What COVID unemployment benefits are still being paid by NYS Department of Labor in 2025?
I keep hearing conflicting information about whether any COVID-related unemployment programs are still active. My neighbor said she's still getting some kind of extended benefits but I thought all that stuff ended years ago. Are there any COVID unemployment programs that NYS Department of Labor is still paying out in 2025? I'm confused because I lost my job last month and wondering if I qualify for anything beyond regular UI benefits.
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Amelia Martinez
All federal COVID unemployment programs (PUA, PEUC, FPUC) ended in September 2021. What your neighbor might be receiving is regular state unemployment benefits or possibly Extended Benefits (EB) if New York's unemployment rate triggers it. NYS Department of Labor only pays standard UI benefits now - 26 weeks maximum at $504/week maximum. No COVID-specific programs are active anymore.
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Jacob Lewis
•Thanks for clarifying! So if I file now it's just the regular 26 weeks? That's still helpful to know.
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Ethan Clark
yeah all that covid stuff is long gone, my cousin tried to apply thinking there was still extra money but nope just regular unemployment now
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Mila Walker
Your neighbor might be confusing unemployment with other assistance programs. Some people are still receiving SNAP benefits or rental assistance that were expanded during COVID. For unemployment specifically, NYS Department of Labor only administers regular state UI benefits now. You can check your eligibility on my.ny.gov - if you worked and paid into the system, you should qualify for regular benefits.
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Logan Scott
•This is probably it. I know people who think their food stamps are unemployment because they applied for everything at the same time during COVID.
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Chloe Green
I had such a nightmare trying to reach NYS Department of Labor when I needed to clarify my benefit status last year. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration dealing with the phone system.
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Lucas Adams
•Interesting, never heard of that. Did they charge you a lot to make the call?
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Chloe Green
•It was worth it to actually talk to someone instead of calling 200 times. Way easier than dealing with the busy signals myself.
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Harper Hill
The whole system is so confusing! I thought there might still be something available too since the job market is still rough in some areas. At least regular unemployment is better than nothing if you qualify.
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