file anything new or make any changes. Your benefit amount will automatically adjust based on your weekly certifications.

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Fatima Al-Maktoum

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm definitely NOT going to file a new claim now. I'll just keep certifying weekly and report the days I'm not working during the renovation shutdown. I'm going to have a chat with my supervisor tomorrow to let them know this is the correct procedure - seems like a lot of employers don't really understand how the system works. Really appreciate all your help!

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Dylan Mitchell

Good call! And yes, many employers don't fully understand unemployment processes - it's not really their area of expertise. Just make sure when you certify to answer all questions accurately about your availability for work during the renovation period. You should indicate you're ready, willing and able to work even during the temporary shutdown.

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Sofia Gutierrez

Also make sure ur checking ur unemployment messages every day!! sometimes they send weird questionnaires u gotta answer right away or they stop ur payments!!!

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Fatima Al-Maktoum

Thanks for the tip! I'll make sure to check my messages frequently. This whole system feels like walking through a minefield sometimes!

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