Can you apply for unemployment person - need help with NYS Department of Labor application process
Hey everyone, I'm really confused about the whole unemployment application thing. My job ended last week and I keep hearing people say 'can you apply for unemployment person' but I don't really understand what that means or how to actually do it through NYS Department of Labor. I went to the my.ny.gov website but there's so many forms and I don't know where to start. Do I need to apply in person or can I do it online? Also not sure what documents I need. This is my first time dealing with this and I'm honestly pretty overwhelmed by all the steps. Any help would be appreciated!
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Logan Chiang
You can definitely apply online through the NYS Department of Labor website at my.ny.gov. You don't need to go in person unless there are specific issues with your claim. The online application is actually pretty straightforward once you get started. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment history for the past 18 months including employer names, addresses, and dates worked. Make sure you have your most recent pay stub too. The system will walk you through each step.
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Abigail Spencer
•Thanks! Do I need to wait a certain amount of time after my last day of work or can I apply right away?
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Isla Fischer
Apply as soon as possible after your last day of work. There's a one-week waiting period before you can start receiving benefits, but the sooner you file your initial claim the better. The NYS Department of Labor processes claims in the order they receive them, and if there are any issues with your application it gives them more time to resolve things before you really need the money.
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Miles Hammonds
•This is good advice. I waited like 2 weeks to apply thinking I needed to wait and it just delayed everything unnecessarily.
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Ruby Blake
The whole process stressed me out too when I first did it! One thing that helped me was having all my paperwork ready before I started the online application. Also make sure you understand the difference between filing your initial claim and then filing your weekly claims afterward. The initial claim is just the beginning - you have to keep filing every week to actually get paid.
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Abigail Spencer
•Wait, I have to file something every week? I thought once you applied that was it?
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Logan Chiang
•Yes, you have to file a weekly claim every week to certify that you're still unemployed and looking for work. It's usually just a few questions online about whether you worked that week, if you're able and available for work, and if you did any job search activities.
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Micah Franklin
Just a heads up - if you have trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone for any questions, I recently used this service called Claimyr that helped me connect with an actual agent. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call and getting busy signals.
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Ella Harper
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Did it actually work?
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Micah Franklin
•Yeah it did! I was having issues with my job search requirements and couldn't get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor for like a week. Used their service and was talking to an agent within an hour.
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PrinceJoe
make sure u have ur bank account info ready too for direct deposit setup. way faster than waiting for a check in the mail
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