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Appeals are definitely worth filing if you think the denial was wrong! You have 30 days from the determination date. I won my appeal last year after they initially said I quit voluntarily, but I had documentation showing I was laid off due to lack of work.
Don't forget about the job search requirements too. Even if you qualify initially, they can stop your benefits if you don't do the required job contacts each week or skip appointments at the career center. I know someone who lost benefits because they missed one appointment.
I had a nightmare time getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to talk to someone about my claim status. Spent hours trying to call and either got busy signals or hung up on. Someone here recommended this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually get through to unemployment agents on the phone. They have this demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to resolve an issue with my weekly claims.
One thing - make sure you understand the job search requirements once you start getting benefits. You'll need to keep a log of your job search activities and apply for jobs each week. The requirements are different now than they were during COVID so don't assume anything.
honestly the whole system is such a mess, half the time the local offices don't even know what the online system is doing anyway
wait so federal employees get the same amount as everyone else? seems like they should get more since they were serving the country and all that
Amina Diallo
just apply anyway, worst they can say is no and then you know for sure instead of wondering about it
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Paolo Bianchi
To answer your original question more specifically - you'll need to file online through the NYS Department of Labor website. Make sure you have your Social Security number, employment history for the last 18 months including employer names and addresses, and your most recent pay stub. If you worked in other states, you might need to file in the state where you earned the most wages during your base period.
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Keisha Thompson
•Perfect, this gives me a good starting point. I'll gather my employment records and file online. Thanks everyone for the help!
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