What does unemployment insurance actually cover in NY - confused about NYS Department of Labor benefits
I just lost my job last week and everyone keeps telling me to file for unemployment insurance but I honestly don't understand what it actually does or covers. Like I know it's money but how much? Do I get it right away? Does it cover health insurance too? I'm 24 and this is my first time being unemployed so I'm completely lost. Can someone explain what NYS Department of Labor unemployment insurance actually provides? I worked at a restaurant for 8 months if that matters.
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Kaiya Rivera
Unemployment insurance (UI) in New York provides temporary financial assistance while you're looking for work. The weekly benefit amount is based on your earnings history - typically around 50% of your average weekly wage, up to a maximum of $504 per week in 2025. You can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks. It doesn't cover health insurance, but you might qualify for COBRA or marketplace plans. You'll need to file weekly claims and meet job search requirements to keep receiving payments.
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Amelia Dietrich
•Wait so it's only 50% of what I made? I was making about $600 a week so that would be like $300? That's not even enough to cover my rent.
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Katherine Ziminski
•Unfortunately yes, UI is designed to be temporary assistance, not full wage replacement. But $300 a week is better than nothing while you job hunt. Make sure you file your claim ASAP because there's usually a waiting week before benefits start.
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Noah Irving
been on unemployment twice and it's honestly a lifesaver even if the amount sucks. you have to do job searches every week though and they check up on you. also took forever for my claim to get approved the first time, like 6 weeks because of some adjudication thing
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Amelia Dietrich
•6 weeks?? How did you pay bills during that time? This is making me more stressed about filing.
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Vanessa Chang
The NYS Department of Labor system is honestly a nightmare to navigate. I've been trying to get through to them for weeks about my claim status. If you need to actually talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to agents. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected.
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Madison King
•Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true. The phone lines are always busy when I try calling NYS Department of Labor.
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Vanessa Chang
•Yeah it's real, I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They basically handle the calling and waiting for you.
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Julian Paolo
Don't get your hopes up too high. The whole unemployment system is designed to make it as hard as possible to actually get benefits. They'll find any excuse to deny your claim or make you jump through hoops. I know people who worked for years and still got denied for stupid technicalities.
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Ella Knight
•That's really discouraging but good to know what I might be dealing with. Better to have realistic expectations I guess.
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William Schwarz
Just to add - you also need to register with the NYS job portal and document your job search activities. They require you to actively look for work and can ask for proof. It's not just free money, you have to show you're trying to find employment.
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