When is unemployment denied by NYS Department of Labor - need to understand disqualification reasons
I'm trying to understand all the situations where NYS Department of Labor can deny or disqualify someone from unemployment benefits. My cousin just got denied and we're both confused about why. She worked full time for 8 months before getting laid off but they're saying she doesn't qualify. I want to make sure I understand the rules before I potentially need to file myself. What are the main reasons NYS Department of Labor denies claims? Is it always about how you lost your job or are there other factors?
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Amy Fleming
There are several common reasons NYS Department of Labor denies unemployment claims. The main ones are: 1) Quit without good cause 2) Fired for misconduct 3) Didn't earn enough wages in your base period 4) Not able and available to work 5) Refused suitable work. For your cousin, if she was laid off after 8 months, it might be a wage issue - she needs to have earned at least $2,900 in her highest quarter during the base period.
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Juan Moreno
•That wage requirement might be it! She was working part-time before that full-time job. How do they calculate the base period exactly?
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Alice Pierce
yeah this happened to my brother too, they look at like the first 4 of the last 5 quarters before you file or something like that. if you didnt work enough in that timeframe youre screwed even if you were working right before getting laid off
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Esteban Tate
•It's actually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, they look at wages from October 2023 through September 2024. Recent work might not count if it's in the current quarter.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
Other reasons include failing drug tests, not registering with the job search system when required, or not meeting the work search requirements. NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about the work search - you need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep detailed records.
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Elin Robinson
•Wait I thought it was 2 job contacts per week? Or did that change recently?
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•It's 3 job contacts per week for most people, but it can vary based on your situation. Some people in certain programs might have different requirements.
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Atticus Domingo
The whole system is SO confusing and they make it impossible to get through to anyone to ask questions! I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my own claim status and just get busy signals or hung up on. How is anyone supposed to understand these rules when you can't even talk to a human being???
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Beth Ford
•I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents by phone. I used it last month when I was stuck in adjudication hell and actually got to talk to someone within a few hours. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.
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Atticus Domingo
•Is that legit? I'm desperate at this point but don't want to get scammed.
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Beth Ford
•Yeah it's real, they just help you get through the phone queue. Much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
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Alice Pierce
also if you get denied you can appeal but theres like a super short deadline to do it, i think its only 30 days from when they send the determination
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