How long can I stay on unemployment benefits in New York?
I've been collecting unemployment for about 8 weeks now and I'm wondering what the maximum time limit is for NYS Department of Labor benefits. I know it used to be different during COVID but I'm not sure what the current rules are. My claim balance still shows money available but I want to make sure I understand how long I can actually receive payments. Does anyone know the current duration for regular UI benefits?
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Ben Cooper
In New York, regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits last for a maximum of 26 weeks within your benefit year. This is the standard duration that's been in place since the pandemic programs ended. Your benefit year starts when you first file your claim and lasts for 52 weeks total, but you can only collect benefits for up to 26 of those weeks assuming you remain eligible.
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Khalid Howes
AuthorThank you! So I still have about 18 weeks left potentially. Do I need to do anything special to continue receiving benefits or just keep filing my weekly claims?
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Naila Gordon
yeah its 26 weeks max but you gotta keep doing your job search and filing weekly claims. dont skip any weeks or youll lose benefits for those weeks
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Cynthia Love
Just make sure you're meeting all the requirements - you need to be actively looking for work, available for work, and file your weekly claim certification every week. The NYS Department of Labor requires you to keep a log of your job search activities. If you stop meeting any of these requirements, your benefits can be stopped even if you haven't reached the 26-week limit.
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Darren Brooks
Wait, how many job contacts do we need to make each week? I've been doing 2-3 but I'm not sure if that's enough
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Cynthia Love
You need to make at least 3 job contacts per week unless you're in a union with a hiring hall or have other specific exemptions. Keep detailed records of each contact including date, employer name, position, and method of contact.
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Rosie Harper
I had trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my benefit duration. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made it so much easier to get my questions answered about my claim.
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Khalid Howes
AuthorThat's interesting, I've been trying to call them too with no luck. Did they charge you for that service?
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Rosie Harper
They do charge but it was worth it for me since I was getting nowhere with the regular phone number. Much less stressful than calling dozens of times.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
Just remember that if your claim runs out and you still haven't found work, you might be able to file a new claim if you've worked enough since your original claim started. But there's no extensions like there were during COVID.
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Isabella Ferreira
One thing to keep in mind is that your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your earnings during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed). So even though you have 26 weeks maximum, you might exhaust your dollar amount before you reach the time limit if your weekly benefit is high relative to your total benefit amount. You can check your remaining balance on the NYS DOL website when you file your weekly claims.
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Harold Oh
That's a really good point about the dollar amount vs time limit! I hadn't thought about that. Is there a way to see both your remaining weeks AND your remaining dollar balance somewhere on the DOL site? I want to make sure I'm tracking both so I know which one I might hit first.
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Carmen Vega
Yes, when you log into your NY.gov account and go to the unemployment services section, you can see both your remaining benefit balance in dollars and your remaining weeks. It's usually displayed right on your claim summary page. The system will automatically stop payments when you hit whichever limit comes first - either the 26 weeks or your total benefit amount. Really helpful to keep an eye on both numbers!
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