What to say to get unemployment benefits approved by NYS Department of Labor?
I'm about to file my first unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor and I'm honestly confused about how to answer some of the questions. I got laid off from my restaurant job last week due to slow business, but I'm worried I might say something wrong and get denied. What should I focus on when explaining my situation? Are there specific things I should mention or avoid mentioning? I've heard horror stories about people getting disqualified for small mistakes in their application. Any advice on what to say to get unemployment approved would be really helpful.
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Connor Murphy
The most important thing is to be completely honest about your job separation. Since you were laid off due to business reasons, that's actually a good situation for unemployment eligibility. Make sure to emphasize that the layoff was due to lack of work, not any performance issues. When they ask about your reason for separation, clearly state 'laid off due to reduction in workforce' or 'lack of work.' Don't overthink it - just answer truthfully and provide any documentation your employer gave you about the layoff.
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Zainab Omar
•Thank you! My manager did give me a letter explaining it was due to slow business. Should I upload that when I file?
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Yara Sayegh
Yeah definitely upload any paperwork you have. Also when you get to the weekly claim part, make sure you're honest about any work you do and any money you earn, even if it's just a few hours. NYS Department of Labor will find out eventually and it's better to report it upfront than deal with an overpayment later. The job search requirement is 3 contacts per week so keep good records of where you apply.
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NebulaNova
•Wait is it really 3 job contacts? I thought it was more than that
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Yara Sayegh
•It's 3 for most people but can be different depending on your situation. Check your unemployment account for your specific requirements.
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Keisha Williams
honestly the hardest part for me was getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my claim. The phone lines are always busy and the website doesn't always have clear answers. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at the unemployment office. They have 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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Zainab Omar
•That sounds helpful! Did it cost a lot to use?
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Keisha Williams
•It was worth it for me because I was stuck in adjudication for weeks and needed to talk to someone. Much better than hitting redial 100 times a day.
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Paolo Conti
Don't stress too much about the wording. The NYS Department of Labor system is pretty straightforward if you're legitimately eligible. Since you were laid off through no fault of your own, you should be fine. Just make sure you file your weekly claims on time every week and keep looking for work. Missing even one weekly claim can cause delays.
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Amina Diallo
ugh the whole system is such a pain... took me 6 weeks to get my first payment and that was with everything filled out correctly. good luck!
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Zainab Omar
•6 weeks?? That's terrifying, I need the money to pay rent
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