What is the time frame to apply for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
I was laid off from my retail job two weeks ago and I'm finally getting around to looking into unemployment benefits. I keep hearing different things about deadlines and I'm starting to panic that I might have waited too long. What's the actual time frame to apply for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor? Is there a cut-off date where they won't accept your application? I'm worried I've already missed some kind of window and won't be able to get any benefits at all.
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Micah Trail
You need to file your claim as soon as possible after becoming unemployed, but there's no strict deadline that completely cuts you off. NYS Department of Labor recommends filing within the first week of unemployment. However, you can still file later - you just won't receive benefits for the weeks before you filed your initial claim. So if you file today, your benefit week would start from this week going forward, not retroactively to when you were first laid off two weeks ago.
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Kristin Frank
•So I've basically lost out on two weeks of benefits because I waited? That's really frustrating but at least I can still file something.
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Nia Watson
i think u can backdate it if u have good cause for the delay but not sure how that works exactly
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Micah Trail
•Backdating is possible in some circumstances, but NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about what qualifies as 'good cause.' Usually it's for things like serious illness or being given wrong information by an employer. Just not knowing about the deadline typically doesn't qualify.
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Alberto Souchard
The sooner you file, the better. I had a similar situation last year where I waited almost a month because I thought I might get called back to work. Big mistake - lost out on those weeks completely. The application process through my.ny.gov is pretty straightforward once you gather all your employment information. You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the past 18 months, and reason for separation from your last job.
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Kristin Frank
•Thanks for the heads up about needing 18 months of employment history. I've had a few different jobs so I'll need to track down all those details.
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Katherine Shultz
I was in a similar boat a few months back and was struggling to get through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone to ask about my timing. Kept getting busy signals and hung up on. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at NYS Department of Labor within like 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. Might be worth checking out if you run into issues getting answers directly from NYS Department of Labor.
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Marcus Marsh
•Never heard of that service before. Did they charge you anything for getting you through?
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Katherine Shultz
•Yeah there was a fee but honestly it was worth it to actually talk to someone who could answer my specific questions about my claim timing. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Hailey O'Leary
The whole system is a joke anyway. They make it so confusing on purpose so people give up and don't claim what they're entitled to. Why can't they just have clear information about deadlines posted prominently on their website instead of burying it in some FAQ section?
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Marcus Marsh
•I mean the info is there if you look for it, but yeah they could definitely make it more obvious for people who just lost their jobs and are already stressed.
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Hattie Carson
Don't panic - you can still file! While it's true you can't get benefits for the weeks before you file your initial claim, two weeks isn't the end of the world. I'd recommend filing your claim today through my.ny.gov if possible. Make sure you have all your employment documents ready - pay stubs, separation notice if you got one, and employer contact info. The important thing is to get your claim started now so you don't lose any more weeks. Also, once you file, you'll need to certify for benefits every week going forward, so stay on top of that process.
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Ethan Taylor
•This is really helpful advice, thank you! I was getting overwhelmed by all the different information I was seeing online. I'm going to file my claim today through my.ny.gov. Quick question - when you mention certifying for benefits every week, is that something I do online too or do I need to call in? I want to make sure I don't mess up the ongoing process once I get started.
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Nina Chan
•Weekly certification is done online through my.ny.gov - same portal where you filed your initial claim. You'll get prompts to certify every Sunday for the previous week, and it usually just takes a few minutes to answer questions about whether you worked, looked for work, etc. Much easier than calling in! Just make sure you do it every week on time or you could miss out on benefits for that week.
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Paige Cantoni
Just went through this exact situation last month! Don't beat yourself up about the two week delay - I waited almost three weeks because I was hoping my employer would call me back. The key thing is to file immediately now. When you file through my.ny.gov, make sure you have your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment info for the last 18 months ready. The system will ask for your last day worked and reason for separation, so be specific about being laid off. One tip that helped me: if you run into any technical issues with the website (it can be glitchy during peak hours), try filing early in the morning or late evening when there's less traffic. Good luck!
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Thanks for sharing your experience! The tip about filing during off-peak hours is really smart - I didn't think about the website potentially being slow during busy times. I'm definitely going to try filing early tomorrow morning to avoid any technical issues. It's reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same thing recently. Did you have any problems with the employment history section? I'm a bit worried about getting all the dates and details exactly right for my previous jobs.
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Alice Fleming
•For the employment history section, don't stress too much about getting every single detail perfect - they mainly need the basic info like employer name, dates of employment, and wages. If you're unsure about exact start/end dates, check your old tax documents or pay stubs if you still have them. The system is pretty forgiving about minor date discrepancies. What's most important is being accurate about your reason for separation and your most recent employer info since that's what they'll verify first. I had to estimate a couple of older job dates and it wasn't an issue at all.
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James Martinez
I just went through this process a couple months ago after being laid off from my warehouse job. Like others mentioned, you definitely want to file ASAP - don't wait any longer! The good news is that even though you can't backdate those two weeks, the application itself is pretty straightforward once you get started. One thing that tripped me up was making sure I had my separation paperwork ready - if your employer gave you any kind of layoff notice or termination letter, have that handy when you file. It helps speed up the process since they need to verify your reason for unemployment. Also, once you get your claim going, set up direct deposit right away if you can - it's way faster than waiting for paper checks in the mail.
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