What is MEUC unemployment benefit - NYS Department of Labor explanation needed
I keep seeing references to something called MEUC unemployment but I can't find clear information about what this actually is. Is this a special type of claim through NYS Department of Labor? I'm currently on regular UI benefits but wondering if there's something else I should be applying for. My weekly claim certification asks about other income and I want to make sure I'm not missing out on additional benefits I might be eligible for. Can someone explain what MEUC stands for and if it's still available in 2025?
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Ravi Sharma
MEUC was the Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation program that provided an additional $100 weekly supplement for people who had both W-2 wages and self-employment income. However, this was a temporary pandemic-era program that ended in September 2021. It's no longer available through NYS Department of Labor or any state. If you're seeing references to it, they're probably outdated information from 2020-2021.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Oh that makes sense why I couldn't find current info about it. So there's nothing similar available now for mixed earners?
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Freya Thomsen
yeah meuc is long gone, was only during covid times. now if you have self employment income you just report it on your weekly claims like any other earnings
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Omar Zaki
The program you're thinking of required having at least $5,000 in net self-employment income in the year before your claim. But like others said, it ended years ago. For current claims, NYS Department of Labor just wants you to report any work or earnings on your weekly certification. If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor to clarify your specific situation, I had luck using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.
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AstroAce
•Wait, there's actually a way to get through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone? I've been trying for weeks about my adjudication issue.
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Omar Zaki
•Yeah, it's not free but it saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected. Worth checking out if you really need to talk to someone.
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Chloe Martin
I remember MEUC! It was so confusing back then because you had to apply separately even if you were already getting regular unemployment. The whole thing was a mess honestly, probably good it's gone. NYS Department of Labor couldn't handle all the different programs at once.
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Diego Rojas
•Tell me about it, I never did figure out if I was supposed to get it or not, just gave up trying to navigate all those different applications
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Anastasia Sokolov
Just focus on your regular UI claim and report any earnings properly. The pandemic programs caused more confusion than they were worth for most people anyway.
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