What does MWA name mean for unemployment on NYS Department of Labor claim?
I'm looking at my unemployment claim on the NYS Department of Labor website and there's a section that says 'MWA name' but I have no idea what this means. The field is blank on my claim and I'm worried I missed something important when I filed. Does anyone know what MWA stands for and if I need to fill this out? I don't want my claim to get delayed because of missing information.
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PaulineW
MWA stands for Mandatory Work Activity. It's part of the SNAP Employment and Training program, not regular unemployment insurance. If you're only getting UI benefits through NYS Department of Labor, you don't need to worry about this field. It would only apply if you're also receiving SNAP benefits and are required to participate in work activities.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•Oh thank goodness! I was panicking thinking I had to go back and update my claim. So this won't affect my weekly claims at all?
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Annabel Kimball
yeah i had the same question when i first filed, that field confused me too but my claim went through fine with it blank
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Chris Elmeda
The MWA field is only relevant if you're participating in a work training program through the Department of Social Services while collecting unemployment. Most people leave it blank. Your regular job search requirements for UI are separate from any MWA requirements. Just make sure you're logging your job contacts properly for your weekly claims.
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Jean Claude
•This is really helpful! I was also confused about this when I was trying to figure out all the NYS Department of Labor requirements. Speaking of getting help with confusing stuff like this, I actually found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to actual NYS Department of Labor agents when you have questions. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me from sitting on hold for hours.
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Charity Cohan
I think MWA might also relate to some workforce development programs but honestly the NYS Department of Labor website is so confusing with all these acronyms. UI, MWA, RESEA... it's like they want to make it as complicated as possible for regular people to understand.
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Josef Tearle
•Tell me about it! Half the time I don't know if I'm filling out the right forms or missing something important.
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Ellie Perry
I had the same confusion when I first filed! MWA is definitely not something most regular unemployment claimants need to worry about. I've been collecting UI benefits for a few months now and that field has stayed blank the entire time without any issues. The key thing is just making sure you're doing your required work search activities and certifying your weekly claims on time. Don't stress about the empty MWA field - it won't hold up your benefits.
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