Out of work because of the coronavirus? How to quickly apply for unemployment benefits

Coronavirus

Syracuse Community Health Center staff meet patients who arrived Monday morning to get tested for the coronavirus. James T. Mulder, jmulder@syracuse.com

Update: 100,000+ crash New York unemployment claims site; state tries new system

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Thousands of New Yorkers -- from bar and restaurant workers to gym and movie theater employees -- have suddenly found themselves out of work thanks to the coronavirus. But unemployment benefits can help cushion the financial blow.

And there’s good news from the New York State Department of Labor. It’s waiving the usual seven-day waiting period to file for unemployment benefits for people out of work because of the coronavirus.

Deanna Cohen, a spokesperson for the department, said people do not need to show proof that their unemployment is related to the coronavirus to file their claim without the seven-day waiting period.

How to apply for unemployment benefit

More good news. The days of waiting in long lines at an unemployment office are long gone. You now have two much quicker ways to file your claim.

It’s best to file online. Sign in at NY.GOV ID (you can create an ID on the same page if you don’t already have one) and follow the instructions to file a claim.

Even though you are doing it online, you can file your claim during these hours only:

  • Monday – Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday – all day
  • Sunday until 7 p.m.

You may also file by phone. Call the Department of Labor’s Telephone Claim Center toll-free at (888) 209-8124 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The department offers translation services. Use your phone’s keypad to enter the number for the language you choose.

What information do I need to complete my claim?

You’ll need these to file your claim:

  • Your Social Security number
  • Your driver license or Motor Vehicle ID card number (if you have either one)
  • Your complete mailing address and zip code
  • A phone number where the Department of Labor can reach you from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays
  • Your Alien Registration card number if you are not a U.S. citizen and have a card
  • Names and addresses of all your employers for the last 18 months, including those in other states
  • Employer Registration number or Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) of your most recent employer (FEIN is on your W-2 forms)
  • Your copies of forms SF8 and SF50, if you were a federal employee
  • Your most recent separation form (DD 214), for military service

If you cannot print web pages, have a pen and paper to copy information.

If you choose direct deposit of your weekly benefits, you’ll need a check that has your bank routing and checking account numbers.

How to estimate your weekly unemployment benefit

Go to the Department of Labor’s benefit rate calculator webpage (labor.ny.gov/benefit-rate-calculator) and fill in your gross earnings for each of the calendar quarters listed. Gross earnings are your wages before taxes and other deductions. Then hit the “calculate” button.

Your benefit depends on your earnings. The maximum weekly benefit is $504.

Who can apply?

You must have worked and been paid wages in at least two calendar quarters to qualify for benefits. Also, you must have lost work through no fault of your own; be ready, willing and able to work; and be actively looking for work.

If you need help filing your claim

If you have a disability and need help to file your claim, you may allow another person to aid you. You must be present each time they help you and use your PIN.

Callers may ask a friend or relative to help with phone claims if they have problems with hearing or speech, or have difficulty using the phone for any reason.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

· List of CNY schools closing

· A county-by-county map of cases, deaths in New York State

· How fast is coronavirus growing in New York?

· Here are the latest closings of events

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148

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