NYS Department of Labor time limit - how long do u have to file unemployment after losing job?
just got laid off yesterday from my warehouse job and wondering about the deadline for filing. my supervisor said something about having to file within a certain timeframe or you lose benefits but didnt give specifics. does anyone know how long do u have to file unemployment with NYS Department of Labor? really stressed about missing some kind of window and losing out on benefits i paid into for years
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GalacticGuru
You generally want to file as soon as possible after your last day of work. While there isn't technically a hard deadline that completely bars you from filing, NYS Department of Labor can only pay benefits for weeks you actually claim. So if you wait months to file, you can't get retroactive payments for those weeks you didn't claim. The key is filing your initial application and then doing your weekly claims consistently.
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Ravi Gupta
•ok so if i file today that would be good? my last day was yesterday so basically within 24 hours
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Freya Pedersen
Yes, file immediately! NYS Department of Labor has what's called a 'waiting week' but that's built into the system. The sooner you file your initial claim, the sooner your adjudication process can begin if needed. I'd recommend filing online through my.ny.gov today if possible. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment information for the past 18 months.
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Omar Fawaz
•What happens if you miss filing for like a week or two? Asking for a friend who got confused about the process...
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Freya Pedersen
•Your friend can still file but they won't be able to claim benefits for the weeks they missed. NYS Department of Labor doesn't pay retroactively for weeks you didn't file weekly claims.
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Chloe Anderson
I waited almost a month to file because I thought I might get called back and it was a HUGE mistake. Lost out on 3 weeks of benefits that I could never get back. File immediately even if you think you might return to work soon!
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Diego Vargas
•ugh that sucks, exactly what i was worried about happening
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Anastasia Fedorov
The NYS Department of Labor system is confusing but here's what I learned: there's no specific deadline to START your claim, but there are deadlines for continuing it. Once you file, you MUST do your weekly claims every week or you lose those weeks forever. I made the mistake of thinking I could skip a week and come back - nope, that week was gone.
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Ravi Gupta
•good to know about the weekly thing, so basically file asap and then never miss a weekly claim
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GalacticGuru
Also worth mentioning - if you're having trouble getting through to file by phone, try the online system first. It's usually faster and available 24/7. If you run into issues reaching NYS Department of Labor agents for questions, I recently used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to someone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me time instead of calling dozens of times myself.
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Omar Fawaz
•Never heard of that service, is it legit? The video actually explains it pretty well.
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GalacticGuru
•Yeah it's legitimate, they just help you get through the phone queue. Saved me hours of redialing when I had questions about my adjudication status.
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StarStrider
same exact thing happened to me last year!! filed the day after i got canned and had no problems. the key is just not waiting around thinking about it
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