What stops you from getting NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits - need to understand eligibility
I'm trying to figure out what exactly can prevent someone from qualifying for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. My sister got denied last month and they didn't really explain why clearly. I want to make sure I don't make the same mistakes when I file my claim next week after my layoff. Can anyone break down the main reasons people get rejected or disqualified? I worked full-time for 18 months at my last job and got laid off due to company downsizing, so I think I should qualify but want to be prepared.
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Fidel Carson
The main disqualifiers for NYS Department of Labor unemployment are: not having enough work history (you need sufficient wages in your base period), being fired for misconduct, quitting without good cause, not being able and available for work, or refusing suitable work offers. Since you were laid off and worked 18 months, you should be fine on the basic requirements. The key is making sure you can prove you're actively seeking work and available to accept employment.
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Ana Rusula
•Thanks! What counts as 'misconduct' exactly? My sister thinks she might have been fired for attendance issues but she had medical problems.
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Isaiah Sanders
Also watch out for the wage requirements - you need to have earned at least $2,700 in your highest quarter and your total base period wages need to be 1.5 times your high quarter. If you don't meet those thresholds, NYS Department of Labor will deny your claim automatically. And if you refuse a job offer that's considered suitable for your skills and experience, that's an instant disqualification too.
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Xan Dae
•wait what's a base period? is that just the last year you worked?
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Isaiah Sanders
•Base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024.
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Fiona Gallagher
Don't forget about the work search requirements! Even if you qualify initially, you can lose benefits if you don't do your required job searches each week. NYS Department of Labor requires 3 work search activities per week and you have to keep detailed records. I got dinged for this early on because I wasn't documenting everything properly.
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Ana Rusula
•Good point - what exactly counts as a work search activity? Just applying for jobs or other things too?
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Thais Soares
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to get clarification on any disqualification issues, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach a live agent. They have a system that gets you connected without waiting on hold for hours. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me understand why my initial claim got flagged for adjudication.
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Nalani Liu
•interesting, never heard of that service before. did they charge you for it?
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Thais Soares
•They do charge but it was worth it to actually talk to someone and get my issue resolved quickly instead of calling for weeks.
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Axel Bourke
The system is honestly set up to reject people. I got disqualified because they said I 'voluntarily quit' when I actually had to leave due to unsafe working conditions during construction. Took me 3 months and an appeal hearing to get it overturned. NYS Department of Labor assumes the worst about every claim.
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