NYS Department of Labor disqualified my claim - why did I get disqualified for unemployment?
Got a letter yesterday saying my unemployment claim was disqualified but it doesn't really explain WHY. I worked at a warehouse for 8 months and got laid off due to downsizing. I thought that would qualify me for benefits but apparently not? The letter mentions something about 'insufficient work history' but I don't understand what that means. I filed everything correctly and answered all their questions honestly. Has anyone else gotten disqualified and figured out what went wrong? I really need these benefits to pay rent.
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Sienna Gomez
The 'insufficient work history' usually means you didn't earn enough wages during your base period to qualify. NYS Department of Labor looks at the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. You need to have earned at least $2,600 in your highest quarter and total wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. With only 8 months of work, you might not have met the wage requirements.
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Daryl Bright
•Oh wow I had no idea about the quarters thing. I was making $18/hour but only worked part-time for the first few months. That might explain it.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
same thing happened to my cousin last year, she had to appeal it and eventually got approved but it took forever
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Daryl Bright
•How long did the appeal take? I'm worried about waiting months without any income.
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Abigail bergen
You can request a hearing to appeal the disqualification. Look at your disqualification letter - it should have instructions on how to file an appeal. You usually have 30 days from the date of the determination to request a hearing. Make sure you gather all your pay stubs and employment records to show your work history and wages earned.
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Daryl Bright
•The letter does mention an appeal but I wasn't sure if it was worth trying. I'll look for those pay stubs, thanks!
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Ahooker-Equator
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to get details about my disqualification too. Kept getting busy signals and disconnected calls. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. The agent was able to explain exactly why I was disqualified and what my options were for appeal.
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Anderson Prospero
•Never heard of that before, is it legit? NYS Department of Labor phone system is definitely terrible though.
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Ahooker-Equator
•Yeah it's real, they basically just help you get through the phone queue instead of waiting on hold forever. Saved me hours of trying to call.
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Tyrone Hill
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO DENY PEOPLE!! They make it so confusing on purpose so you give up and don't appeal. Don't let them win - file that appeal and fight it!
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Toot-n-Mighty
•I mean you're not wrong about it being confusing but sometimes people really don't qualify based on the rules
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