How long does NYS Department of Labor unemployment pay last - running out of weeks?
I've been collecting unemployment for about 20 weeks now and I'm starting to worry about how much longer I have left. My claim balance is getting lower each week and I'm not sure if there's a limit on how long you can collect. Does anyone know how long NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits actually last? I've been looking for work but haven't found anything yet and really need to know if I should be preparing for my benefits to end soon.
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Summer Green
In New York, regular unemployment benefits last for 26 weeks maximum. You can check your remaining balance and weeks left in your my.ny.gov account under the 'Payment History' section. If you're approaching week 26, you might want to look into extended benefits if they're available, though those depend on the state's unemployment rate.
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Amun-Ra Azra
•Thanks! I'll check my account right now. I think I'm around week 20 so I should have a few more weeks left.
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Gael Robinson
wait i thought it was longer than that?? i've been telling people its like a year or something
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Summer Green
•No, regular NYS Department of Labor unemployment is 26 weeks. You might be thinking of pandemic benefits that were available a few years ago, but those ended in 2021.
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Edward McBride
Just went through this myself last month. The 26 weeks goes by faster than you think, especially when you're actively job searching. Make sure you're keeping up with your work search requirements too - NYS Department of Labor requires 3 work search activities per week. If you haven't been documenting those properly, it could affect your remaining benefits.
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Amun-Ra Azra
•Oh no, I've been doing the job searches but I'm not sure if I've been logging them correctly. Should I be worried about that affecting my current claim?
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Darcy Moore
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check on your remaining weeks or ask questions about extending benefits, I had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself when I was worried about my claim running out.
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Dana Doyle
•How does that work exactly? I've been trying to call for weeks about my job search log and can never get through.
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Darcy Moore
•They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent is available. Was really helpful when I needed to clarify some stuff about my remaining benefit weeks.
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Liam Duke
26 weeks is NOTHING when you're actually trying to find decent work in this economy!! I burned through mine so fast and now I'm stuck with nothing. The whole system is ridiculous - they expect you to take any minimum wage job just to get off benefits.
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Manny Lark
•I feel you on this. It's really stressful watching those weeks count down when good jobs are so hard to find.
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Dominic Green
I'm in a similar situation - been on unemployment for about 18 weeks now and getting anxious about the time limit. One thing I learned is that you should also check if you qualify for any job training programs through NYS Department of Labor while you still have benefits. Some of them can extend your eligibility or provide additional support. Also, if your benefit year ends and you haven't used all 26 weeks due to gaps in claiming, you might be able to establish a new claim if you've earned enough wages since your last claim started.
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