How many days do you have to file unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor?
Lost my job yesterday and trying to figure out the timing for filing my unemployment claim. I've heard different things about deadlines - some people say you should file immediately, others say you have a certain number of days. Does anyone know the actual timeframe for filing with NYS Department of Labor? I don't want to miss any deadlines and lose out on benefits I'm entitled to. Also wondering if there's a penalty for filing late vs filing right away?
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Dylan Mitchell
You should file as soon as possible after losing your job. NYS Department of Labor doesn't pay benefits for the week before you file your claim, so every day you wait is money lost. There's no specific deadline per se, but the sooner you file, the sooner your benefits can start. The waiting period begins from when you file, not when you lost your job.
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Thanks! So there's no like 30-day cutoff or anything? I was worried I might be too late if I waited a few days.
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Sofia Martinez
File immediately - like today if possible. I made the mistake of waiting two weeks after I got laid off thinking I'd find something quick. Those two weeks of benefits were just gone forever. NYS Department of Labor starts your benefit year from when you file, not when you became unemployed. Don't leave money on the table like I did.
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Dmitry Volkov
•same here, waited almost a month and realized I lost out on probably $1200 in benefits that I'll never get back
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Ava Thompson
I think there might be some exceptions for good cause but generally yeah you want to file right away. The my.ny.gov site is usually pretty quick for filing the initial claim. Just make sure you have your employment history ready - they'll ask for details about your last 18 months of work.
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CyberSiren
ugh the whole system is so confusing! I was laid off last month and still trying to figure out if I filed everything correctly. Why can't they just make this stuff more straightforward?? Like why penalize people for not knowing obscure rules about filing deadlines
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Dylan Mitchell
•It's definitely not the most user-friendly system. The key thing is just getting that initial claim filed ASAP. You can always call to clarify things later if needed.
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Miguel Alvarez
Had a really hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone when I had questions about my claim timing. Kept getting busy signals or getting hung up on after waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me hours of frustration trying to get my questions answered about filing deadlines and claim status.
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Dmitry Volkov
•interesting, never heard of that before. was it expensive?
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Miguel Alvarez
•Worth it for me since I was spending so much time on hold getting nowhere. They focus on connecting you with the right department rather than charging crazy fees.
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Zainab Yusuf
just file now and worry about the details later. worst case scenario they tell you to refile or adjust something but at least you'll have a claim in the system
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