How do I know if I have unemployment benefits available in NYS?
I lost my job about two months ago and never filed for unemployment because I thought I might not qualify. Now I'm running low on savings and wondering if I actually do have benefits available. How can I check if I'm eligible for NYS unemployment without actually filing a claim yet? Is there a way to see what benefits I might get before going through the whole application process?
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Anastasia Popov
You can check your eligibility without filing by looking at the basic requirements first. You need to have worked in NY state in the last 18 months, lost your job through no fault of your own, and earned enough wages during your base period. The NYS Department of Labor website has a benefit calculator that can give you an estimate of your weekly benefit amount if you enter your wages from the last few quarters.
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NeonNinja
•Thanks! I definitely worked in NY for the past 3 years so that part should be fine. Where exactly do I find this benefit calculator on their site?
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Sean Murphy
Go to labor.ny.gov and look for the unemployment insurance section. There's a benefit rate calculator there but honestly it's kind of confusing to use. You'll need your quarterly wages from your last job. Also just so you know, you can always start the application process and see what happens - you're not committed to anything until you actually submit it.
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Zara Khan
•Actually that's not quite right - once you submit an unemployment application to NYS Department of Labor, it starts your claim date. You can't really 'undo' it if you change your mind.
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Luca Ferrari
why didnt you file right away?? you're missing out on money! i filed the day after i got laid off
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NeonNinja
•I honestly didn't know much about how unemployment worked and thought maybe I wouldn't qualify since I was only at my last job for about 8 months.
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Nia Davis
I had the same confusion when I first needed to check my eligibility. The NYS Department of Labor system is really frustrating to navigate when you're just trying to get basic information. I ended up calling their phone line but could never get through - kept getting busy signals or just hung up on after waiting forever. Finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helpful for getting answers without the runaround.
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Mateo Martinez
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already strapped for cash which is why I'm looking into unemployment in the first place.
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Nia Davis
•It's worth checking out their site for details, but honestly getting actual answers about your eligibility is invaluable when you're in a tight spot financially.
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QuantumQueen
The system is set up to confuse people and make them give up. I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for months over my claim and they just keep giving me the runaround. Good luck getting any straight answers from them.
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Anastasia Popov
To give you the basic eligibility requirements: you need to have earned at least $2,600 in one quarter during your base period, OR earned at least $3,900 total in your base period with at least $2,340 in your highest quarter. Your base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. If you were laid off or lost your job due to lack of work, you should qualify.
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NeonNinja
•This is really helpful! I think I definitely meet those wage requirements. Should I just go ahead and file then?
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