What is a claimant exhaustee for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor?
I got a letter from NYS Department of Labor saying I'm now classified as a 'claimant exhaustee' but I have no idea what this means. I've been on regular unemployment for about 22 weeks and my benefits just stopped last week. The letter mentions something about exhausting my benefit year but doesn't really explain what happens next. Does this mean I can't get any more unemployment? Can I reapply somehow? Really confused about this whole exhaustee status thing and what my options are now.
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Brian Downey
A claimant exhaustee means you've used up all your regular unemployment benefits for your benefit year (which is usually 26 weeks maximum in NY). When you exhaust your regular UI benefits, you can't file weekly claims anymore until you either start a new benefit year or qualify for an extension program if one exists. To start a new benefit year, you'd need to have worked enough since your original claim and earned sufficient wages.
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Myles Regis
•So I can't just reapply right away? I need to have worked more first?
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Jacinda Yu
yeah same thing happened to me last year, exhaustee basically means your done with that claim period
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Landon Flounder
You'll want to check if you're eligible to file a new claim. Log into your my.ny.gov account and see if there's an option to file a new initial claim. You'll need to have worked at least 2 quarters since your last claim started and earned at least $2,700 in covered employment. If you haven't worked enough, you might need to wait until you do. There used to be extended benefits during COVID but those programs ended.
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Myles Regis
•I worked part-time for about 4 months during my claim but only made around $1,800 total. Sounds like that's not enough?
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Landon Flounder
•Unfortunately no, you'd need at least $2,700 in qualifying wages to establish a new benefit year. You might want to call NYS Department of Labor to confirm your exact situation though.
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Callum Savage
THE WHOLE EXHAUSTEE THING IS JUST ANOTHER WAY FOR THEM TO CUT PEOPLE OFF! I was an exhaustee for 3 months before I could get back on benefits. NYS Department of Labor makes it impossible to talk to anyone about your options too.
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Ally Tailer
•If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. You can check out their demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI and their site is claimyr.com. They basically call for you and get you connected when a rep is available. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
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Aliyah Debovski
Wait I'm confused - if I'm working part time while on unemployment, does that time count toward starting a new claim later? I thought you couldn't work while collecting benefits?
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Brian Downey
•You can work part-time while collecting unemployment as long as you report it on your weekly claims and don't exceed the earnings threshold. Those wages do count toward establishing a new benefit year if you earn enough total.
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Miranda Singer
This exhaustee status is so confusing! When I hit 26 weeks they just stopped my payments with barely any explanation. Had to figure out everything myself.
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