Can I collect unemployment in NY - confused about eligibility requirements
I'm really confused about whether I can collect unemployment benefits or not. I've been working part-time at a retail store for about 8 months but my hours got cut down to basically nothing last week. I'm also taking some college classes part-time. Does anyone know if I'm eligible for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits? I've never filed before and the website is really confusing. Do I need to have worked full-time to qualify? And what about the college classes - will that disqualify me?
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CosmicCowboy
You can definitely be eligible for unemployment benefits even if you were working part-time! The key requirements are that you need to have earned enough wages during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters) and you need to be able and available for work. Being in college part-time usually won't disqualify you as long as you're still available to work and actively seeking employment. You should check your wage history on the NYS Department of Labor website to see if you meet the monetary requirements.
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Oliver Becker
•Thanks! How do I check my wage history? I logged into the my.ny.gov site but I'm not sure where to look for that information.
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Natasha Orlova
yeah you can probably get it but the process is annoying. I had to file when my restaurant job cut my hours and it took forever to get approved. make sure you have all your employer info ready when you apply
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Javier Cruz
The college part shouldn't be an issue as long as you're available to work during normal business hours. When you file your weekly claims, you'll need to report that you're available for work and actively job searching. Keep a log of your job search activities - you'll need to document at least 3 work search activities per week. The NYS Department of Labor has specific guidelines about what counts as valid work search activities.
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Emma Thompson
•Wait, 3 work search activities per week? That seems like a lot when you're also trying to keep up with classes. What exactly counts as a work search activity?
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Javier Cruz
•Job applications, networking events, career fairs, interviews, contacting employers directly, even some online job training courses can count. The NYS Department of Labor website has a full list of acceptable activities.
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Malik Jackson
I had a nightmare trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my claim. Their phone lines are always busy and the callback system barely works. If you need to talk to an actual person about your eligibility, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Isabella Costa
•How much does something like that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to our own state agency.
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Malik Jackson
•I felt the same way but honestly it was worth it to get my questions answered quickly instead of spending days trying to get through. The peace of mind was valuable to me.
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StarSurfer
The whole system is broken honestly. They make it so hard to figure out if you qualify and then even harder to actually get benefits. I've been waiting 3 weeks for my claim to get out of adjudication and no one can tell me why it's taking so long.
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Oliver Becker
•Adjudication? What does that mean? Is that something I should be worried about when I file?
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CosmicCowboy
•Adjudication just means they're reviewing your claim to verify eligibility. It's pretty common, especially for first-time filers. It can take a few weeks but don't panic if your claim goes into adjudication status.
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