How long do I have to file for unemployment after losing my job in NY?
I was laid off from my retail job last Friday and I'm wondering how much time I have to file my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor. My former supervisor mentioned something about a deadline but I can't remember exactly what she said. I've been putting it off because the whole process seems overwhelming, but now I'm worried I might miss some kind of cutoff date. Does anyone know the specific timeframe for filing an initial claim? Also, do weekends count toward whatever deadline there is?
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Kiara Fisherman
You don't want to wait too long! While there's technically no hard deadline to file your initial unemployment claim in NY, you can only get benefits starting from the week you actually file. So if you wait 3 weeks to file, you lose those 3 weeks of potential benefits. The NYS Department of Labor calls this your 'waiting week' concept - basically you can't get paid for weeks before you filed. I'd recommend filing as soon as possible, definitely within the first week if you can manage it.
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Jason Brewer
•Oh wow, I didn't realize I was losing money by waiting! I thought there was just a deadline to meet. So if I file today (which would be 4 days after my last day of work), I can still get benefits for this week?
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Liam Cortez
There's also the issue of your 'base period' that determines your benefit amount. NYS Department of Labor looks at your earnings from specific quarters, and filing later doesn't change that calculation, but you definitely lose out on weekly benefits for any weeks you don't file. The online system at my.ny.gov is actually pretty straightforward once you get started. You'll need your social security number, employment history for the last 18 months, and your final pay stub details.
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Savannah Vin
•What if you don't have all your employment history organized? I've had like 3 different jobs in the past year and I'm not sure I have all the exact dates and addresses.
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Liam Cortez
•You can estimate dates and look up employer addresses later if needed. The important thing is to get your claim started. NYS Department of Labor will verify the details with your employers anyway during their review process.
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Mason Stone
ugh the whole unemployment system is such a pain... i waited like 2 weeks to file mine last year because i kept thinking i'd find another job quickly and then realized i was just throwing money away. there's no real deadline but every day you wait is money you can't get back
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Jason Brewer
•That's exactly what I was thinking - that I'd find something fast and wouldn't need unemployment. But it's been almost a week and I'm not having much luck yet.
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Makayla Shoemaker
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone to ask questions before filing, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that can help you get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. I was stuck trying to reach someone for days about my adjudication status and this actually got me through to talk to a real person at NYS Department of Labor within a few hours.
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Christian Bierman
•Never heard of that but honestly anything that helps with the phone system sounds worth trying. I spent 3 hours on hold last month and still got disconnected.
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Makayla Shoemaker
•Yeah, the regular NYS Department of Labor phone lines are brutal. This service basically handles the waiting and calling back for you, which was a lifesaver when I needed to talk to someone urgently about my claim.
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Emma Olsen
Just file online today! I made the mistake of overthinking it when I got laid off and lost out on like $400 because I waited too long. The my.ny.gov site walks you through everything step by step.
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NebulaNinja
•Thanks Emma, that's the push I needed! I'm going to file today. $400 is way too much to lose just from procrastinating. Did you run into any confusing parts when you were filling it out, or is it really as straightforward as everyone says?
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