NYS Department of Labor - is unemployment insurance the same as unemployment benefits?
I'm really confused about terminology here. When people talk about 'unemployment' vs 'unemployment insurance' are they referring to the same thing? I'm trying to file with NYS Department of Labor for the first time and I keep seeing both terms used. My employer said I could apply for 'unemployment insurance' but the website talks about 'unemployment benefits.' Are these different programs or just different ways of saying the same thing? I don't want to apply for the wrong thing and mess up my claim.
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Kai Rivera
They're the same thing! Unemployment insurance (UI) is the official name of the program, but most people just call it 'unemployment' or 'unemployment benefits.' When you file with NYS Department of Labor, you're applying for unemployment insurance benefits. The money you receive are your UI benefits. Don't worry about the terminology - whether you say unemployment, unemployment insurance, or UI benefits, you're talking about the same NYS Department of Labor program.
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Lucas Turner
•Oh thank goodness! I was so worried I was going to file for the wrong thing. So when I go to my.ny.gov to file, I'm filing for unemployment insurance even though they might call it different things on the site?
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Anna Stewart
yeah its all the same thing lol. unemployment insurance is just the fancy official name. when you get your weekly benefits thats your UI money
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Layla Sanders
The confusion comes from how different states and agencies refer to it. Unemployment Insurance is the formal federal program name, but NYS Department of Labor might use 'unemployment benefits' on their website for clarity. You'll also see it called UI, regular unemployment, or just unemployment. All refer to the same weekly benefit payments you get when you lose your job through no fault of your own.
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Morgan Washington
•This is really helpful! I was getting confused because my friend in another state said she applied for 'unemployment compensation' and I thought that was something different from what NYS offers.
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Kaylee Cook
Had the same confusion when I first filed! If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions like this, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me time instead of calling for hours and getting disconnected.
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Lucas Turner
•Thanks for the tip! I might need that if I run into problems with my claim.
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Oliver Alexander
Just to add - when you're looking at your NYS Department of Labor account, you might see 'UI' used as an abbreviation. Don't let that throw you off. Whether it says unemployment, unemployment insurance, UI, or unemployment benefits, it's all the same program and the same money.
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