How many years can you collect unemployment benefits in New York?
I've been looking everywhere but can't find a clear answer - what's the maximum time limit for collecting unemployment benefits in NY? I know there's a weekly limit but I'm trying to understand if there's an overall lifetime cap or yearly restriction. My cousin mentioned something about only being able to collect for a certain number of years total before you're cut off permanently. Is this true? I'm worried because I've had to file claims a few times over the past decade due to layoffs in my industry.
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QuantumQuasar
There's no lifetime limit on unemployment benefits in New York. You can collect UI multiple times throughout your career as long as you meet the eligibility requirements each time you file a new claim. The standard benefit period is 26 weeks per claim year, but you can file new claims in future years if you become unemployed again and have sufficient work history.
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Mei Wong
•That's such a relief! I was really stressing about this. So as long as I work enough between claims to build up new eligibility, I'm okay?
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Liam McGuire
wait what about that thing where you have to work a certain amount between claims? i thought there was some rule about that
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Amara Eze
•You're thinking of the base period requirement. You need to have worked and earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period to establish a new claim. But there's no lifetime cap on how many claims you can file over the years.
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Giovanni Greco
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months trying to get through to someone about my claim status and it's been impossible! If you need to talk to an actual person, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Interesting, never heard of that. Did they actually help you reach someone or is it just another scam?
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Giovanni Greco
•No it's legit - they got me connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor rep who was able to explain why my claim was stuck in adjudication. Way better than trying to call myself.
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Dylan Wright
The system is so confusing! I keep seeing different information about benefit years vs claim years and base periods. Why can't NYS Department of Labor just explain this stuff clearly on their website instead of making us guess?
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QuantumQuasar
•I agree the terminology is confusing. Your benefit year is the 52-week period during which you can collect up to 26 weeks of benefits. Once that year ends, you'd need to file a new claim if you're still unemployed, assuming you've worked enough to qualify again.
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Sofia Torres
been collecting on and off for 15 years due to seasonal work and never had any issues with limits
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
•That's really reassuring to hear from someone with actual long-term experience! Seasonal work situations are exactly what I was worried about. Thanks for sharing that - it helps confirm what others have said about there being no lifetime limits.
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Keisha Williams
This is really helpful information everyone! I work in construction and have had to file claims several times over the years due to project completions and weather-related layoffs. It's good to know there's no lifetime cap - I was starting to worry I might be running out of eligibility. The key thing seems to be making sure you work enough between claims to meet the base period requirements for new claims. Has anyone here had experience with how they calculate the base period when you have gaps in employment?
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