Can I reapply for NY unemployment if I worked in the last 18 months?
Got laid off from my retail job back in August 2022 and collected unemployment until about February 2023. Then I landed a warehouse position in April 2023, but they just cut my hours completely last week due to "seasonal adjustments" (basically fired without saying fired). I've heard you can file a new unemployment claim if you've worked within the past 18 months. Since I worked from April 2023 to October 2023, would I qualify for a new claim? Or do I need to try reopening my old claim somehow? The online system is so confusing and I keep getting stuck in these loops when I try to file. Anyone dealt with this recently?
45 comments


Sayid Hassan
Yeah you can file a new claim based on that work history. The 18 month lookback period is correct. Since you worked from April to October 2023, that definitely falls within the base period they'll consider. Just make sure when filing you have all your employment info from that warehouse job ready (employer name, address, dates worked, reason for separation).
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Arnav Bengali
•Thanks! Do you know if they'll consider my previous wages too or just what I earned at the warehouse? The pay was a lot less at the warehouse job.
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Sayid Hassan
•They look at your highest earning quarter in the base period, so if your retail job falls within that time they'll consider those wages too. Your benefit amount is based on your total earnings during the base period.
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Rachel Tao
•This is mostly right but they actually look at highest quarter AND alternate quarter calculations and give you the higher amount. The system does this automatically though.
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Derek Olson
After banging my head against the wall for weeks trying to reach someone at ny unemployment, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected with an actual human agent on the phone. Talking to a live person got my benefits paid out so quickly after dealing with all the automated system nonsense. They handled the hold time and called me when an agent was ready to talk. Check out their demo: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Danielle Mays
•Is this for real? Sounds too good to be true with how impossible it is to get through to them...
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Derek Olson
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Roger Romero
•wait hold up - does this actually work or is it just the usual BS? The unemployment phone system is like entering the 9th circle of hell 🔥
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Derek Olson
•It worked for me! I had issues for over a month, used claimyr.com, got through to someone who fixed my claim in 10 minutes. Wish I'd known about it sooner tbh
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Anna Kerber
•hmm I've been burned by so many of these 'services' before... what makes this different? the system seems designed to make us give up 🙄
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Derek Olson
•They don't handle your claim or anything - they literally just get you past the hold times. You still talk directly to the unemployment office yourself. That's why it works.
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Niko Ramsey
You totally qualify to file a new claim since you worked in past 18 months. I was in simlar situation last year. The key thing to remember is to apply as a NEW claim, not reopen the old one. Reopening is for when your benefit year hasn't ended yet. Since your previous benefit year from 2022 is over, you need a completely new application.
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Seraphina Delan
I just went through this EXACT situation in september! So the way it works is they'll look at two different base periods - the standard one (first 4 of last 5 completed calendar quarters) and alternate base period (last 4 completed quarters). If you made enough wages in either period, you qualify. You definitely worked enough months to qualify if you had decent hours. Just make sure you have all your wage info ready!
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Arnav Bengali
•That's super helpful! Do you remember what kind of documentation they asked for from your most recent job?
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Seraphina Delan
•They didn't ask me for anything upfront, but I had my final paystub and W2 ready just in case. They verify everything with your employer directly. If there's a discrepancy they might ask for proof later.
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Jabari-Jo
The NY unemployment system is a total dumpster fire rn 🔥 My BFF had the EXACT same situation and they kept rejecting her claim saying she didnt have enough work history even tho she worked like 7 months!! Had to call like 50 times to get it fixed. Persistence is key with these clowns 🤡
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Arnav Bengali
•Oh no that sounds awful! Did she eventually get approved?
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Jabari-Jo
•Yeah but only after she got through to a supervisor. The first-level reps kept giving her different answers everytime she called. System is broken AF 💯
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Kristin Frank
Yo the rules for NY unemployment can be confusing, but here's what you need to know: First, yes you can absolutely file a new claim if you've worked since your last claim. The system looks at your work history in what's called a "base period" - either the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters OR the last 4 completed quarters (whichever gives you better benefits). Since you worked April-October 2023, you've definitely got work history in the base period. Here's what to do: - File a completely NEW claim (don't try to reopen) - Make sure you have exact start/end dates for the warehouse job - Have your total earnings from that job ready - If they ask why you're no longer working, be careful how you phrase it. "Hours reduced to zero" or "Lack of work" is better than saying you were fired - If you get stuck in the online system, try using a different browser or clearing cookies - If all else fails, getting through to a human is key. I used claimyr.com to get past the ridiculous hold times and had my issue resolved in one call One last thing - your benefit amount will likely be different than your previous claim since it's based on your more recent earnings. But even if the warehouse job paid less, you should still qualify for something. Good luck!
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Arnav Bengali
•Thank you SO much for the detailed breakdown! This is exactly what I needed. Going to try filing first thing tomorrow morning.
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Micah Trail
•This is spot on advice. I'm a former claims specialist (not for NY but similar system) and this is 100% accurate info.
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Nia Watson
did u try calling them? thats the only way i got answers when i was in your boat. online system is trash.
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Arnav Bengali
•I've tried a few times but kept getting disconnected after waiting for like an hour 😩
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Alberto Souchard
When I had this issue, I found the online chat feature on the NYSDOL website worked better than calling. Still had to wait but at least I could do other stuff while waiting instead of being stuck on the phone.
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Katherine Shultz
Whether you qualify depends on if you earned enough during your base period. You need to have earned at least $2,900 in one quarter and total wages of 1.5× your high quarter in the entire base period. So if your highest quarter was $3,000, you need at least $4,500 total across all base period quarters.
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Arnav Bengali
•Thanks for the specific numbers! I definitely made more than that at the warehouse job so should be good on that front.
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Marcus Marsh
These answers are wild lol. Let me make it simple - YES you can apply with work history in the last 18 months. NO you don't need to reopen your old claim. Your benefit amount will be based on how much you earned at that warehouse job. If you get stuck in their garbage website, call them (I know, I know... the wait times are criminal
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Hailey O'Leary
i HATE the ny unemployment system with a PASSION. took me 7 months to get paid last time 🤮 best advice i can give: document EVERYTHING. dates, times, who you talked to. the system is designed to make you give up.
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Cedric Chung
•This 👆 I ended up printing out every confirmation screen and keeping a log of every call. Came in handy when they tried to deny my claim saying I never submitted certain documents.
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Hailey O'Leary
•exaaaactly!! they WILL try to find any reason to deny you. CYA is the name of the game with these people
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Talia Klein
My cousin works for unemployment (not in NY tho) and she said the 18 month thing is correct but sometimes the automatic system doesn't recognize newer employment right away. You might have to call and have them manually add your recent work history if the online system gives you problems.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
the real question is how did you manage to get a job so quick after being on unemployment and then lose it so fast? maybe focus on keeping a job instead of collection checks? just saying what everyones thinking...
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Arnav Bengali
•The warehouse was seasonal and they told me that from the start. I didn't expect to be first on the chopping block but here we are. Not sure why you're assuming the worst about someone you don't know.
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PaulineW
•Don't listen to this troll. These are tough times and seasonal work is normal in this economy. You paid into the system, you deserve your benefits.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•whatever, im just tired of my tax $ going to people who cant keep jobs 🤷♂️
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Annabel Kimball
•You realize unemployment is literally insurance that workers and employers pay into right? It's not welfare. Maybe learn how the system works before judging others.
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Chris Elmeda
Lots of advice here but FYI the rules changed slightly in July. You now need to have worked in at least two quarters of your base period, not just one. But sounds like you worked April-Oct so you're good on that front.
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Jean Claude
If the system gives you trouble online, call first thing in the morning like 7:59am right when they open. Thats how i got through without waiting 3 hours.
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Charity Cohan
•I tried this for 2 weeks straight and still couldnt get thru 😭 ended up using claimyr.com to get a callback and it worked
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Josef Tearle
make sure u answer "yes" when they ask if you've worked since last claiming benefits!! i answered "no" by accident thinking they meant since my last weekly certification and it caused a huge mess that took forever to fix
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Raj Gupta
Just went through this same exact situation last month! You definitely qualify for a new claim since you worked those 6 months at the warehouse. The key thing that helped me was having my exact start date (April 2023) and end date ready, plus knowing my total gross earnings from that job. One tip - when they ask about separation reason, be specific that your hours were "reduced to zero due to lack of work" rather than saying you were laid off or fired. That helped my claim go through smoother. Also heads up that your weekly benefit amount will be different this time since it's calculated from your warehouse wages, not your retail job. But you should still get something decent if you were working decent hours those 6 months. The online system kept glitching on me too - I had to clear my browser cache and try a different browser to get it to work. Good luck!
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PixelWarrior
•This is really helpful advice! I'm in almost the exact same boat - retail job ended in 2022, then warehouse work that just got cut. Quick question though - did you have any issues with them verifying your warehouse employment? I'm worried my employer might drag their feet responding to the state's inquiry since they just let a bunch of us go.
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GalaxyGazer
I was in a similar situation earlier this year and can confirm you absolutely qualify for a new claim! Since you worked April-October 2023, that's definitely within the 18-month lookback period and you have enough quarters of work history. The tricky part is navigating their terrible online system. Here's what worked for me: - File as a completely NEW claim (don't try to reopen your 2022 claim) - Have your exact employment dates and total earnings from the warehouse job ready - When describing your separation, use "lack of work" or "reduction in hours to zero" rather than "fired" - If the website keeps crashing, try using an incognito/private browser window Your benefit amount will be calculated based on your warehouse wages, not your old retail job, so it might be different than what you got before. But if you worked decent hours for those 6 months, you should still qualify for a reasonable amount. The system is frustrating but don't give up - you paid into unemployment insurance and you earned these benefits through your work. Persistence is key with the NY system unfortunately.
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Emma Taylor
•This is super helpful! I've been stressing about this for days thinking I might have to start from scratch or that my old claim would somehow interfere. The tip about using incognito mode is clutch - I didn't even think of that. Quick question though - do you remember how long it took for your first payment to come through after you filed the new claim? I'm trying to budget while I figure this all out.
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Maggie Martinez
I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! You definitely qualify for a new claim since you worked from April-October 2023. That's well within the 18-month lookback period and gives you solid work history. Here's what I learned the hard way: - File a completely NEW claim, not a reopened one (your 2022 benefit year is over) - Have your warehouse job details ready: exact start/end dates, employer info, total wages earned - When they ask about job separation, say "lack of work" or "hours reduced to zero" - avoid saying "fired" - Your benefit amount will be based on your warehouse wages, so it might be different than your 2022 claim The online system is absolutely terrible. I got stuck in those same loops you mentioned. What finally worked was clearing my browser cache completely and trying in an incognito window. If that doesn't work, calling early morning (like 8am sharp) gives you the best chance of getting through. Don't let the system discourage you - you worked and paid into unemployment insurance, so you've earned these benefits. The process is frustrating but you should definitely qualify based on your work history. Good luck!
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