NYS Department of Labor keeps denying my unemployment claim - why can't I get benefits?
I've been trying to get unemployment for 2 months now and NYS Department of Labor keeps rejecting my application. First they said I didn't work enough hours, then they said I quit voluntarily (which I didn't), and now they're saying something about insufficient wage credits. I worked at a restaurant for 8 months before getting laid off in November. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong or why I can't qualify. The online system just keeps showing 'disqualified' with no real explanation. Has anyone else had trouble getting approved? What am I missing here?
9 comments
Join the conversation
Hiroshi Nakamura
The wage credit issue is usually the main problem. You need to have earned at least $2,600 in your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters) to qualify for NYS Department of Labor benefits. If you only worked 8 months at one job, you might not have enough earnings in the right quarters. Did you work anywhere else in the past 18 months?
0 coins
GamerGirl99
•I had a part-time job at a retail store for about 3 months before the restaurant but it was only like 15 hours a week. Would that count toward my wage credits?
0 coins
Isabella Costa
same thing happened to my brother last year. turns out he didn't report all his previous jobs on the application and that messed up his wage calculation
0 coins
Malik Jenkins
You need to request an appeal if you believe the disqualification is wrong. The NYS Department of Labor has to provide you with specific reasons for denial and you have 30 days to appeal. Also, make sure all your previous employers are listed correctly - sometimes wages don't get reported properly and that affects your base period calculation.
0 coins
GamerGirl99
•How do I request an appeal? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks but can never get through to talk to anyone.
0 coins
Freya Andersen
•I had the same problem getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was super helpful for getting my adjudication issue resolved when I couldn't reach anyone on my own.
0 coins
Eduardo Silva
The NYS Department of Labor system is so broken honestly. They make it impossible to qualify and then impossible to get help when you need it. I've been fighting them for months over a stupid technicality.
0 coins
Leila Haddad
Wait did you quit or get laid off? You said both in your post. If you quit voluntarily you definitely won't qualify unless it was for good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment.
0 coins
GamerGirl99
•I got laid off! They cut staff because business was slow. I never quit. That's why I'm so confused about them saying I quit voluntarily.
0 coins