How many times can you collect unemployment a lifetime - NYS Department of Labor rules?
I've been through a few job situations over the years and had to file unemployment claims maybe 3-4 times since I started working in 2018. My friend told me there's some kind of limit on how many times you can collect unemployment benefits in your lifetime but I can't find anything about this on the NYS Department of Labor website. Is this actually true? I'm worried because I might need to file again if my current contract doesn't get renewed next month. Does anyone know if there's a lifetime cap or maximum number of times you can file UI claims in New York?
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Noah Lee
There's no lifetime limit on how many times you can file for unemployment benefits in New York. What matters is that you meet the eligibility requirements each time - you need sufficient work history and wages in your base period, plus you have to be unemployed through no fault of your own. The NYS Department of Labor looks at each claim individually based on your recent work history, not how many times you've filed before.
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Olivia Garcia
•That's such a relief! I was really stressing about this. So as long as I have enough work history each time, I should be okay to file again if needed?
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Ava Hernandez
Your friend might be thinking of the benefit year concept. You can only collect benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks within your benefit year, but once that year ends, you can file a new claim if you become unemployed again and meet the work requirements. I've filed UI claims probably 6 times over the past 15 years due to layoffs in my industry and never had issues.
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Isabella Martin
•Same here, filed multiple times over the years. The key is making sure you work enough between claims to establish a new base period with sufficient wages.
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Elijah Jackson
yeah no lifetime limit but they do look at patterns if you file too frequently. like if youre filing every year they might investigate whether youre actually looking for work or just gaming the system
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Sophia Miller
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to get clarification on my benefit eligibility after multiple claims. If you need to speak with an agent about your specific situation, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to someone quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really helped when I couldn't get through on my own after hours of trying.
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Mason Davis
•How does that work exactly? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my adjudication and can never get through.
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Sophia Miller
•Basically they handle the calling for you and connect you when they reach an agent. Much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
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Mia Rodriguez
Wait I thought there was some rule about not being able to file again within a certain time period? Or am I thinking of something else??
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Noah Lee
•You might be thinking of the waiting period between benefit years, but that's not a restriction on filing - it's just about when you can establish a new monetary determination based on more recent work history.
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Lily Young
I've been in a similar situation and can confirm there's no lifetime limit. I've filed unemployment claims about 5 times over the past decade due to company restructuring and contract work ending. Each time, as long as I had enough qualifying wages in my base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before filing), my claim was approved. The NYS DOL really just cares that you meet the current eligibility requirements - sufficient work history, unemployed through no fault of your own, able and available for work. Don't stress about your previous claims affecting future eligibility!
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Val Rossi
•This is really helpful to hear from someone with direct experience! I'm in a similar boat with contract work that might not get renewed. Quick question - when you mention the "first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters," does that mean they look at your wages from about a year ago rather than your most recent work? I want to make sure I understand how the base period calculation works before I potentially need to file.
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