How long can you stay on unemployment benefits in NY - NYS Department of Labor maximum duration?
I just started collecting unemployment and wondering how long I can receive benefits through NYS Department of Labor? My friend said it's 26 weeks but I've heard different things. Also does the clock start ticking from when I first filed or when I got approved? My claim was in adjudication for 2 weeks so I'm not sure if that counts against my total time. Anyone know the exact rules on this?
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Sofia Torres
In New York, regular unemployment insurance benefits last for up to 26 weeks. The clock starts from your benefit year begin date, not from when you filed. So if your claim was approved, those 2 weeks in adjudication don't count against your 26-week limit. You can see your benefit year dates on your my.ny.gov account under claim summary.
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Dylan Wright
•Thanks! So if I started collecting in January I'd have benefits through June basically? That's a relief, I was worried the adjudication time counted.
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GalacticGuardian
yeah its 26 weeks but make sure you keep doing your job search requirements or they'll cut you off early. you need to do 3 work search activities per week and log them in the system
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Dylan Wright
•Wait what's the work search requirement? Nobody told me about logging activities. Where do I find that?
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Sofia Torres
•You track your job search activities in your my.ny.gov account. Go to 'Record Work Search' and enter at least 3 activities each week you claim benefits. This includes applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking contacts, etc.
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Dmitry Smirnov
I've been on unemployment for 18 weeks now and starting to panic about what happens when I hit the 26 week limit. Is there any way to extend benefits beyond that? The job market is still pretty rough in my field.
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Ava Rodriguez
•After regular UI runs out, you might qualify for Extended Benefits if the unemployment rate is high enough in NY, but that's not guaranteed. There used to be federal programs during COVID but those ended. Best bet is to really ramp up the job search in your remaining 8 weeks.
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Miguel Diaz
Had a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about my benefit duration. Their phone lines are constantly busy and the online chat never works. If you need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Finally got my questions answered about my benefit year after weeks of trying on my own.
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Zainab Ahmed
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Did they charge you a lot?
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Miguel Diaz
•They focus on getting you connected rather than charging huge fees. Worth it when you can't get through any other way and need answers about your claim.
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Connor Gallagher
just make sure you dont work any part time while collecting or they'll reduce your benefits. learned that the hard way when I picked up some freelance work
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Dylan Wright
•Wait really? I was thinking about doing some gig work to make ends meet. How much can you earn before it affects your benefits?
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Sofia Torres
•You can work part-time while on unemployment but you must report ALL earnings when you file your weekly claim. NYS Department of Labor will reduce your benefits based on how much you earn, but you might still get partial benefits if your earnings are below your weekly benefit rate.
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GalacticGuru
•@Sofia Torres is right about reporting earnings, but there s'actually a partial benefit formula. In NY, you can earn up to $143 per week as (of 2024 without) any reduction to your benefits. Anything above that gets deducted dollar-for-dollar from your weekly benefit amount. So if you normally get $400/week and earn $200, you d'get $243 that week $400 (- $200 (- $143 =) $343... wait let me double check that math .)Point is, some part-time work won t'completely eliminate your benefits.
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