How long after termination can you apply for unemployment - NYS Department of Labor filing deadline?
I was let go from my job yesterday and I'm wondering if there's a specific timeframe for filing my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor. Should I apply immediately or is there a waiting period? I'm worried about missing some kind of deadline and losing benefits. Also does it matter if I was terminated vs laid off in terms of when I can file? Any help would be appreciated since I've never had to deal with this before.
10 comments
Join the conversation
Diego Vargas
You should file your claim as soon as possible after your last day of work. NYS Department of Labor doesn't require a waiting period - you can apply the same day you were terminated. The key thing is that your benefit week starts from when you file, not when you lost your job, so any delay costs you money. You can file online through the NY.gov website or by calling the UI phone line.
0 coins
Chloe Harris
•Thank you! I didn't realize the benefit week starts when I file. I'll get my application in today then.
0 coins
NeonNinja
just file asap dont wait around like i did, lost 2 weeks of benefits because i thought there was some cooling off period or whatever
0 coins
Anastasia Popov
The sooner the better is right, but make sure you have all your documentation ready first. You'll need your social security number, employer information including their federal tax ID if you have it, dates of employment, and reason for separation. If you were terminated for cause that might affect your eligibility so be honest about the circumstances. NYS Department of Labor will verify everything with your employer anyway.
0 coins
Sean Murphy
•What if you don't have the employer's tax ID number? I got laid off last month and couldn't find that info anywhere on my paystubs.
0 coins
Anastasia Popov
•You can file without it - NYS Department of Labor can look up your employer using the company name and address. The tax ID just makes it faster but it's not required to submit your initial claim.
0 coins
Zara Khan
I had the worst time trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor by phone when I filed last year. Kept getting disconnected after waiting an hour. If you have trouble with the online system or need to talk to someone, I ended up using this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to call myself.
0 coins
Chloe Harris
•Interesting, I'll keep that in mind if I run into issues. Hopefully the online filing goes smoothly though.
0 coins
Luca Ferrari
Yeah definitely file right away but just be prepared for potential delays in processing. My claim took 3 weeks to get approved even though I had all the right paperwork. NYS Department of Labor is still backed up from all the claims over the past few years. At least you'll be in the queue though.
0 coins
Mia Roberts
I went through this exact situation 6 months ago when I was laid off. The most important thing is to file immediately - there's no benefit to waiting and you'll lose money for every day you delay. One tip that helped me: gather all your employment documents before you start the online application. I had to stop halfway through because I couldn't find my last pay stub and had to start over. Also, if you were terminated rather than laid off, NYS Department of Labor will investigate whether it was "for cause" which could affect your eligibility, but don't let that stop you from filing - let them make that determination. Good luck!
0 coins