What documents do I bring to the unemployment office for my first visit?
I'm going to the NYS Department of Labor office tomorrow for the first time since I got laid off from my retail job last week. I've never filed for unemployment before and I'm not sure what documents I need to bring with me. Do I need my Social Security card? What about bank statements or my last paystub? I don't want to waste a trip if I'm missing something important. Any advice would be appreciated!
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Alfredo Lugo
You'll need your Social Security card (or at least know your SSN), driver's license or state ID, and your last few pay stubs showing your wages. Also bring any separation paperwork from your employer if you have it - like a termination letter or layoff notice. If you have direct deposit set up somewhere, bring a voided check or bank statement so they can set up your payments.
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Gianna Scott
•Thank you! I have most of that stuff. What if I don't have a termination letter though? My manager just told me verbally that they were cutting staff.
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Alfredo Lugo
•That's okay, many people don't get formal paperwork. Just write down your manager's name and the company contact info. NYS Department of Labor will contact them directly to verify your separation reason.
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Sydney Torres
bring EVERYTHING lol. i went there like 3 times because i kept forgetting stuff. they wanted my birth certificate too which nobody told me about
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
•Birth certificate isn't usually required unless there's an issue verifying your Social Security number. The standard documents are SSN card, ID, pay stubs, and separation info.
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Caleb Bell
I had such a nightmare trying to get through to someone on the phone that I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. They have this video that shows you exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me hours of busy signals and getting hung up on. Might be worth checking out if you run into issues after your visit.
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Danielle Campbell
•Is that legit? I've been trying to call them for weeks about my claim status and can never get through.
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Caleb Bell
•Yeah it worked for me. I was skeptical at first but I was desperate to talk to someone about my adjudication delay. Much easier than the regular phone system.
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Rhett Bowman
The whole system is a joke honestly. I brought everything they asked for and they STILL found reasons to delay my claim for over a month. Just be prepared for the runaround no matter what you bring.
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Gianna Scott
•That's discouraging but I guess I should prepare for delays. Did you eventually get your benefits sorted out?
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Abigail Patel
Good luck! The staff at my local office were actually pretty helpful when I went in person last year.
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