On the New York unemployment application there is a question as follows: Are you receiving or have you applied for an employer or union pension from employment you had in the past 18 months? Does this mean I can't collect unemployment if I've requested my lump sum pension?
The explanation is: "Employer or Union Pension:
If you are otherwise eligible for unemployment benefits, but you are receiving a pension, your weekly benefit rate may be reduced if you receive a pension from an employer for whom you worked in the 18 months immediately prior to filing your claim and that work made you eligible for or increased the amount of your pension and your employer contributed toward your pension. If you received a lump sum payment of an employer financed pension in lieu of periodic (monthly) payments, the monthly equivalent of this lump sum payment will be determined based on actuarial tables and considered as periodic payments."