NYS Department of Labor - when did pandemic unemployment benefits officially end in New York?
I'm trying to figure out the exact dates when all the pandemic unemployment programs ended here in NY. I know regular UI continued but I'm confused about when PUA and PEUC actually stopped. My brother is still claiming he can get pandemic benefits but I think he's wrong. Does anyone know the specific end dates for each program? I need to settle this argument and also want to make sure I understand what's available now in 2025.
9 comments


Ava Williams
All pandemic unemployment programs ended September 4, 2021 nationwide. That included PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance), PEUC (Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation), and the extra $300 weekly federal supplement. NYS Department of Labor stopped processing these claims after that date. Only regular state unemployment insurance (UI) has been available since then.
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Zainab Mahmoud
•Thank you! So my brother is definitely wrong if he thinks he can still get pandemic benefits in 2025. I'll show him this.
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Raj Gupta
yeah those programs have been over for years now. if someone needs unemployment benefits today they have to qualify for regular NYS Department of Labor unemployment insurance with the standard requirements - lost job through no fault of their own, meet wage requirements, actively searching for work, etc.
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Lena Müller
Your brother might be confusing regular unemployment with the old pandemic programs. Current NY unemployment insurance has a maximum weekly benefit of around $504 depending on your earnings history. The job search requirement is back in full effect too - you need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log.
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TechNinja
•Wait, is the job search requirement really 3 contacts per week? I thought it was more than that now.
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Lena Müller
•It's 3 for most people but can be higher depending on your situation. Check your account on my.ny.gov for your specific requirements.
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Keisha Thompson
I had such a hard time reaching NYS Department of Labor when I needed to verify my current claim status. The phone lines are always busy and the online chat rarely works. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that connects you directly to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made it so much easier to get through and confirm my weekly certification requirements.
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Zainab Mahmoud
•That sounds helpful! I'll bookmark that in case I ever need to contact NYS Department of Labor directly.
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Paolo Bianchi
The pandemic programs ending was such a mess. So many people got cut off suddenly and didn't understand why. At least now the system is back to normal operations but it's still a pain to navigate sometimes.
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