Can I file for unemployment after 3 months - NYS Department of Labor timing rules?
I lost my job back in October but didn't file for unemployment right away because I thought I'd find something quickly. It's been 3 months now and I'm still looking. Can I still file with NYS Department of Labor or is it too late? I heard there's some kind of time limit but I'm not sure what it is. Really kicking myself for not filing sooner but I was trying to avoid the whole process if I could find work fast.
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Ella Knight
You can still file! NYS Department of Labor allows you to file up to one year from when you became unemployed. However, you can only get benefits for weeks you actually file and claim - so you can't get retroactive payments for those 3 months you didn't file. The sooner you file the better.
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Julian Paolo
•Oh thank god, I was so worried I missed my chance completely. So I just lose those 3 months but can still get benefits going forward?
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William Schwarz
Yeah you're fine to file now but like the other person said, you won't get paid for the weeks you didn't claim. When you file your initial claim, put your last day of work as the actual date in October. Then you'll need to start filing weekly claims right away to get benefits.
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Lauren Johnson
•This happened to my brother too. He waited 2 months thinking he'd find work and ended up losing out on like $2400 in benefits he could have gotten.
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Jade Santiago
DONT WAIT ANY LONGER! I made the same mistake and it cost me thousands. The NYS Department of Labor system is confusing enough without giving yourself a disadvantage. File today if you can.
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Julian Paolo
•You're right, I'm going to do it this afternoon. I was just being stubborn about it.
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Caleb Stone
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I tried to file after waiting too long. Their phone lines are always busy and the website kept timing out. If you run into issues reaching them, I used this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual agent - claimyr.com. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration.
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Daniel Price
•Never heard of that but might be worth it if the phones are as bad as everyone says they are.
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Lauren Johnson
Just file online at my.ny.gov, it's way easier than calling. You'll need your social security number, employment history for the last 18 months, and your employer's info. The whole process takes maybe 30 minutes if you have everything ready.
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