What is the time limit to apply for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor?
I got laid off from my restaurant job about 6 weeks ago and I'm just now thinking about applying for unemployment. I've been trying to find another job first but nothing's working out. Is there a deadline for when I can still apply for NYS Department of Labor benefits? I'm worried I might have missed some kind of cutoff date. My manager said something about needing to apply right away but I wasn't sure if that was true or not.
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Emma Johnson
You can still apply! NYS Department of Labor allows you to file a claim up to one year from when you became unemployed. However, you can only get benefits for weeks you actually claim, so you've lost those 6 weeks of potential payments. The sooner you apply the better - your weekly benefit amount will be based on your past earnings, and you'll need to start filing weekly claims immediately after your initial application is approved.
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Leila Haddad
•Thank you! So I won't get paid for the weeks I already missed? That's like $1800 I could have gotten. Ugh, I wish someone had explained this better when I got fired.
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Ravi Patel
Yeah you definitely should have applied sooner but don't beat yourself up about it. The one year rule is correct but the key thing is that unemployment benefits are only paid from the week you file your claim forward, not backwards. So if you file today, your claim will start this week and you'll need to file weekly claims every week to get paid. Make sure you have all your employment info ready - dates, employer addresses, reason for separation, etc.
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Astrid Bergström
•This is so confusing, why doesn't NYS Department of Labor make this clearer? I almost made the same mistake when I got laid off last year.
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Ravi Patel
•Honestly the whole system is designed to be confusing. They don't exactly advertise that you lose money by waiting to apply.
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PixelPrincess
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to ask questions about my application timing. If you run into issues reaching them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was way easier than sitting on hold for hours trying to get through myself.
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Leila Haddad
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already stressed about money and can't afford to pay extra fees right now.
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Omar Farouk
•I've heard of services like that but never tried one. Did they actually help you get answers faster than calling yourself?
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Chloe Martin
Don't wait any longer!! File online at ny.gov today. The application isn't that hard and you can always call if you get stuck on something. Better to get the process started now than lose another week of benefits.
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Isabella Oliveira
I went through the same situation last year - waited about a month before applying and kicked myself for it. The good news is you can definitely still apply since it's only been 6 weeks, but you're right to be concerned about the timing. When you do apply, make sure you keep detailed records of your job search activities because they'll ask about that during your weekly certifications. Also, be prepared that it might take a few weeks to get your first payment even after you're approved, so don't wait any longer. The online application at ny.gov is pretty straightforward - just have your Social Security card, driver's license, and information about your last employer ready.
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Romeo Barrett
•This is really helpful advice, thank you! I do have all those documents ready. One quick question - when you say it took a few weeks to get your first payment, was that because of processing delays or just the normal timeline? I'm trying to figure out if I should expect my first check in like 2 weeks or more like a month from when I apply.
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