Can I apply for unemployment extension after my regular benefits run out?
My regular unemployment benefits are about to expire next week and I'm still looking for work. I've been unemployed for 5 months now since my manufacturing job ended. Is there any way to apply for unemployment extension in New York? I keep hearing different things from people but can't find clear info on the NYS Department of Labor website. My claim balance shows like $200 left and I'm really worried about what happens when it hits zero. Has anyone successfully gotten extended benefits recently?
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Ravi Sharma
Extended Benefits (EB) in New York depends on the state's unemployment rate. Right now the rate isn't high enough to trigger EB automatically. You can't just apply for an extension - it has to be activated by NYS Department of Labor when certain economic conditions are met. Your regular UI benefits have a maximum duration of 26 weeks unless there's a federal extension program active.
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Isabella Santos
•So there's literally nothing I can do? That seems crazy that they just cut you off after 26 weeks when jobs are still hard to find.
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Freya Larsen
same boat here, my benefits ended last month and there's no extension available right now. had to apply for other assistance programs instead
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Isabella Santos
•What other programs did you apply for? I might need to look into that too.
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Omar Hassan
You should double-check your remaining balance on your my.ny.gov account. Sometimes there are calculation errors and you might have more weeks available than you think. Also make sure you've been filing your weekly claims correctly - missing even one can mess up your benefit year calculation. If you're really at the end of your benefit year, you might be able to file a new claim if you've worked enough in the past 18 months.
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Isabella Santos
•I've been filing every week religiously. How much work do you need to qualify for a new claim?
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Omar Hassan
•You need to have earned at least $2,600 in covered employment during your base period. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file.
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Chloe Taylor
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when my benefits were ending. Kept getting busy signals and the online chat never worked. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent who explained my options. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. The agent told me about some programs I didn't know existed.
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ShadowHunter
•never heard of that, sounds sketchy to me
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Chloe Taylor
•I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Just connects you to the same NYS Department of Labor agents you'd talk to if you could get through normally.
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Diego Ramirez
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!! They make it impossible to get help and then cut you off when you need it most. I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my situation and it's like they don't want to help anyone!
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Anastasia Sokolov
•I feel you, it's so frustrating when you can't get answers
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