When do you become eligible for unemployment benefits in New York - NYS Department of Labor requirements?
I just got laid off yesterday from my job at a manufacturing company where I worked for 8 months. My manager said the position was eliminated due to budget cuts and that I should file for unemployment right away. But I'm confused about when exactly I become eligible for benefits? Do I have to wait a certain amount of time before I can start receiving payments? I've never filed for UI before and the NYS Department of Labor website has so much information that I'm getting overwhelmed. Can someone explain the basic eligibility timeline?
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Connor Murphy
You can file your initial claim immediately after becoming unemployed, but there's typically a one-week waiting period before you start receiving benefits. For NYS Department of Labor claims, you need to have worked at least 2 quarters in your base period and earned sufficient wages. Since you worked 8 months, you should meet the work requirements. File your claim as soon as possible because benefits are not retroactive to when you became unemployed - only to when you filed.
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Zainab Omar
•So I should file today even though I just lost my job yesterday? I thought I had to wait some period before applying.
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Yara Sayegh
Yes file immediately! The sooner you file with NYS Department of Labor the better. You'll need to do your weekly claims every week even during that waiting period. Also make sure you have your employment history ready - they'll ask for details about your last employer including dates and reason for separation.
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NebulaNova
•This is correct. I made the mistake of waiting two weeks to file thinking I needed to 'settle in' first and lost those weeks of potential benefits.
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Keisha Williams
wait im confused about this waiting period thing?? if i file today when do i actually get money? my rent is due next week and im panicking
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Connor Murphy
•The waiting period means your first week won't be paid, but if you file this week and get approved, you'd potentially see your first payment in about 2-3 weeks. It's not immediate unfortunately.
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Paolo Conti
I had a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone to check my claim status. If you run into that issue, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful when I could actually talk to someone about my eligibility questions.
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Zainab Omar
•Thanks for the tip! I'll keep that in mind if I have trouble reaching them.
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Amina Diallo
The whole system is designed to make it hard to get benefits honestly. They'll find any excuse to delay or deny your claim. I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for months over a stupid technicality.
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Yara Sayegh
•While the system can be frustrating, most straightforward layoff cases like the OP's get approved without major issues. The key is filing correctly and promptly.
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NebulaNova
Just wanted to add - make sure you start your job search activities right away too. NYS Department of Labor requires you to be actively looking for work to maintain eligibility. Keep a log of your applications and contacts.
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Ellie Lopez
I went through this same process about 6 months ago when my retail job ended. Just to clarify the timeline for you - you can and should file your initial claim right away (even today), but your first payable week will be the week after your waiting period. So if you file this week, your waiting week would be this week, and your first potentially payable week would be next week. Just remember to do your weekly certification every single week, even during the waiting period, or you'll lose eligibility. The whole process took about 3 weeks from filing to receiving my first payment, so definitely apply for any emergency assistance programs if you need immediate help with rent or utilities.
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Liam O'Donnell
•This is really helpful - thank you for breaking down the timeline so clearly! I was getting confused about when the waiting period actually starts. So if I understand correctly, I should file today and then make sure to do the weekly certification every week starting this week, even though I won't get paid for this first week? Also good point about emergency assistance - I'll look into what's available while waiting for the first payment to come through.
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