What help can you get after losing a job in New York?

NY State of Health and SNAP each take their own application, separate from your unemployment claim.

Lost your health coverage with your job?

If your job loss also ended your health coverage, NY State of Health may let you enroll in a private health plan without waiting for Open Enrollment. Losing minimum essential coverage is one of the Qualifying Life Events that open a Special Enrollment Period there. Its Special Enrollment Periods page lists the other events, such as marriage or the birth of a child. For more information or help applying, call its Customer Support Center at (855) 355-5777.

Can you apply for SNAP while you collect?

Yes, and the Department of Labor notes that receiving or filing for Unemployment Insurance may exempt you from SNAP work requirements. Apply online at myBenefits.ny.gov; in many places, nutrition outreach providers and community organizations can help you apply, and your local department of social services can answer questions. The state's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) explains who can get benefits on its SNAP page, and its toll-free hotline for SNAP questions is 1-800-342-3009.

Where can you find other local help?

Dial 2-1-1 for free, confidential help finding local services for food, housing, mental health support, and more. Nationally certified specialists answer around the clock in multiple languages and use a database of verified resources to find help near you. In New York City, the Office of Children and Family Services lists 311 as the number for information and referral. You can also start on the statewide 2-1-1 site, run by a subsidiary of the United Way of New York State.

Can you collect if you were fired?

Being fired for poor job performance alone does not automatically disqualify you under New York law. Misconduct is different: it is something you did, or failed to do, that you knew your job did not allow and that harmed your employer or could have. Losing a job through misconduct disqualifies you until you have worked again and earned at least 10 times your weekly benefit rate. The Department of Labor decides which applies, and the eligibility guide explains the reasons you choose from when you file. If you disagree with the Department's determination, you have 30 days from the date on the notice to request a hearing.

How does part-time work change your claim?

A week of part-time work can still pay all or part of your benefit if you work 30 hours or fewer and your gross pay stays under $869, the maximum benefit rate since October 6, 2025. Part-time work affects your claim at each of these points:

• Filing: if your hours were cut and you have not filed yet, file during that first week of partial unemployment. The filing guide explains which weeks you cannot file for.
• Your payment: the week's benefit drops in steps set by your total hours, as the chart in the benefit amounts guide shows.
• Your weekly claim: you report the work as a number of days, which the weekly claims guide explains.
• How long benefits last: a reduced week draws down your claim more slowly, so your 26 weeks of benefits can stretch further into your benefit year.

What if you turn down a job?

Each weekly claim asks whether you refused any job or offer of work. Turning down work your training and experience fit you for, without good cause, stops benefits until you have worked again and earned 10 times your weekly benefit rate, and after 10 weeks of benefits the range of jobs you must accept gets wider. The eligibility guide explains both rules and who is exempt from the second.

How do you stop unemployment benefits when you go back to work?

Claim credit for the last days you were out of work, then stop claiming weekly benefits. You do not need to tell the Department of Labor that you are stopping. Stop claiming from your first day on the job, not from the day your first paycheck arrives.

If the new job is part time, you may still collect all or part of your benefit, and the part-time answer above explains the limits. If you lose the new job before your benefit year ends, whatever the reason, you can reopen this claim, and the guide to how long benefits last explains how.