Overview

Important Update: As of September 5, 2021, several federal unemployment benefit programs, including PUA, PEUC, EB, and FPUC, have expired, per federal law. For more information, visit dol.ny.gov/fedexp.

 

The number of weeks of unemployment insurance benefits available to you depended on whether you received Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The number of weeks also depended on:

  • the date you filed your original claim,
  • whether you claimed full weeks of benefits since the beginning of your claim, and
  • whether there were any breaks in your claim.

The chart below shows the maximum number of weeks available under UI.

Regular Unemployment Insurance

While federal pandemic benefits were available, there were two extension programs for Regular Unemployment Insurance:

  • The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program (PEUC) provided 53 weeks of additional benefits. It went into effect April 5, 2020 and expired the benefit week ending September 5, 2021.

  • The Extended Benefits Program (EB) went into effect the week ending July 5, 2020, and expired the benefit week ending September 5, 2021.

The chart below shows the maximum weeks of benefits that may have been available to you based on your Original Claim effective date. Note: Your Original Claim effective date is the Monday of the week in which your claim was filed. You can find it on the Monetary Determination mailed to you or on your Online Services account page.

Regular Unemployment Insurance Claimants

Original Claim Effective Date*

Maximum Number of Benefit Weeks Available

July 2, 2018 - April 20, 2020

26 weeks of regular UI
Up to 53 weeks of PEUC (Ends 9/5/2021)
Up to 20 weeks of EB* (Ends 9/5/2021)

April 27, 2020 - August 31, 2020

26 weeks of regular UI
Up to 53 weeks of PEUC (Ends 9/5/2021)
Up to 20 weeks of EB* (Ends 9/5/2021)

September 7, 2020 and later

26 weeks of regular UI
Up to 20 weeks of EB* (Ends 9/5/2021)

September 6, 2021 and later 26 weeks of regular UI

* The number of available weeks of EB was dependent upon New York State’s unemployment rate.  From August 9, 2021 through September 5, 2021 this program was available for a maximum of 13 weeks. The EB program fully ended on September 5, 2021.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

Recipients of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance were not eligible for PEUC or EB. However, under federal law, PUA recipient received up to 57 weeks of benefits or benefits through September 5, 2021 – whichever came first. The PUA program expired on September 5, 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions (Updated March 2021)

Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act

Frequently Asked Questions about the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020