What is the deadline to file for unemployment in NY - missed work 2 weeks ago
I got laid off from my retail job two weeks ago and just found out about unemployment benefits. What is the deadline to file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor? I'm worried I waited too long and might have missed some kind of cutoff. My manager said I should apply right away but I was hoping to find another job first. Now I'm realizing I probably should have filed immediately. Can I still get benefits for the weeks I already missed or do I lose those completely?
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Raúl Mora
You can file anytime but you'll only get benefits from the week you actually file your claim, not retroactively. NYS Department of Labor doesn't backdate benefits to your separation date. So if you file this week, your first payable week would be this week, not the two weeks you already missed. The sooner you file the better - there's no actual deadline but every week you wait is money you can't get back.
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Arjun Kurti
•So I basically lost two weeks of benefits? That's like $800+ I can't get back. I had no idea the clock started ticking immediately after losing my job.
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Margot Quinn
File TODAY if you haven't already. I made the same mistake and waited 3 weeks thinking I'd find work quickly. Those weeks are gone forever - NYS Department of Labor won't pay for weeks before you file your initial claim.
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Evelyn Kim
Just to clarify - there's no deadline to file but benefits only start from your filing week forward. You should file your initial claim online at my.ny.gov immediately, then file your first weekly claim for this current week. The system will tell you exactly which week your benefits start from. Don't wait any longer or you'll lose more weeks.
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Arjun Kurti
•Thank you! I'm going to file right now. I wish someone had explained this to me when I got laid off.
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Diego Fisher
ugh this is so frustrating about the unemployment system! They don't tell you anywhere that you lose money by waiting. I waited almost a month thinking I needed to have all my paperwork perfect first
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Henrietta Beasley
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact question. If you need to speak with someone about your specific situation, I found claimyr.com really helpful - they connect you directly to unemployment agents without waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
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Lincoln Ramiro
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already stressed about money since I lost my job.
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Henrietta Beasley
•They don't charge anything upfront - it's just about getting you connected to speak with the right person at NYS Department of Labor. Much better than calling the regular number and getting disconnected constantly.
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QuantumQuester
This happened to my coworker too - she waited almost a month thinking she needed to gather all her employment documents first. By the time she filed, she'd already lost out on about $1,200 in benefits. The key thing to remember is you can always provide additional documentation later if needed, but you can never get back those weeks you didn't file for. NYS makes this really unclear on their website - they should have a big warning that says "FILE IMMEDIATELY" right at the top of the unemployment page.
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