If you already applied for unemployment, great! If not, then this post is for you.

Millions of Americans are receiving unemployment assistance. If you are currently not working (or working less than 4 days per week) or you were not working at any point since the beginning of the pandemic, you are most likely eligible for unemployment benefits. Think you are not eligible? Read ‘Unemployment: Eligibility’ and you might be pleasantly surprised.

HOW TO APPLY – THREE OPTIONS
You can apply either by phone or online.  There are two application links online that I know about. For most people, the simplest thing is to apply using the comprehensive application form. If you didn’t work at all in the past 18 months, you can apply using the ‘old’ application form. The simplest option though for someone who never worked is to apply by phone: 1-888-209-8124. If you never worked, you would be eligible for back-pay from the date that you were going to start working but couldn’t, due to Covid-19.

1) Simple ‘Old’ Application – https://applications.labor.ny.gov/Individual/

• It looks like this was the original form the DOL made after businesses closed due to covid-19
• If you are deemed ineligible for regular unemployment, you will be asked to complete a separate form for PUA.

2) Comprehensive “New” Application – https://unemployment.labor.ny.gov/

• A newer comprehensive application form that combines eligibility for regular unemployment and PUA in one application form. 
• The DOL will decide if you are eligible for regular unemployment or PUA. So there is no need to complete a separate form for PUA.
• If you click that you didn’t work in the previous 18 months, it doesn’t let you continue the application. It’s not clear to me whether someone who was scheduled to start employment is considered to have worked in the past 18 months or not.

3) Apply by Phone

• Call 1-888-209-8124
• If you never worked before, you can ask for an agent and tell the agent that you never worked before but were scheduled to start employment.

More details about the application process: https://www.homeunemployed.com/unemployment/How-to-Apply

Note: You can try both application forms. You can edit all your responses up until you click ‘Submit’ at the end of the application. Obviously, once you submit one application, don’t go back and submit the other one. That could end up confusing the system.

Did the above work for you? Comment below, to let us know so that others can benefit as well.

Further Reading
For everything unemployment-related, read these links from HomeUnemployed.com. 

• Overview – homeunemployed.com/unemployment
• Eligibility – homeunemployed.com/unemployment/eligibility
• How to Apply – homeunemployed.com/unemployment/How-to-Apply
• After You Apply – homeunemployed.com/unemployment/after-you-apply
• Certifying Weekly Benefits –  homeunemployed.com/unemployment/certifying-weekly-benefits
• FAQ – https://www.homeunemployed.com/unemployment/faq

Good luck!