What can disqualify you from unemployment benefits at NYS Department of Labor?
I just started my unemployment claim and I'm really worried about doing something wrong that could get me disqualified. My friend mentioned there are lots of ways you can mess up and lose your benefits but she couldn't remember specifics. What are the main things that can disqualify you from unemployment with NYS Department of Labor? I want to make sure I don't accidentally do anything that would hurt my claim.
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Vanessa Figueroa
There are several categories of disqualifications in NY. The main ones are: 1) Quitting without good cause 2) Being fired for misconduct 3) Refusing suitable work without good reason 4) Not meeting work search requirements 5) Fraud or misrepresentation 6) Not being able and available for work. For work search, you need to do at least 3 job search activities per week and keep detailed records.
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Diez Ellis
•Thank you! What counts as 'suitable work'? I'm worried they'll expect me to take any job even if it pays way less than my last one.
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Abby Marshall
dont stress too much about it, most people get approved unless they did something really obvious wrong
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Sadie Benitez
Actually there's more to worry about than people think. I got disqualified for 'insufficient work search' even though I was applying to jobs every day. Turns out I wasn't documenting everything properly in my work search log. You have to be super detailed about every contact you make with employers. Also, if you turn down ANY job offer during your claim period, you better have a really good reason that NYS Department of Labor will accept.
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Diez Ellis
•Wait, you have to accept any job offer? Even if it's completely different from your field or pays terrible?
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Vanessa Figueroa
•Not exactly. 'Suitable work' considers your previous wage, skills, and local job market. Generally you don't have to accept work paying less than 80% of your previous wage in the first few weeks of your claim. But the standards get looser over time.
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Drew Hathaway
I had a nightmare trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor when I got a disqualification notice that I thought was wrong. Spent weeks calling and getting nowhere until someone told me about claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you actually get through to speak with unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Finally got my disqualification overturned after talking to an actual person who could review my case properly.
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Laila Prince
•Interesting, never heard of that service before. Was it expensive?
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Drew Hathaway
•Worth every penny compared to the months of benefits I would have lost. They focus on getting you connected rather than charging crazy fees.
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Isabel Vega
Oh man this brings back memories from when I got disqualified last year! It was because I didn't report some part-time work I did during my first week of unemployment. I thought since it was only like 8 hours and before I even started filing weekly claims it wouldn't matter but NOPE. They said it was misrepresentation and I had to appeal. The whole thing was such a mess and took forever to sort out. Make sure you report EVERYTHING even if you think it's too small to matter.
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Diez Ellis
•Did you end up getting your benefits back after the appeal?
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Isabel Vega
•Yeah eventually but it took like 2 months and I had to provide tons of documentation. Just be super honest about everything from day one.
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Dominique Adams
The system is totally rigged against working people anyway. They'll find any excuse to deny you benefits that you paid into through your taxes. I've seen people get disqualified for the most ridiculous technicalities.
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Abby Marshall
Just do your job searches and don't lie about anything and you'll be fine. Most of these horror stories are from people who tried to game the system somehow.
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