How to apply for disaster unemployment assistance through NYS Department of Labor after storm damage
My workplace got completely flooded last week during the storm and they told us we'll be closed for at least 2-3 months while they rebuild. I heard there's something called disaster unemployment assistance but I'm not sure how to apply for it through NYS Department of Labor. Is this different from regular UI benefits? I've never filed for unemployment before and I'm really confused about the whole process. My manager said we should all apply but didn't give us any details about how to actually do it.
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Dylan Cooper
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is a federal program administered by NYS Department of Labor for people who lose work due to federally declared disasters. You'll need to file through the regular my.ny.gov portal but there should be a specific option for disaster-related claims. Make sure you have documentation of how the disaster affected your workplace - photos of damage, official closure notices from your employer, etc. The application process is similar to regular UI but you'll need to prove the job loss was directly caused by the disaster.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Thank you! Do I need to wait for my employer to give me some kind of official paperwork or can I start the application now?
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Sofia Ramirez
I went through this after Hurricane Sandy. You don't have to wait for your employer - you can start the application right away on the NYS Department of Labor website. The key thing is documenting everything: take photos of your workplace if you can get there safely, save any texts or emails from your boss about the closure, get a copy of the disaster declaration. DUA covers up to 26 weeks but you have to apply within 30 days of the disaster declaration date.
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Dmitry Volkov
•30 days?? That seems really short, especially when people are dealing with their homes being damaged too.
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Sofia Ramirez
•Yeah it's tight but they're pretty strict about it. The clock starts from when the disaster gets federally declared, not when your workplace actually closes.
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StarSeeker
ugh the NYS Department of Labor phone lines are probably going to be completely jammed with everyone trying to apply at the same time. I tried calling yesterday about something else and couldn't even get through to the automated system. This is going to be a nightmare
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Ava Martinez
•Actually I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents when the phone lines are busy. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. I used it last month when I couldn't reach anyone about my regular claim and it actually got me connected to a real person. Might be worth trying if you need to talk to someone about the disaster benefits.
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Miguel Ortiz
wait is disaster unemployment the same as regular unemployment or do i get both? my cousin said something about getting extra money but im not sure if thats true
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Dylan Cooper
•No, you can't get both. If you're eligible for regular UI benefits, you have to apply for those first. DUA is only for people who aren't eligible for regular unemployment - like self-employed people or those who don't have enough work history for regular benefits.
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Miguel Ortiz
•oh ok that makes sense i guess. so if i worked full time for 2 years i would just get regular unemployment then?
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Zainab Omar
Same boat here - my restaurant got completely destroyed and we're all out of work indefinitely. I started my application yesterday and it was actually pretty straightforward once I found the right section on my.ny.gov. Just make sure you select 'disaster-related' when it asks about the reason for your job separation. They also asked for the FEMA disaster declaration number which I found on the FEMA website.
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