State Unemployment Benefits in New York
The New York State Department of Labor administers unemployment insurance. When a claimant dies, an executor or administrator can request the deceased's claim information in writing with proof of authority; the Department cannot itself retrieve benefit payments already sent to a debit card or bank account.
Administering agency
New York State Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance
State Unemployment Benefits in New York: key facts
- Administering agency
- New York State Department of Labor (DOL), Unemployment Insurance.
- Telephone Claims Center
- 888-209-8124
- Requesting claim information
- Mail a written request to NYS Department of Labor, P.O. Box 15130, Albany, NY 12212, with the death certificate, your relationship to the deceased, and legal papers showing you as executor or administrator.
- Payments already issued
- The Department cannot retrieve payments sent to a Way2Go debit card or bank account; the executor contacts Way2Go (844-649-9845) or the financial institution directly.
- Reporting a death
- The Department's published route is a written request mailed to NYS Department of Labor, P.O. Box 15130, Albany, NY 12212. Its Deceased Claimants FAQ gives no online form or dedicated phone line for reporting a claimant's death, and neither N.Y. Labor Law article 18 nor the unemployment insurance regulations at 12 NYCRR chapter VII provides for payment of a deceased claimant's benefits to a survivor or estate.
- Documentation required
- Your name, address, and phone number; legal papers showing you as executor or administrator of the estate; your relation to the deceased; the deceased's name and Social Security number; what information you need; and a copy of the death certificate.
- Who may request
- The Department's guidance addresses the executor or administrator of the deceased's estate — the written request must include legal papers showing that authority. Funds already released are retrieved from Way2Go or the bank, not from the Department.
Steps to take when someone dies
- Mail a written request for the deceased's claim information to NYS Department of Labor, P.O. Box 15130, Albany, NY 12212.
- Include a copy of the death certificate, the deceased's name and Social Security number, your relationship to the deceased, and legal papers showing you as executor or administrator.
- For benefit payments already issued, contact Way2Go at 844-649-9845 for a debit card, or the financial institution for a bank deposit.
New York State Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance
Phone: 888-209-8124
Visit the agency website →Frequently asked questions
The New York State Department of Labor administers unemployment insurance. Claimants reach the Telephone Claims Center at 888-209-8124.
Mail a written request to the New York State Department of Labor at P.O. Box 15130, Albany, NY 12212, including the death certificate, your relationship to the deceased, and legal papers showing you as executor or administrator of the estate.
The Department addresses the executor or administrator of the estate, and requires legal papers showing that authority. Benefits already paid out are not retrieved by the Department: to release funds from the deceased's Way2Go debit card, the executor calls the Way2Go Customer Service Line at (844) 649-9845; for a bank deposit, the executor contacts the bank where the payments were deposited.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unemployment Benefits in New York primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
New York State Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance