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Ella Thompson

What do you file unemployment with - NYS Department of Labor forms and documents needed?

hey everyone, i just got laid off from my restaurant job last week and i need to file for unemployment benefits but i'm totally lost on what documents and information i need to gather. what do you file unemployment with exactly? like do i need pay stubs, my termination letter, social security card? i've never done this before and the NYS Department of Labor website is confusing me. also do i need to have my bank account info ready or can i get a debit card? any help would be appreciated, really stressed about this whole process

JacksonHarris

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You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license or state ID, and employment information for the past 18 months including employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation. For NYS Department of Labor applications, you'll also need your bank routing and account numbers if you want direct deposit, otherwise they'll send you a debit card. Make sure you have your most recent pay stub too - it helps verify your wages.

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Ella Thompson

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thank you! do i need the actual physical pay stub or can i use a screenshot from my payroll app?

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The key documents for filing with NYS Department of Labor are: 1) Government-issued photo ID 2) Social Security card or documentation 3) Employment history for past 18 months including dates, addresses, and wages 4) Bank account details for direct deposit (optional - you can get the debit card instead) 5) Reason for job separation. You can file online at labor.ny.gov and the system will walk you through each step. Don't wait - file as soon as possible since there's a waiting week.

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Royal_GM_Mark

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I wish I had known about the waiting week when I filed mine. Lost a whole week of benefits because I thought I could wait a few days.

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been through this twice unfortunately. you dont need physical copies of everything, screenshots or digital copies work fine for most stuff. the important thing is having accurate employer info - get the exact business name and address because if its wrong it can delay your claim. also if you worked multiple jobs in the past year and a half make sure you have ALL of them listed

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Chris King

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If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to verify any information or if your claim gets stuck, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have this video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Was really helpful when I couldn't get through the regular phone lines and needed to check on my claim status.

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Ella Thompson

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is that like a paid service? i'm already broke from losing my job

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Chris King

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It's worth checking out their site for the details. For me it was better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected constantly.

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Rachel Clark

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OMG the NYS Department of Labor website is THE WORST. I spent like 3 hours trying to figure out the same thing when I got fired. You basically need everything - social security, ID, work history, bank info if you want direct deposit. But honestly the hardest part is just navigating their terrible online system. Make sure you write down all your passwords and stuff because you'll need to log back in every week to certify.

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totally agree about the website being awful! took me forever to find where to actually start the application

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