


Ask the community...
ugh the whole system is set up to screw people over. they dont tell you about these deadlines clearly and then act like its your fault when you miss benefits. i waited 10 days after getting canned and lost 2 weeks of payments. make sure you file your weekly claims too even if your initial claim is still pending!!!
Just to add - being fired vs laid off doesn't matter as much as people think. What matters is whether you were fired 'for cause' like stealing or not showing up vs being fired for performance issues or company restructuring. Most terminations still qualify for UI benefits unless there was serious misconduct involved.
the system is rigged anyway, they'll find any excuse to deny you benefits even when you deserve them. I was laid off and it still took 6 weeks to get my first payment because they kept asking for more documentation
Don't forget you can only collect for 26 weeks total unless there's some extended benefits program running. And if you work part-time while collecting, they'll reduce your benefits dollar for dollar after you earn more than $143 per week.
The whole system is so confusing!! I've been trying to figure out if my freelance work affects my benefits and can't get a straight answer from anyone. The NYS Department of Labor phone lines are always busy and their website doesn't explain part-time work scenarios clearly.
Mei Chen
I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to check on my claim status and it's impossible! The phone lines are always busy and when I do get through I get disconnected. Someone told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor.
0 coins
Liam O'Sullivan
•Never heard of that but honestly anything that helps get through to an actual person at NYS Department of Labor sounds good to me. The automated system is useless when you have real questions.
0 coins
Amara Okonkwo
Just keep in mind you can only collect unemployment if you were laid off or lost your job through no fault of your own. If you quit or were fired for misconduct, you won't qualify. Also, if you receive any severance pay, that might affect when your benefits start.
0 coins