(NY, NY)
I live in NY worked in NJ full time (through an agency from 2004 to august 2007) never got more work from agency, can I still file for benefits from that time? I collected UI previously from NY work from 2003 to 2004.
Suzy Orman said there is no time limit to file? But if I do I will show no income for the last 18 months. Can I claim the time worked from 2004 – 2007 as a base?
Hi,
Suzie Orman is right .. there is no time limit to file, but if you want benefits .. there needs to be wages in a “base period” to collect unemployment.
Currently, right now, many states are adding what is called an alternative base period in order to collect some stimulus money for “modernizing unemployment programs.
So, here’s the link I use to figure out “base periods” no matter what state someone is asking me about. The United States Dept. of Labor / Employment Training Administration. ( I also now double-check by clicking the UI modernization incentive payments link in the right hand column.)
I first check the state law comparisons. I know that NY already had an alternative base period of the “last four completed quarters, but ..
If your situation is one of being unemployed since 2007 and you never filed a valid claim which could have used either the standard BP which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters or the alternative BP of the last 4 completed quarters .. you are out of luck.
To still be able to qualify, NY would have to have what is known as an “Extended Base Period” which allows a state to consider wages earned prior to the standard base period.
So yes, there is no time limit, but a lot of good that does you if you have no wages in your base period.