NYS Department of Labor long term unemployment benefits - what happens after 26 weeks?
I've been collecting regular unemployment for about 22 weeks now and I'm starting to worry about what happens when I hit the 26 week limit. My job search has been going slow - mostly retail and food service jobs in my area but nothing that pays enough to cover my bills yet. Does anyone know what is long term unemployment support like through NYS Department of Labor? Are there any extensions or do I just get cut off completely? I keep hearing different things and the website isn't super clear about options after regular UI runs out.
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Amara Okafor
After your regular 26 weeks of UI benefits end, you'll need to look into Extended Benefits (EB) if they're available in NY. This depends on the state's unemployment rate. There's also sometimes federal extensions during high unemployment periods, but those aren't automatic. You should keep filing your weekly claims and contact NYS Department of Labor about a month before your benefits expire to discuss your options.
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Liam Sullivan
•Thanks! Do you know how I find out if Extended Benefits are currently active? And do I need to reapply or does it automatically continue from my current claim?
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CosmicCommander
Been there - hit my 26 weeks last year. The system doesn't automatically enroll you in extensions. You have to actively check your account and sometimes reapply. Also make sure you're documenting all your job search activities because they get stricter about requirements for extended benefits.
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Liam Sullivan
•Good to know! I've been keeping track of my job applications but maybe not as detailed as I should be. What kind of documentation did they want from you?
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Giovanni Colombo
Wait, I thought long term unemployment was like a different program? I'm confused about all these different types of benefits. Is Extended Benefits the same thing as long term unemployment or are those separate?
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•Extended Benefits (EB) is what people usually mean when they talk about long term unemployment support. It's not a separate program, just an extension of your regular UI claim when certain economic conditions are met. The confusing part is that availability changes based on state unemployment rates.
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Dylan Cooper
The whole system is frustrating honestly. I went through this two years ago and spent weeks trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to explain my options. If you're having trouble getting answers, I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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Liam Sullivan
•That sounds really helpful! I've been dreading trying to call them. How quickly were you able to get through using that service?
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Sofia Ramirez
•Never heard of that but honestly anything that helps with getting through to NYS DOL sounds worth trying. The phone system is a nightmare.
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Dmitry Volkov
Just keep applying for jobs and maybe consider expanding your search area or looking at different types of work temporarily. Sometimes you gotta take what you can get even if it's not ideal.
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Joshua Hellan
I'm in a similar situation - about 20 weeks into my claim and getting nervous about what comes next. From what I've researched, New York's Extended Benefits program is tied to the state's unemployment rate, so it's not always available. You can check the current status on the NYS DOL website under "Extended Benefits" or call their customer service line (though as others mentioned, getting through can be tough). Also worth noting that if EB isn't available, there might be other programs like PEUC (Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation) depending on federal legislation, but those come and go. I'd recommend starting to look into this now rather than waiting until week 25 - gives you more time to figure out your options and potentially appeal if there are any issues with your claim.
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