What are the three types of unemployment benefits available through NYS Department of Labor?
I'm really confused about unemployment types and what I might qualify for. My employer just laid me off after 8 months at a retail job, and when I went to file on the NYS Department of Labor website, I saw different categories mentioned but couldn't figure out which one applies to me. I've heard people talk about regular unemployment, but are there actually three different types? I don't want to file for the wrong thing and mess up my claim. Can someone explain what the different unemployment types are and how you know which one to apply for?
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GalacticGladiator
There are actually several types of unemployment programs, but for most people filing through NYS Department of Labor, you'll be looking at regular unemployment insurance (UI). The main categories are: 1) Regular UI - for people who lost their job through no fault of their own, 2) Partial UI - if you're working reduced hours, and 3) Extended benefits - which kick in during high unemployment periods. There used to be pandemic programs like PUA but those ended. Since you were laid off from retail, you'd file for regular UI.
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Freya Larsen
•Thank you! So I should just file the regular claim then? I was worried there was some special category I needed to pick.
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Omar Zaki
wait i thought there was also something called standby unemployment? my friend mentioned that when her hours got cut
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Chloe Taylor
•Standby is a special situation where your employer temporarily reduces your hours with the expectation you'll return to full-time work. It's not really a separate 'type' of unemployment - it's still filed as regular UI but with different job search requirements. Your friend would still file through the normal NYS Department of Labor process.
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Diego Flores
I've been through this system way too many times unfortunately. The NYS Department of Labor basically has regular unemployment which covers most situations - layoffs, business closures, being fired for non-misconduct reasons. Then there's partial unemployment if you're still working but with significantly reduced hours. And extended benefits that sometimes become available during economic downturns. Don't overthink it - if you got laid off, file for regular UI.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•This is helpful but I'm still nervous about messing something up. What if I pick wrong during the application process? Can you change it later?
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Sean Murphy
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about which type to file for, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps people actually reach unemployment agents by phone. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you want to speak to someone directly about your specific situation before filing.
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Freya Larsen
•Is that legitimate? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for days and keep getting busy signals.
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Sean Murphy
•Yeah it's real - they basically handle the calling and waiting for you so you can actually talk to a real person at NYS Department of Labor. Way less frustrating than trying to get through yourself.
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StarStrider
Just file the regular claim and stop overthinking it!! The system will tell you if you're not eligible for something.
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