What is a weekly claim for unemployment - confused about NYS Department of Labor requirements
I just got approved for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor and they keep mentioning something called a 'weekly claim' but I have no idea what that means. Do I have to file something every week? I thought once you got approved you just automatically get paid. Can someone explain what exactly a weekly claim for unemployment is and how often I need to do it? I'm worried I'm going to mess something up and lose my benefits.
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Emma Thompson
A weekly claim is basically your weekly certification that you're still eligible for unemployment benefits. You have to file one every week to continue receiving payments from NYS Department of Labor. You'll answer questions about whether you worked, looked for work, were available for work, and if you received any income. It's required every week even if nothing changed from the previous week.
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Javier Mendoza
•Oh wow I had no idea! So if I miss filing a weekly claim one week do I lose everything?
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Malik Davis
You file your weekly claim through the my.ny.gov website usually on Sunday night or Monday. Takes maybe 5 minutes if you have no work to report. The questions are pretty straightforward - did you work, did you look for work, were you ready and able to work. Just be honest about everything because they cross-check with employers.
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Javier Mendoza
•Thank you! Is there a specific time I have to file by or can I do it any day of the week?
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Malik Davis
•You can file starting Sunday night for the previous week. I always do mine Sunday evening to get it out of the way. Don't wait until the last minute though.
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Isabella Santos
omg yes the weekly claims are SO important!! i missed one week when i was sick and it took forever to get it sorted out with NYS Department of Labor
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Javier Mendoza
•That's exactly what I was worried about! How did you fix it when you missed that week?
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Emma Thompson
If you miss a weekly claim, you can usually file it late but you might need to call NYS Department of Labor to explain why. They're pretty understanding for legitimate reasons like illness or emergencies. The key is don't just ignore it - contact them as soon as you realize you missed it. I had to call them once when I was in the hospital and couldn't file, and they were able to backdate it.
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StarStrider
•Getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone is nearly impossible though. I tried calling for 3 days straight and never got through. Ended up using this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected - check out claimyr.com. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Finally got my missed week sorted out.
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Javier Mendoza
•Thanks for that tip! I'll bookmark that site just in case I run into issues.
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Ravi Gupta
weekly claims are basically just nysdol making sure your still unemployed lol its not that complicated just answer the questions honestly
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Freya Pedersen
The NYS Department of Labor system is such a pain! I've been filing weekly claims for 6 months and half the time the website crashes when I try to submit. Then you have to wonder if it went through or not. And don't even get me started on trying to reach someone by phone when there's a problem!
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Omar Hassan
•I feel you on the website issues. So frustrating when you're already stressed about money.
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