NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits - how long unemployment last exactly?
I just got laid off from my construction job last month and filed for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor. My friend told me I can get benefits for like 6 months but I'm seeing different info online. How long does unemployment actually last in New York? I'm trying to figure out my budget and need to know exactly how many weeks I can collect. Also do I need to do anything special to keep getting payments or does it just automatically continue? Really stressed about this whole situation.
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Jamal Thompson
In New York, regular unemployment benefits last for 26 weeks maximum. That's about 6 months like your friend said. You do need to file your weekly claim certification every week to keep getting payments - it's not automatic. You also have to meet the job search requirements which is usually 3 work search activities per week. Make sure you're logging into the NYS Department of Labor website every Sunday to do your weekly claim.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•Thanks! So I have to do something every single week? What happens if I miss a week by accident?
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Mei Chen
yeah its 26 weeks but thats only if you dont find a job before then. if you get hired you stop collecting obviously. also make sure you report any work you do even if its just a day here and there or they'll say you committed fraud
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Zoe Christodoulou
•Good point about reporting work. I might pick up some side jobs while I'm looking for full time work.
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CosmicCadet
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and let me tell you - getting through to them when you have questions is nearly impossible. The phone lines are always jammed and the online chat never works. I actually found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have this demo video https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Liam O'Connor
•How much does that cost though? I'm already broke which is why I need unemployment in the first place.
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CosmicCadet
•It's worth checking out their site for the details. For me it was better than wasting entire days trying to get through on my own.
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Amara Adeyemi
Just to add some specifics - the 26 weeks is your benefit year. If you exhaust all 26 weeks and still haven't found work, you can't just file a new claim right away. You'd need to work again and earn enough wages to qualify for a new benefit year. The weekly job search requirement is 3 activities minimum and you need to keep a log of your search efforts in case NYS Department of Labor asks for it during an audit.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•What counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs or other stuff too?
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Amara Adeyemi
•Applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, skills training, even some volunteer work can count. Check the NYS Department of Labor website for the full list of approved activities.
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Giovanni Gallo
26 weeks if youre lucky and they dont find some reason to cut you off early. ive seen people get disqualified for the stupidest reasons. system is designed to deny benefits not help people
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•That's so frustrating but unfortunately true. The appeal process is a nightmare too if they do deny your claim.
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