What are the main reasons to be denied unemployment benefits in NY?
I'm worried about my unemployment claim getting denied and want to understand what could cause this. I was laid off from my job last month due to company downsizing, but I've heard there are lots of reasons NYS Department of Labor can reject your claim. Can someone explain the most common reasons people get denied unemployment benefits? I want to make sure I don't accidentally mess something up on my weekly claims.
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Amara Adebayo
The main reasons for denial include: 1) Being fired for misconduct (not just poor performance), 2) Quitting without good cause, 3) Not being able and available to work, 4) Refusing suitable work offers, 5) Not meeting the wage/work requirements in your base period, 6) Being self-employed or an independent contractor. Since you were laid off due to downsizing, that shouldn't be an issue for you.
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PixelWarrior
•Thanks! What exactly counts as 'misconduct' though? I'm paranoid they might try to say something about my attendance even though I was never written up.
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Giovanni Rossi
dont worry too much if you were legitimately laid off, the biggest thing is making sure you do your job search requirements correctly and certify every week on time
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Fatima Al-Mansour
Misconduct has to be willful and work-related - like stealing, fighting, or repeatedly violating company policy after warnings. Poor attendance without a pattern of warnings usually isn't misconduct. Also make sure you're registering for work search activities and keeping your job search log updated. That's where a lot of people mess up.
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Dylan Evans
•Wait, what's this about a job search log? I've been filing my weekly claims but nobody told me about keeping a log!
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•You need to keep records of your job search activities - applications, interviews, networking events, etc. NYS Department of Labor can ask for this documentation at any time.
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Sofia Gomez
I got denied because I quit my job to move for my spouse's job transfer. Apparently that's not considered 'good cause' even though we had no choice. The whole system is ridiculous - they expect you to choose between your family and keeping benefits.
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Amara Adebayo
•Actually, moving for a spouse's job can qualify as good cause in some circumstances. You might want to appeal that decision if you haven't already.
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StormChaser
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor when my claim went into adjudication for weeks. Ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Turned out there was just a simple verification issue that got resolved once I could talk to someone.
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Giovanni Rossi
•how much did that cost? seems like we shouldnt have to pay extra just to talk to them
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StormChaser
•It was worth it for me since I was stuck for over a month. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to get things moving.
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Dmitry Petrov
Just remember they can also deny you if you're going to school full-time or if you're not actively looking for work. The 'able and available' requirement is pretty strict.
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Aiden O'Connor
Another thing to watch out for is the earnings limit while collecting benefits. If you do any part-time work, you need to report ALL earnings honestly on your weekly certification, even if it's just a few hours. They cross-reference with employer records and getting caught not reporting income is considered fraud, which can disqualify you permanently. Also, make sure your reason for separation matches exactly what your employer reports - any discrepancies can trigger an investigation that delays your benefits for weeks.
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