NYS Department of Labor 26 weeks unemployment - how many months is that exactly?
I'm trying to budget and plan ahead since I just started collecting unemployment through NYS Department of Labor. My benefits letter says I have 26 weeks maximum but I'm terrible with math - how many months is 26 weeks of unemployment exactly? I need to know how long I have to find another job before my benefits run out. Also does this include the waiting week or is it 26 weeks plus the waiting week?
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Javier Torres
26 weeks equals exactly 6 months. The waiting week is separate from your 26 weeks of benefits, so you technically have about 6.25 months total from when you first file. Make sure you're doing your weekly claims every week and meeting the job search requirements.
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Natasha Volkova
•Thank you! That helps me plan better. I was worried it was only like 5 months or something.
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Emma Davis
wait i thought it was longer than that?? i've been on unemployment for like 7 months already through nys department of labor
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Javier Torres
•You might have had an extension or be on a different program. Regular UI is 26 weeks maximum. Check your account on my.ny.gov to see what type of benefits you're receiving.
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Malik Johnson
The 26 weeks is about 6 months but remember it's not calendar months - it's based on when you certify each week. If you miss certifying for any weeks, those weeks don't count toward your 26 week total. Also if you work part-time while collecting, your benefits may last longer than 6 months because you're using less of your weekly benefit amount.
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Natasha Volkova
•Good point about the part-time work. I'm hoping to find something part-time soon to stretch the benefits out.
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Isabella Ferreira
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions like this when I was on unemployment. If you need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to a real agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call.
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Ravi Sharma
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already struggling financially.
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Isabella Ferreira
•It's worth checking out their site for details. For me it was worth it to actually get answers instead of getting hung up on constantly.
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NebulaNomad
Just remember you need to be actively looking for work the whole time and documenting it. NYS Department of Labor can audit your job search log at any time.
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