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I was in the same situation last year trying to figure out my benefit duration. Had such a hard time getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask questions - their phone lines are always jammed. Eventually found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent who explained everything clearly. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made dealing with the whole process so much easier.
The 26 week thing is such a joke honestly. Used to be longer in other states before they cut everything back. And don't even get me started on the job search requirements - you have to prove you're looking for work even when there aren't any decent jobs available. The whole system is designed to push people off benefits as fast as possible.
Both policies were definitely responses to economic hardship but they serve different purposes. Minimum wage sets a floor for what employers must pay, while unemployment insurance provides temporary income replacement when you lose your job. Your UI benefits depend on your work history, not current minimum wage rates.
The whole system is just designed to keep working people down! They make it impossible to understand whether you qualify and then when you do get benefits it's barely enough to survive on anyway.
Don't stress too much about the work search thing. I know people who just apply to random jobs they're not qualified for just to meet the quota. The system is broken anyway.
You definitely need to appeal if you have documentation proving you were laid off. NYS Department of Labor sometimes gets incorrect information from employers about the reason for separation. I had a similar issue where I couldn't get through to anyone at the unemployment office to explain the situation. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual NYS Department of Labor agent to straighten things out. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process much easier than trying to call myself.
Abigail Patel
Make sure your bankruptcy attorney understands unemployment benefits! Some lawyers don't deal with this situation often. The UI payments should be listed on Schedule I (current income) and you may need to update your filing if your benefits end before the case closes.
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Daniel White
UGH the whole system is so complicated... like you're already stressed about money and then they want every detail about every penny you get. But yeah definitely report the unemployment or you'll have bigger problems later
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