Is it too late to file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor after being laid off 2 months ago?
I got laid off from my warehouse job back in November but didn't file for unemployment right away because I thought I'd find something quickly. Now it's January and I'm still looking. Can I still file with NYS Department of Labor or is it too late? I'm worried I missed some kind of deadline and won't be able to get benefits at all. Has anyone filed this late before?
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Giovanni Rossi
You can still file! NYS Department of Labor allows you to file up to one year after becoming unemployed, but you'll only get benefits from the date you file forward, not retroactively. So if you file today, your benefits would start from this week. The sooner you file the better since you're losing potential benefit weeks.
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CosmicCaptain
•Thank you! That's a relief. I was panicking thinking I lost everything. Do I need to explain why I waited so long to file?
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
File immediately on the NYS Department of Labor website. You'll need your last employer's information, your social security number, and employment history for the past 18 months. Don't wait another day because each week you delay is a week of benefits you can't get back.
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Dylan Mitchell
•This exactly. I made the same mistake and waited 3 weeks after my layoff. Lost out on like $1200 in benefits I could never recover.
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Sofia Gutierrez
omg same situation!! i got fired in december and just filed last week. they approved me but i only get benefits starting from when i filed not from when i lost my job. kicking myself for waiting but at least its something
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CosmicCaptain
•How long did it take for them to process your claim? I'm hoping it doesn't take forever.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•took about 10 days but i had to call them because my claim got stuck. if you cant get through to NYS Department of Labor by phone try using claimyr.com - i saw the video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI and it actually worked to get me connected to an agent when i was having issues
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Dmitry Petrov
The system is so confusing about timing! They should make it clearer that you lose benefits if you don't file immediately. I almost made the same mistake when I got laid off last year. Fortunately my friend told me to file right away or I would have lost thousands.
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StarSurfer
•yeah the NYS Department of Labor website could definitely explain this better. too many people think they have time to wait and see if they find work first
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Manny Lark
Don't beat yourself up about waiting - you're definitely not alone in this situation! I work in HR and see this all the time. People think they need to exhaust all job search options first, but unemployment benefits are there to bridge the gap while you look. File today and start your weekly certifications right away. Also, make sure you're actively job searching since you'll need to report your search activities. Good luck with both the filing process and your job hunt!
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Freya Nielsen
•Thanks for the encouragement! I definitely feel silly for waiting so long but hearing that it's common makes me feel better. I'm going to file today and start documenting my job search activities right away. Do you know if there's a minimum number of job applications I need to submit each week for NYS?
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