How many months can you get unemployment benefits in NY?
I just got laid off from my marketing job after 8 years and I'm trying to figure out my finances. Does anyone know exactly how many months of unemployment benefits you can collect in New York? I've heard different things from people - some say 6 months, others say it depends on how much you worked. I want to make sure I understand what I'm dealing with here so I can plan accordingly.
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Carmen Ruiz
In New York, the standard maximum is 26 weeks (about 6 months) for regular unemployment insurance benefits. However, the exact number of weeks you're eligible for depends on your base period wages and how much you earned during your highest quarter. If you worked steadily for 8 years, you'll likely qualify for the full 26 weeks. You can check your exact benefit amount and duration when you file your initial claim with NYS Department of Labor.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Thank you! That's really helpful. Do I need to apply right away or can I wait a few weeks to get my finances sorted first?
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Carmen Ruiz
•You should file as soon as possible after your last day of work. There's a one-week waiting period before benefits start, and you can't get retroactive benefits for weeks you didn't claim. Even if you're not sure about all the details, it's better to file now and sort things out later.
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Andre Lefebvre
yeah its 26 weeks max but they calculate it weird based on your earnings. i only got 20 weeks when i was laid off last year even though i worked for 3 years at my job
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Zoe Dimitriou
•That usually happens if your wages weren't consistent throughout the base period or if you had some quarters with lower earnings. The NYS Department of Labor uses a formula that looks at your highest and lowest quarters to determine your benefit duration.
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QuantumQuest
Just want to add that if you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone to ask questions about your specific situation, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals when I needed to check on my claim status.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Interesting, I hadn't heard of that. How much does something like that cost?
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QuantumQuest
•I found it worth it just to avoid the headache of calling over and over. The main thing is it actually gets you connected to talk to someone who can answer your specific questions about benefit duration and eligibility.
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Jamal Anderson
The 26 week thing is assuming everything goes smoothly with your claim. If you run into adjudication issues or appeals, that can delay when your benefits start but it won't reduce the total number of weeks you're entitled to. Just something to keep in mind since processing times can be unpredictable.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•What kind of issues cause adjudication delays? I'm worried I might run into problems since my layoff was part of a company restructuring.
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Jamal Anderson
•Company restructuring layoffs are usually pretty straightforward for UI eligibility. Adjudication typically happens when there are questions about why you left your job, work availability, or job search compliance. Since you were laid off through no fault of your own, you should be fine.
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Raj Gupta
I went through this same situation in 2023 after working in finance for 6 years. In NY, you can get up to 26 weeks of benefits, but like others mentioned, the exact amount depends on your earnings history during the "base period" (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). Since you worked steadily for 8 years in marketing, you'll probably qualify for close to the maximum. One tip - when you file online, have your last pay stub and employer information ready. The system will calculate your weekly benefit amount and total weeks available once you submit your application. Don't wait too long to apply though, because you can't backdate claims in NY.
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