Does unemployment count as government assistance for housing applications?
I'm filling out a rental application and they're asking about income sources. I've been on unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor for about 2 months now after getting laid off from my retail job. The form has a section asking if I receive any government assistance - does my weekly unemployment claim count as that? I don't want to lie but I also don't want to hurt my chances of getting approved for this apartment. The benefits are temporary until I find another job but I'm not sure how landlords view this kind of income.
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Keisha Johnson
Unemployment insurance is technically government assistance but it's different from welfare programs. Most landlords understand that UI benefits are temporary income replacement for people who worked and paid into the system. I'd recommend being honest about it and emphasizing that you're actively job searching as required by NYS Department of Labor.
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Yara Sayegh
•That makes sense. I have been doing my job search activities every week like they require. Should I mention that I worked for 3 years before this layoff?
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Paolo Longo
yeah its government money so technically yes but unemployment is way different than like food stamps or cash assistance. most rental places know the difference
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CosmicCowboy
I went through this exact situation last year. The key is how you present it - I included a letter explaining that my unemployment was due to company downsizing, showed my job search log from NYS Department of Labor, and provided references from my previous employer. Got approved for the apartment because they could see I was responsible and actively looking for work.
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Amina Diallo
•That's really smart! Did you also show them your benefit determination letter from NYS Department of Labor to prove the amount?
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CosmicCowboy
•Yes exactly! The monetary determination showed my weekly benefit amount which helped them calculate my monthly income. Made the whole process much smoother.
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Oliver Schulz
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to get documentation you might need, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to a real person. They have this system that gets you connected to an agent without waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped when I needed to get my benefit verification letter quickly for a rental application.
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Natasha Orlova
•Never heard of that service before. Does it actually work better than calling the regular NYS Department of Labor number?
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Oliver Schulz
•Yeah it does! The regular number was always busy or would drop my call after being on hold. This actually got me through to someone who could help with my paperwork.
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Javier Cruz
honestly the whole system is messed up... you shouldnt have to jump through hoops to prove your income when youre already dealing with being unemployed. landlords act like unemployment makes you a bad tenant when really it shows you know how to work the system and get benefits you earned
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Natasha Orlova
Just be upfront about it! I put down my unemployment income on applications and most places were fine with it as long as I could show consistent payments from NYS Department of Labor and that I was meeting my job search requirements.
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