What are the requirements to file unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
I just lost my job last week and I'm trying to figure out if I qualify to file for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor. I worked at a restaurant for about 8 months but before that I was unemployed for like 6 months. I'm not sure what the requirements are or if I made enough money to qualify. Does anyone know what you need to be eligible to file a claim? I'm really stressed about this because I need to pay rent next month.
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Isabella Ferreira
You need to meet a few basic requirements to file with NYS Department of Labor. First, you must have worked and earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). You also need to have earned at least $2,700 in your highest earning quarter and total wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter wages. Since you worked 8 months recently, you should be fine on the work requirement. You also need to be unemployed through no fault of your own and be able and available to work.
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Malik Thompson
•Thanks! What exactly counts as 'no fault of your own'? I was laid off because business was slow, so I think that should qualify right?
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CosmicVoyager
Yes being laid off due to slow business definitely qualifies as no fault of your own. You'll also need to register for work search activities and be actively looking for work once you start filing weekly claims. The job search requirement is usually 3 work search activities per week but it can vary. Make sure you have your Social Security card, driver's license, and employment history ready when you file online at my.ny.gov.
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Ravi Kapoor
•I had trouble getting through on the phone when I needed help with my claim. If you run into issues contacting NYS Department of Labor directly, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me time instead of calling all day and getting busy signals.
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Freya Nielsen
wait so how much do you actually have to make?? i worked part time for like 10 months but only made maybe $12k total, would that be enough to qualify?
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Isabella Ferreira
•It depends on how your earnings were distributed across quarters. If you made most of that $12k in just one or two quarters, you might not meet the requirements. You'd need to look at your quarterly earnings breakdown to see if you hit the minimum thresholds.
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Omar Mahmoud
The whole system is so confusing honestly. I tried to file last year and got denied because apparently I didn't work enough hours even though I had two jobs. Then I had to appeal and it took FOREVER to get resolved. Make sure you double check everything before you submit because once it's in the system it's hard to fix mistakes.
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Chloe Harris
•ugh that sounds like a nightmare! sorry you had to go through all that
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Diego Vargas
Don't forget you also need to file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still being processed. A lot of people miss this and then lose out on benefits for those weeks. The weekly claim asks about any work you did that week and any income you received. You have to do this every single week to keep getting benefits.
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Malik Thompson
•Good to know! So I should file my initial claim first and then start doing the weekly claims right away?
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Diego Vargas
•Exactly! File your initial claim as soon as possible, then start filing weekly claims the week after. Don't wait for your claim to be approved or you'll miss out on those weeks.
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