New York State Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance

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• Q: What extensions of unemployment insurance benefits are currently available?
• Q: Who is eligible for the unemployment insurance extensions?
• Q: What are the deadlines and last payable weeks for the extensions?
• Q: How do I claim weekly benefits under the extensions?
• Q: If I reside outside of New York State, but have a claim with New York State, will I be eligible for Extended Benefits?
• Q: What are the work search requirements for Extended Benefits?
• Q: What if I am attending training approved by the New York State Department of Labor?
• Q: What is my weekly benefit rate under the extensions?
• Q: How are unemployment benefits paid under the extensions?
• Q: Why didn’t I receive my full benefit rate the week before I started receiving Extended Benefits?
• Q: What if my on-line benefit payment history shows “0” under Remaining Balance?

Q: What extensions of unemployment insurance benefits are currently available?

A: For details on current unemployment insurance extensions, visit our benefit extensions page.

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Q: Who is eligible for the unemployment insurance extensions?

A: In addition to meeting the deadlines in the question below, you must meet the following basic eligibility requirements:

• Have no rights to regular or extended compensation under any other state or Federal law.
• Meet basic state eligibility requirements such as being ready, willing and able to work. However, special work search requirements apply to individuals claiming Extended Benefits. See “ What are the work search requirements for Extended Benefits?” below.
  Note: If you are attending training approved by the New York State Department of Labor, you are not required to look for work while claiming benefits.

Individuals who are currently employed should not quit a job to file for unemployment insurance extensions. Quitting to collect these benefits will result in disqualification.

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Q: What are the deadlines and last payable weeks for the extensions?

A: For details on deadlines and last payable weeks, visit our benefit extensions page.

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Q: How do I claim weekly benefits under the extensions?

A: You can claim the additional weeks of unemployment benefits in the usual manner, by logging in on the Benefits Online Page and clicking on “Claim Weekly Benefits,” or calling our toll-free Tel-Service number.

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Q: If I reside outside of New York State, but have a claim with New York State, will I be eligible for Extended Benefits?

A: If you reside in a state that currently offers Extended Benefits, you are potentially eligible for up to 20 weeks of Extended Benefits. For details on Extended Benefits, visit our benefit extensions page.  As of 5/20/12, these states include: Dist. Of Columbia, Idaho, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

If you reside in a state that does not currently offer Extended Benefits, you will only be eligible to receive 2 weeks of Extended Benefits. As of 5/20/12, these states include: *Alabama, *Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, *California, *Colorado, *Connecticut, *Delaware, *Florida, *Georgia, Hawaii, *Illinois, *Indiana, Iowa, *Kansas, *Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, *Maryland, *Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, *Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, *North Carolina, North Dakota, *Ohio, Oklahoma, *Oregon, *Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, *South Carolina, South Dakota, *Tennessee, *Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Virgin Islands, *Washington, *Wisconsin and Wyoming.

*Extended Benefits recently ended in these states. Therefore, if you have already received two or more weeks of Extended Benefits, no further Extended Benefits will be payable or available to you.

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Q: What are the work search requirements for Extended Benefits?

A: The following work search requirements apply to individuals claiming Extended Benefits.

Note: If you are attending training approved by the New York State Department of Labor, you are not required to look for work while claiming benefits. You must actively search for and be prepared to accept suitable work. Suitable work includes:

• Any work for which you are reasonably fitted by training and experience
• Any work you are capable of doing, whether or not you have any training or experience in that particular field, if it pays at least 80% of your high quarter base period wages. You may not restrict your work search based on your customary occupation, previous pay rate, or previous training or job skills.
• In addition, suitable work must also:
  • Pay the prevailing wage for such work in your area
  • Equal or exceed applicable minimum wage
  • Be free of labor disputes
  • Not require you to join or leave a union
  • Be located within a reasonable travel distance. Generally, travel of one hour by private transportation or one and one half hours by public transportation is considered reasonable.
• You must apply to or contact at least two (2) prospective employers each week
• You must also keep a record of your work search that includes, at minimum, the following information:
  • Date of contact
  • Employer name
  • Employer address
  • Method of contact
  • Position applied for
• You may use the Extended Benefits-Monthly Work Search Record Form or a separate sheet of paper to keep track of your work search efforts.
• You must mail the completed work search records, on the last Sunday of any month in which you claim Extended Benefits, to the NYS Department of Labor at PO Box 15121, Albany NY 12212-5121.
• If you fail to search for work during a particular week for any reason, you should not claim benefits for that week. Otherwise, you may be disqualified from receiving benefits until you have worked for four (4) weeks and earned four (4) times your weekly benefit amount.

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Q: What if I am attending training approved by the New York State Department of Labor?

A: If you are attending training approved by the New York State Department of Labor, you may be eligible to receive additional weeks of unemployment benefits under the extensions, and you are not required to look for work. However, if you are on a break from school of more than 5 weeks, you will be required to be available for work and to actively search for work.

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Q: What is my weekly benefit rate under the extensions?

A: The weekly benefit amount paid for additional weeks of benefits under the extensions is the same amount you received for regular benefits.

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Q: How are unemployment benefits paid under the extensions?

A: Department of Labor now pays benefits either by Direct Deposit (into your personal checking account) or on a Direct Payment Card (debit card) account. We will pay additional weeks of benefits under the extensions using the same method as your previous claim.

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Q: Why didn’t I receive my full benefit rate the week before I started receiving Extended Benefits?

A: Before you can be paid Extended Benefits (EB), you must have received all the Emergency Benefits (EUC) you are entitled to receive. In many cases, your remaining balance of Emergency Benefits (EUC) will not be the full amount of your weekly rate. You cannot receive Emergency Benefits (EUC) and Extended Benefits (EB) in the same week.

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Q: What if my on-line benefit payment history shows “0” under Remaining Balance?

A: If you are eligible for additional benefits under a new extension program, the remaining balance amount will be adjusted the next time you claim benefits. You do not have to file a new unemployment claim, unless the system advises you to.

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