Who qualifies for unemployment benefits in New York?
New York qualifications for unemployment coverage are based on the amount of income a former employee has earned during the base period, which represents one year of work and wages prior to filing an unemployment claim. In New York, two types of base periods exist. The basic base period is the last first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before filling out an unemployment insurance application. If you meet the minimum wage criteria in the first four quarters, then the basic base period will be the only one used to calculate your unemployment benefit payments.
For those who meet eligibility for EDD but do not have enough base period wages to qualify, then the alternate base period is used to calculate aid amounts. The alternate base period is the last four of the first five completed calendar quarters before applying for unemployment coverage.
One year of work consists of four calendar quarters. Base period dates depend on when you file a claim to receive unemployment insurance. The following is an example of how the base period quarters are divided within a year:
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1st Quarter: January 1 – March 31
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2nd Quarter: April 1 – June 30
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3rd Quarter: July 1 – September 30
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4th Quarter: October 1 – December 31
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5th Quarter: January 1 – March 31
I applicants must meet three earning requirements and the below qualifications for unemployment in New York:
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Former employees must have worked and been paid wages in at least two calendar quarters by companies who have unemployment insurance.
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Past workers must have been paid at least $1,900 in one calendar quarter.
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NY residents’ total wages paid must be at least 1.5 times the amount paid in their highest paid quarter.
Note: If your highest paid quarter wages were $9,350 or more, you must have been paid at least half of the total amount in the remaining three quarters of your base period.
What are the requirements to get unemployment benefits in New York?
Other than meeting the aforementioned qualifications for unemployment benefits in NY, you must also meet certain criteria to be awarded unemployment insurance within the state. New York former employees must be unemployed through no fault of their own in order to meet unemployment insurance eligibility requirements. Other qualifying circumstances include being laid off due to objective business conditions. Residents, who were let go by their employers due to misconduct or criminal charges, will not meet eligibility for unemployment insurance. Also, if you quit your job voluntarily, you may be ineligible to receive unemployment coverage.
A claimant who qualifies for unemployment insurance must comply with additional requirements in order to be granted continuous unemployment benefits. New York residents must actively look for work during their unemployment period and submit proof of job search activity, weekly. Furthermore, unemployed citizens must be physically and mentally able to work. In the event that you are offered an employment position while you are receiving unemployment insurance, you must be able to accept it immediately and begin working.
If you meet New York unemployment insurance eligibility criteria, you can file a claim to receive benefits online or by contacting the NYSDOL at its toll-free number. Once your application has been reviewed, the NYSDOL will send you a Monetary Determination notice that will state whether or not you have met qualifications for unemployment aid. If your claim is approved, you must request to receive payments every week by submitting the required job search information either online or by phone.
