Is there a time limit to file for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor?

You can still file! There's no specific deadline to apply for unemployment benefits in NY, but you lose money for every week you don't file. NYS Department of Labor allows you to backdate your claim up to 4 weeks from when you first apply, but you'll need a good reason for the delay. File online at my.ny.gov as soon as possible.

File immediately! I made the same mistake and waited 3 weeks after getting fired. NYS Department of Labor let me backdate 3 of those weeks but I lost out on about $400 because I couldn't provide documentation for all the delay. Don't wait another day - the application takes like 20 minutes online.

omg yes file now!! i waited 2 months thinking i had to find a job first and lost so much money. the system is confusing but you can definitely still apply

The NYS Department of Labor phone lines are absolutely swamped right now if you need to call about backdating issues. I spent weeks trying to get through until someone told me about claimyr.com - it's a service that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals and disconnects when I needed to resolve my backdating request.

Good reasons for delay include not knowing you were eligible, being hospitalized, or having transportation issues that prevented you from filing. Just being unemployed and looking for work isn't usually enough on its own. But definitely file now - even if you can't backdate everything, you'll start getting benefits for future weeks.

Don't beat yourself up about it! I work in HR and see this happen all the time - people think they need to exhaust their savings first or that unemployment is only for certain situations. The key thing is to file TODAY through ny.gov. Even if you can only backdate a few weeks, that's still money in your pocket. When you apply, be honest about why you delayed - "I was unaware I was eligible and was trying to find work on my own" is a valid reason that often works for at least some backdating. The worst thing you can do now is wait another day!