good luck! hope it comes faster than mine did

I went through this exact situation last month! My account got closed out of nowhere too. Here's what I learned: you definitely need to call both numbers that Sienna mentioned. I called NYSDOL first (took forever to get through) and they told me the closure was on KeyBank's end for "security reasons." Then I called KeyBank and had to verify my identity with like 10 different questions before they would even discuss sending a new card. The whole process took about 12 business days from start to finish. Pro tip: call KeyBank early in the morning (like 8am) - way shorter wait times than afternoon calls.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone to ask questions before filing, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that can help you get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. I was stuck trying to reach someone for days about my adjudication status and this actually got me through to talk to a real person at NYS Department of Labor within a few hours.

Just file online today! I made the mistake of overthinking it when I got laid off and lost out on like $400 because I waited too long. The my.ny.gov site walks you through everything step by step.

Just make sure you file as soon as possible if you're eligible. The waiting week and all that starts from when you file, not when you figure out if you qualify.

I went through this exact situation about a year ago! The process was definitely manageable once I understood what they needed. You'll want to gather your medical clearance documentation before filing - I had to get a letter from my treating physician stating I was medically able to return to work, plus the official notice from Social Security about my benefits ending. The NYS DOL was actually pretty understanding about the disability gap once I explained it properly. The trickiest part was proving I was actively seeking work, so make sure you're documenting your job search activities from day one. Good luck with your application!

Just to confirm what others said - no Social Security tax on UI benefits. But definitely consider withholding because unemployment income can push you into a higher bracket when combined with your regular job income from earlier in the year.

I went through this same situation last year when I was laid off from my retail job. Emma and Isabella are absolutely right - no FICA taxes on unemployment benefits, but they're fully taxable as regular income. I'd strongly recommend having the 10% federal withholding taken out when you certify each week. Even though it reduces your weekly payment, it saves you from a big tax bill later. You can change your withholding election anytime through the NY DOL website or by calling them. Trust me, it's worth the smaller weekly payments to avoid scrambling for tax money in April.

Great advice from everyone here! I just wanted to add that when you file your new claim, you might also want to consider the timing strategically. Since you're doing Uber Eats part-time, try to plan your delivery schedule around your weekly certification days if possible. For example, if you certify on Sundays, you could potentially do most of your Uber work on Friday-Sunday and then focus on job searching Monday-Thursday. This way you're maximizing your unemployment benefits while still earning some income. Also, don't forget that you're still required to do job search activities even while working part-time gig work. Keep track of your applications and interviews because they may ask for that information during certification too. Good luck with your claim! The fact that you're asking these questions upfront shows you're being responsible about following the rules correctly.

Just want to echo what everyone's saying about being completely honest with your reporting! I did DoorDash while on unemployment for about 6 months last year and it worked out fine as long as I was accurate with everything. One thing I learned the hard way - when you're doing deliveries, NY considers you "self-employed" for that work, so make sure you answer the self-employment question correctly during weekly certification. They ask if you worked for yourself or did any freelance/contract work, and Uber Eats definitely counts. Also, save all your weekly earnings statements from Uber because if they ever audit your claim (which they do randomly), you'll need to provide documentation. The Uber app lets you download these pretty easily. The combination of partial unemployment + gig work really helped me stay afloat while job hunting. Just be patient with the system and keep detailed records of everything!