How many times can you get unemployment from NYS Department of Labor - confused about limits
I've been laid off twice in the past 3 years and collected unemployment both times. Now I'm facing another layoff situation and wondering if there's a limit to how many times you can file for unemployment benefits in New York? My coworker said she heard there was some kind of restriction but couldn't remember the details. Does anyone know if NYS Department of Labor has rules about how many times you can apply for UI benefits over your lifetime or within a certain period? I'm really worried they might deny me because I've already used unemployment twice before.
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Liam McGuire
There's no lifetime limit on how many times you can collect unemployment in New York. Each time you work and earn wages, you're building up new benefit eligibility with NYS Department of Labor. The key requirements are that you must have sufficient work history and wages in your base period, and you must meet all the eligibility requirements each time you file. As long as you were laid off through no fault of your own and meet the work requirements, you can file a new claim.
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Mei Zhang
•That's such a relief to hear! Do you know what the work requirements are? I worked for 8 months at my last job before the layoff.
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Amara Eze
I've collected unemployment 4 times over the past 10 years due to various layoffs and company closures. Never had any issues with NYS Department of Labor saying I couldn't file again. Each claim is treated separately based on your recent work history.
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Giovanni Ricci
•Same here, I'm on my third claim in 6 years. The economy has been rough in my industry. NYS Department of Labor doesn't penalize you for needing benefits multiple times if you're legitimately unemployed through no fault of your own.
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NeonNomad
Your coworker might be thinking of the benefit year limits or maybe confusing it with other states' rules. In NY, you can definitely file multiple times. The main thing NYS Department of Labor looks at is whether you've worked enough hours and earned enough wages since your last claim to establish a new benefit year. I'd recommend calling them directly to confirm your eligibility, but honestly getting through on the phone is nearly impossible these days with how busy they are.
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone is such a nightmare! I tried calling for weeks about my adjudication issues. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent the same day. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration dealing with the busy signals and dropped calls.
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Mei Zhang
•Thanks for the tip! I'll check that out if I need to call them. Hopefully filing online will be enough this time.
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Dylan Mitchell
wait so there's really no limit?? I thought after 3 times they would flag your account or something. this is good to know because my industry is super unstable
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Liam McGuire
•Nope, no limit as long as you meet the eligibility requirements each time. Some people in seasonal industries file claims regularly when their work ends each season. NYS Department of Labor understands that layoffs happen and the system is designed to help workers who find themselves unemployed through no fault of their own.
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Sofia Martinez
Just wanted to add that even though there's no limit on how many times you can collect, you do need to make sure you're meeting all the weekly requirements each time - like doing your job search activities and reporting any work or income. Don't let previous successful claims make you complacent about following the rules on your new claim!
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Lena Kowalski
This thread has been really helpful! I'm in a similar situation - got laid off from my tech job last month and this would be my second time filing for unemployment in NY. I was worried there might be some kind of "frequent filer" penalty or something, but it sounds like as long as you worked enough between claims, NYS Department of Labor treats each application on its own merits. Has anyone here had experience with how long it typically takes for them to process a repeat claim? I'm wondering if having filed before makes the process any faster since they already have some of my information on file.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•In my experience, repeat claims can actually process a bit faster since NYS Department of Labor already has your employment history and personal info in their system. My second claim was approved within about 10 days compared to almost 3 weeks for my first one. Just make sure all your employer information is accurate and up to date when you file - any discrepancies can slow things down. The online system should recognize you as a returning claimant and pre-populate some fields which helps avoid errors too.
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Olivia Kay
•@Lena Kowalski That s'great to hear about faster processing for repeat claims! I m'actually in tech too and considering filing again after my startup folded. One thing I learned from my previous claim is to keep really detailed records of your job search activities from day one. NYS Department of Labor can ask for documentation of your work search efforts at any time, and having everything organized makes the weekly certifications much smoother. Also, if you re'planning to do any freelance or contract work while collecting, make sure to report every penny - even small gigs. They re'pretty strict about income reporting and it s'not worth risking your benefits over unreported earnings.
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