Unemployed claimants reaching the end of their claim may be wondering how to extend unemployment benefits. Unemployment extensions in New York are only available during certain times and under specific circumstances. Federal unemployment extensions provide additional periods of benefits payments during times of unusually high unemployment.
- Learn About Requesting an Unemployment Benefits Extension in New York
- Past Federal Unemployment Extensions
New York Unemployment Resources
Learn About Requesting an Unemployment Benefits Extension in New York
Standard unemployment payments end after a maximum of 26 weeks. Claimants who depleted their unemployment benefits have conditions they must meet before establishing a new claim. They must:
- Gain new employment (and be laid off through no fault of their own).
- Earn 10 times the benefit rate.
- Only file a new claim once the benefit year in which they collected has ended.
The same provisions are required for those who were denied eligibility due to resignation, termination or refusal of new work opportunities.
At times, the federal or state governments establish an unemployment benefits extension program. These extensions can increase the number of weeks qualified beneficiaries can receive payments.
The federal and state governments typically do not have unemployment extensions available except during periods of high nationwide unemployment.
When the Extended Benefits (EB) program is activated, the state may notify claimants who meet the extension eligibility requirements about its availability.
There is currently no active federal unemployment extension in New York.
Past Federal Unemployment Extensions
Following the subprime mortgage crisis and the collapse of the housing bubble in the United States, the unemployment rate peaked at 10 percent nationwide in October 2009. To combat the effects of unemployment, the federal government established the temporary federal unemployment extension known as Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08).
EUC08 provided 100-percent federally funded unemployment extensions to qualified claimants. The four-tier system added additional weeks of benefits for a total of up to 53 weeks.
The federal unemployment extension EUC08 ended when national unemployment rates reduced to 6.7 percent. The last payable week for New York claimants was the last full week of December 2013.
And in 2020, the federal government initiated the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which ended in 2021. The PEUC increased the maximum number of benefit weeks to 57 or until September 5, 2021 – whichever came first.
Last Updated: February 28, 2023