Why would you get denied for unemployment benefits by NYS Department of Labor?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment but want to understand what could cause NYS Department of Labor to deny my claim before I even start the process. I've heard people get rejected but nobody really explains why. What are the main reasons they would turn down your application? I'm worried I might not qualify and don't want to waste time if there's something obvious that would disqualify me.
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Emma Wilson
The most common reasons for NYS Department of Labor denials are: 1) Not earning enough wages in your base period (they need at least $2,600 in one quarter), 2) Being fired for misconduct, 3) Quitting without good cause, 4) Not being available for work or actively seeking employment, 5) Not being authorized to work in the US. They also deny if you're receiving other benefits like workers comp or if you're self-employed without paying UI taxes.
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Javier Torres
•What exactly counts as misconduct? I was let go but my boss said it was due to budget cuts, not anything I did wrong.
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QuantumLeap
Budget cuts should be fine - that's considered a layoff, not misconduct. Misconduct usually means things like stealing, repeatedly showing up late despite warnings, insubordination, or violating company policies after being warned. If your employer files it as a layoff due to lack of work, you should be approved assuming you meet the wage requirements.
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Malik Johnson
•yeah my company did layoffs last year and everyone who got cut was approved for unemployment pretty quickly
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Isabella Santos
I got denied initially because I didn't realize you have to be actively looking for work AND available to start immediately. I was taking care of my sick mom and couldn't work full-time hours, so they said I wasn't available. Had to wait until my situation changed to reapply.
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Javier Torres
•That's good to know. I can work full-time so availability shouldn't be an issue for me.
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Ravi Sharma
The wage requirement trips up a lot of people. You need to have worked enough quarters and earned enough money during your 'base period' which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. If you were working part-time or just started a job recently, you might not have enough wages on record yet. You can check your wage history on the NYS Department of Labor website before filing.
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Javier Torres
•I've been working full-time for 2 years so wages shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for explaining the base period thing though.
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Freya Larsen
If you're worried about getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check your eligibility or ask questions, I used claimyr.com when I couldn't get anyone on the phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It's way easier than trying to call during their busy hours and getting hung up on.
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Emma Wilson
•That's actually helpful - the phone lines are impossible especially if you have questions before filing.
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Omar Hassan
just file and see what happens lol if you worked a regular job for 2 years you'll probably be fine unless you did something really bad to get fired
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