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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE: HOW TO APPLY IF YOU LOST YOUR
JOB AS RESULT OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 DISASTER You may be eligible for unemployment if your workplace was destroyed or closed as a result of the disaster or if you have been laid off as a result of lost business in the wake of the tragedy. Whether or not you are eligible for benefits will depend in part on how much money you earned and how long you worked during the past year. If you are an immigrant, you may be qualified for unemployment in certain cases. For more information on eligibility, go to http://www.nelp.org/pub88.pdf. What is the deadline for applying: You should apply as soon as you lose your job, and no later than six months after becoming unemployed. What you should have when you apply: To apply for unemployment insurance, you should have: your Social Security number; the names and addresses of all of your employers within the last 18 months; your New York State driver's license or Motor Vehicle ID card number if you have one; your mailing address and zip code; a telephone number where you can be contacted for additional information; if you are not a U.S. citizen, your alien registration card number; if you have been a federal employee within the last 18 months, copies of your separation forms (SF 8 and SF 50); and if you are a former service member, a copy of your most recent separation forms DD214. How to Apply People can apply for unemployment insurance benefits by calling the State Department of Labor's telephone claims center at 1-888-209-8124. The
state has extended hours for phone claims. They are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. English and Spanish only. Currently, applications are also available at the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94, located at 54th Street and 12th Avenue, and at the Disaster Assistance Service Center at 141 Worth Street Be aware that applying in this way may take longer than filing by phone, but you may be able to receive personal assistance in filling out your application The State's Employment Services Offices are also open for those who don't have phone service, have language difficulties. Translators will be provided for anyone who needs help with the forms. Those offices are located at: * 55 West 125 Street, Harlem * 247 West 54th Street, Manhattan * 390 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx * 358 East 149th Street, Bronx * 250 Schermerhorn, Brooklyn * 13860 Barclay Avenue, Flushing * 16846 91st Avenue, Jamaica One-Stop * 19-20 Mott Avenue, Far Rockaway * 25-01 Queens Plaza North, Long Island City * 1139-1141 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island Hours at the centers have been extended. They will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Following the September 11th tragedy, the usual one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance claims has been eliminated for those working in New York City and who are now unemployed as a result of the disaster. PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ARE FOUND INELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE INSTEAD FOR DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS (DUA) ______________________________________________________________
To find additional legal information materials, please return to LawHelp’s September 11th "Information about Rights and Benefits" page www.lawhelp.org/cfm/Sep11_resources.cfm. Please note: Each person’s situation is different and written materials cannot take the place of direct legal assistance from an attorney. If you need legal help or advice, you can consult www.lawhelp.org for a referral directory of free legal services, or call the Association of the Bar of the City of New York at (212) 626-7373.