What are the qualifications to receive unemployment benefits in NY?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment but want to make sure I qualify before going through the whole process. What exactly are the requirements to get approved for UI benefits in New York? I worked full-time for about 8 months at my last job before getting laid off. Is there a minimum amount of time you have to work or certain earnings requirements? Also do they check if you were fired vs laid off? Any info would be helpful since the NYS Department of Labor website is kind of confusing to navigate.
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Andre Lefebvre
There are several key requirements for NY unemployment benefits. First, you need sufficient work history - typically you must have worked and earned wages in at least 2 of the last 4 completed calendar quarters before filing. Second, you must be unemployed through no fault of your own (layoffs qualify, being fired for misconduct usually doesn't). Third, you need to be able and available for work, actively seeking employment, and willing to accept suitable work. The NYS Department of Labor will verify your earnings through employer reports, so make sure your work history is accurate when you file.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Thanks! So since I worked 8 months that should cover the work history part. I was definitely laid off due to company downsizing so that should be okay too.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
yeah the earnings thing is important - you need to have made at least $2,600 in one quarter and total wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. so if your highest quarter was $3000 you'd need total wages of at least $4500 across all quarters they look at
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Carmen Ruiz
•Good to know about the specific dollar amounts. I think I should meet those requirements but I'll double check my pay stubs.
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Jamal Anderson
One thing that trips people up is the job search requirement. You have to actively look for work and keep a log of your job search activities. NYS Department of Labor can ask to see this at any time. Also if you're offered suitable work and turn it down without good cause, you can lose your benefits. The definition of 'suitable work' changes over time - initially it's work similar to your previous job, but after a while they expect you to consider other types of work too.
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Mei Wong
•How many job contacts do you need to make each week? I've heard different numbers from different people.
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Jamal Anderson
•You need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep detailed records. Each contact should be a genuine effort to find work - just browsing job sites doesn't count.
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QuantumQuasar
The whole system is such a pain honestly. I qualified for benefits but the adjudication process took forever and calling the NYS Department of Labor was impossible - always busy signals or getting disconnected. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me weeks of frustration trying to get answers about my claim status.
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Liam McGuire
•Never heard of that but might be worth checking out if the regular phone lines are still as bad as they used to be.
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Amara Eze
Also make sure you file your weekly claim every week even if your initial claim is still being reviewed! I made the mistake of not filing weekly claims while waiting for my adjudication to complete and it caused issues with my benefit start date.
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