How long do you have after being fired to file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
Got terminated from my warehouse job last Thursday and I'm trying to figure out the timing for filing my unemployment claim. My supervisor said something about there being a deadline but I can't remember exactly what she said. I've been putting it off because I wasn't sure if I'd even qualify since I was fired (wasn't for misconduct though, just budget cuts). Does anyone know how much time I have to get my claim started with NYS Department of Labor? Really stressed about missing some kind of window and losing out on benefits.
9 comments
Join the conversation
Bethany Groves
You should file as soon as possible! There's no specific deadline like 'you must file within X days' but your benefit year starts from when you file, not when you were terminated. The sooner you file, the sooner you can start receiving payments. You can file online at labor.ny.gov or by phone. Since you mentioned it wasn't misconduct, you should definitely qualify.
0 coins
Sebastián Stevens
•Thank you! That's a relief. I was worried there was like a 30 day cutoff or something. Going to file tonight.
0 coins
KingKongZilla
I waited almost 3 weeks after getting laid off and it was fine. The important thing is that you can't backdate your claim to before you actually file it. So if you file today, your benefit week starts this week, not from when you got fired. Don't stress too much about it but yeah, get it done soon.
0 coins
Rebecca Johnston
•Wait really? I thought they could backdate it to your last day of work? That doesn't seem right...
0 coins
KingKongZilla
•Nope, that's a common misconception. Your benefit year starts when you file the claim, period. That's why they always tell people to file right away.
0 coins
Nathan Dell
Just went through this myself last month. There's no hard deadline but don't wait too long because you're basically losing money every week you don't file. I was calling the NYS Department of Labor phone line for days trying to get through and it was impossible. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than sitting on hold for hours.
0 coins
Sebastián Stevens
•Oh wow, never heard of that before. Might be worth checking out if I run into issues. Thanks for the tip!
0 coins
Maya Jackson
DONT WAIT!! I made the mistake of waiting like 6 weeks because I was embarrassed about getting fired and thought maybe I'd find something quick. Big mistake. You lose all that time and money. File immediately even if you think you might find work soon.
0 coins
Tristan Carpenter
yeah file asap dude, no point in waiting around
0 coins