Is type 1 diabetes a disability for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits?
I was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and had to leave my warehouse job because of frequent doctor appointments and blood sugar management issues. My employer said I couldn't keep taking time off even though I explained it was medical. Now I'm wondering if type 1 diabetes qualifies as a disability when filing for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor? I'm worried they'll deny my claim if they think I quit voluntarily. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?
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Leslie Parker
Type 1 diabetes can definitely qualify as a disability under certain circumstances, but for unemployment purposes what matters is whether you left for 'good cause.' If your employer couldn't accommodate your medical needs and you had to leave because of the condition, that's typically considered involuntary separation. Make sure to document all your medical appointments and any communication with your employer about accommodations when you file your claim.
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Freya Ross
•Thank you! I do have all my appointment records and emails where I requested schedule changes. Should I submit these right away or wait until NYS Department of Labor asks for them?
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Sergio Neal
my cousin has type 1 and she got unemployment when her job wouldn't let her take insulin breaks. took like 6 weeks though because it went to adjudication
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Freya Ross
•Six weeks sounds scary but at least she got approved eventually. Did she have to do anything special during the adjudication process?
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Sergio Neal
•yeah she had to send in doctors notes and stuff proving she needed the accommodations
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Savanna Franklin
You should definitely apply right away and indicate that you left for medical reasons. When you get to the separation questionnaire, be very clear that your diabetes required medical management that your employer couldn't accommodate. Don't say you 'quit' - say you were forced to leave due to inability to perform job duties because of lack of reasonable accommodation. The key is showing it wasn't your choice.
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Freya Ross
•That's really helpful wording. I was worried about how to explain it without it sounding like I just decided to leave.
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Juan Moreno
I've been trying to reach NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my own medical separation and keep getting busy signals or getting hung up on. It's so frustrating when you need to explain a complex situation like this. I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually gets you through to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth trying if you need to speak to someone directly about your diabetes situation.
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Freya Ross
•Thanks for the suggestion! I haven't tried calling yet but good to know there are options if I can't get through.
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Amy Fleming
•interesting, never heard of that service before. does it actually work or is it just another scam thing?
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Juan Moreno
•It worked for me - got through in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. No scam, just helps you navigate the phone system.
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Alice Pierce
The whole system is ridiculous. They make it so hard for people with legitimate medical issues to get benefits. I had to fight for months when I left my job because of my back problems and they kept asking for more and more documentation. Eventually got approved but the stress was awful.
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Freya Ross
•That does sound really stressful. I'm hoping my case will be more straightforward since I have clear medical records.
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Esteban Tate
Just want to say good luck with your claim! Type 1 diabetes is definitely a serious condition and if your employer couldn't work with you on basic accommodations, that's on them not you. Hope the process goes smoothly.
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