How long do you have to file an unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor after losing job?
I got laid off from my restaurant job two weeks ago and I'm just now finding out about unemployment benefits. My coworker said there's a deadline for filing but she wasn't sure what it was. How long do you have to file an unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor after you lose your job? Did I already miss my chance? I'm really stressed about this because I need the money to pay rent.
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Mason Kaczka
You haven't missed your chance! In New York, you can file for unemployment benefits up to one year after your separation date. However, you'll only receive benefits starting from the week you actually file your claim, not retroactively to when you lost your job. So the sooner you file, the better. You should apply immediately on the NYS Department of Labor website.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•Thank you so much! That's a huge relief. I was panicking thinking I'd lost out on two weeks of benefits already.
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Sophia Russo
Just to clarify - while you have up to a year to file, you can't get benefits for weeks before you actually submit your application. Each week you wait is money you're losing. The NYS Department of Labor processes claims pretty quickly once you get all your paperwork submitted. Make sure you have your employer information and social security card ready when you apply.
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Evelyn Xu
•This is exactly what happened to me. I waited three weeks to file and basically lost out on $900 in benefits I could have gotten if I'd applied right away.
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Dominic Green
omg same situation here!! i got fired last month and keep putting off filing because the website looks so complicated. but reading this thread i guess i better just do it already before i lose even more money
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Mason Kaczka
•The application really isn't that bad once you start it. Just gather your employment history for the last 18 months and your employer's information first. The NYS Department of Labor website walks you through each step.
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Hannah Flores
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to ask questions about my claim timeline. After weeks of busy signals and getting disconnected, I 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 showing how it works. It was super easy and I finally got my questions answered about filing deadlines.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•Interesting, I might need something like that if I run into issues. The phone system for unemployment is supposed to be terrible from what I've heard.
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Kayla Jacobson
Restaurant industry is rough right now. I've been in and out of unemployment claims three times in the past two years because of closures and layoffs. Each time I filed within a few days of losing the job and it made such a difference in keeping my bills paid. Don't wait - every week counts!
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