Just got terminated - how do I file for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor?
My boss let me go yesterday after 2 years at my job (said it was due to restructuring) and I have no idea where to start with filing for unemployment. I've never had to do this before and I'm honestly pretty overwhelmed. Do I need to file right away or can I wait a few days? What information do I need to have ready? Any help would be really appreciated since I'm already stressed about finding a new job and paying my bills.
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Ethan Wilson
Sorry to hear about your job loss. You should file as soon as possible since there's a waiting week before benefits can start. Go to my.ny.gov and create an account if you don't have one. You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the past 18 months, and your most recent employer's information including their address and phone number. The NYS Department of Labor will verify everything with your former employer.
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Aisha Rahman
•Thank you! Do I need any specific paperwork from my employer or just their contact info?
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Yuki Sato
File immediately! I made the mistake of waiting a week when I got laid off and it just delayed everything. The application takes about 30-45 minutes if you have all your info ready. Make sure you know your gross weekly wages from your last job too. After you file, you'll get a determination letter in about a week telling you if you're approved and how much your weekly benefit will be.
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Aisha Rahman
•Good to know about filing right away. I think I have most of that info from my last paystub.
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Carmen Flores
ugh the NYS Department of Labor website is such a pain to navigate but you gotta do what you gotta do. just be prepared for it to take forever to load sometimes
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Andre Dubois
If you run into issues getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor (their phone lines are always swamped), I had good luck using a service called Claimyr at claimyr.com. They helped me get connected to an actual agent when I couldn't get through on my own. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped when I had questions about my claim status that I couldn't figure out online.
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CyberSamurai
•Is that legit? I'm always skeptical of third-party services for government stuff.
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Andre Dubois
•Yeah it's real. They just help you get through the phone queue basically. I was getting hung up on constantly trying to call myself.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Don't forget you'll need to file weekly claims every week once you're approved, even if you haven't found work yet. And they require you to do job searches now - I think it's 3 contacts per week but double check that when you file.
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