NYS Department of Labor - how often can you get unemployment benefits after previous claims?
I collected unemployment benefits about 2 years ago when I got laid off from my retail job. Now I'm facing another layoff from my warehouse position and wondering if there are any restrictions on how often you can file for NYS Department of Labor benefits? My coworker said something about having to wait a certain amount of time between claims but I can't find clear info on the my.ny.gov website. Has anyone here filed multiple unemployment claims over the years? I'm worried they might deny me since I already used benefits recently.
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Dylan Wright
There's no limit on how many times you can file for unemployment benefits in New York as long as you meet the eligibility requirements each time. The main thing is that you need to have worked and earned enough wages since your last claim to establish a new benefit year. NYS Department of Labor looks at your base period earnings to determine if you qualify for a new claim.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•That's a relief! Do you know how much I need to have earned to qualify for a new claim? I've been working full-time for the past year and a half.
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NebulaKnight
You can file as many times as needed but you have to meet the monetary requirements. For 2025, you need to have earned at least $3,751 in your base period and your high quarter wages need to be at least 1.5 times your lowest quarter. If you've been working full-time for 18 months you should definitely qualify for a new claim.
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Sofia Ramirez
•wait is the base period the last 4 quarters or something different?? i thought it was just the last year of work
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NebulaKnight
•The base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through September 2024. It's not the most recent quarter.
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Dmitry Popov
ugh the whole system is so confusing! I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for three days about my own claim status and can never get through. If anyone has tips for actually reaching a human being I'd appreciate it because the automated system is useless
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Ava Rodriguez
•I had the same problem trying to reach NYS Department of Labor agents until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically call for you and get you connected to an actual person. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) and decided to try it when I was stuck in adjudication for weeks. Worked perfectly and saved me hours of calling.
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Miguel Ortiz
Just to add - even if you qualify for a new claim, your weekly benefit amount might be different from your previous claim since it's based on your recent earnings. And you'll need to do all the job search requirements again and attend any required orientations.
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Zainab Khalil
I'm on my third unemployment claim in 5 years due to company closures and layoffs. Never had any issues with NYS Department of Labor questioning the frequency. As long as you lost your job through no fault of your own and meet the work/wage requirements, you're good to file.
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Freya Collins
Your coworker might have been thinking of the requalification requirements rather than a waiting period between claims. In NY, if you received benefits and then returned to work but didn't earn enough to establish a new benefit year, you might have to wait. But since you've been working full-time for 18 months, you should have more than enough earnings to qualify for a fresh claim. The key is having sufficient wages in your base period - and with steady full-time work, that shouldn't be an issue. Good luck with your claim!
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Omar Hassan
•This is really helpful clarification! I was getting confused about the requalification vs waiting period thing too. Since I've been working steadily at the warehouse for over a year, it sounds like I should definitely have enough wages in my base period. Thanks for breaking that down - it makes me feel much more confident about filing when my layoff happens.
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