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I remember MEUC! It was so confusing back then because you had to apply separately even if you were already getting regular unemployment. The whole thing was a mess honestly, probably good it's gone. NYS Department of Labor couldn't handle all the different programs at once.
Wait, I thought business owners couldn't get unemployment at all? My cousin owned a restaurant and when it closed during COVID he couldn't get regular unemployment, only got some business assistance stuff.
That's a common misconception. Corporate officers who take W-2 wages and pay unemployment taxes are generally eligible. It's sole proprietors and partners who typically can't collect. The restaurant owner was probably unincorporated or didn't pay SUTA on his own wages.
The NYS Department of Labor phone system is absolutely useless for getting claim status updates. I spent hours trying to get through just to ask about my payment timeline. If you really need to talk to someone about your claim, I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at NYS Department of Labor. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration.
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO DELAY PAYMENTS AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!! They make you jump through hoops and wait weeks just hoping you'll give up and find a job before they have to pay out. I've been waiting 5 weeks for my appeal decision and still nothing.
The whole system is rigged against workers!!! They deny people left and right hoping you'll just give up and not appeal. I've seen so many people get wrongfully denied and then have to fight for months to get what they deserved in the first place. Document EVERYTHING and don't let them intimidate you!
Freya Andersen
The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me. 26 weeks goes by FAST especially in this job market. I burned through my benefits last year and ended up having to take a job paying way less than what I was making before. The NYS Department of Labor doesn't care if you find something decent or not.
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Omar Farouk
Same situation here! Got my approval letter and everything looks good. The 26 weeks should be plenty of time to find something better than my old job.
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