How long do you have to apply for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor?

You have one year from the date you became unemployed to file your initial claim with NYS Department of Labor. However, you should file as soon as possible because benefits are only paid from the week you file your claim forward - they don't automatically backdate to when you lost your job. The sooner you file, the sooner you can start receiving payments.

yeah i waited like 3 weeks after getting fired and still got approved, but i lost those 3 weeks of payments which sucked

The key thing to understand is that while you have up to a year to file your initial claim, you can only request backdating for up to 4 weeks and only in very specific circumstances. NYS Department of Labor requires you to show good cause for the delay - things like serious illness, inability to access the internet, or incorrect information from an employer. If you're able to file now, don't wait.

I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I first tried to apply. Kept getting error messages on the website and couldn't reach anyone by phone. Finally found out about Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helped me get connected to an actual agent who walked me through the application process. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole thing way less stressful than trying to navigate the system alone.

The one year deadline is correct but honestly the NYS Department of Labor system is so backed up right now that even if you file immediately it can take weeks to get processed. I filed my claim the day after I lost my job and it still took almost a month to see my first payment. The system is just overwhelmed.

Just want to add that you also need to file your weekly claims every week once your initial application is approved, even if your claim is still under review or adjudication. Missing those weekly filings can cause delays or loss of benefits for those weeks.

Just to add some perspective from someone who went through this recently - I got laid off from a warehouse job in Buffalo back in March and filed my claim about 10 days after losing my job. While I didn't lose eligibility (since it was well within the one year window), I definitely lost those 10 days worth of benefits that I could have received if I had filed immediately. The application itself only took about 30 minutes online, so my advice would be don't overthink it - just get it done as soon as you can. The longer you wait, the more money you're potentially leaving on the table, even though you won't lose your right to file completely.