Check your online account for the monetary determination notice - it breaks down exactly how they calculated your benefit amount using your quarterly earnings. If you think there's an error, you can request a hearing to dispute it.

The minimum wage thing is SO frustrating! I worked two part-time minimum wage jobs and when I got laid off from both, my unemployment was barely enough to cover rent. The system is rigged against low-wage workers who need help the most.

Wait I'm so confused about this whole thing. I got unemployment too but also worked part time some weeks. Do I report everything separately or does it all go together somehow?? This tax stuff is so complicated

The IRS has gotten really good at matching up 1099-G forms with tax returns. They use automated systems to catch discrepancies, so trying to skip reporting unemployment is basically guaranteed to get caught eventually. Better to just include it upfront and avoid the headache later.

I had a similar situation where I couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to check on my adjudication status, which made the anxiety so much worse. A friend told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that basically calls the unemployment office for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. I was skeptical at first but watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) and decided to try it. Got through to someone at NYS Department of Labor the same day and found out my claim just needed one additional document. Having that clarity really helped with the mental stress of not knowing.

This might sound weird but I found it helpful to treat job searching like a part-time job - work on it for 4-5 hours a day then give yourself permission to do other things. The guilt of 'I should always be looking for work' was eating me alive. Also, if you're really struggling mentally, many areas have free counseling services for people dealing with unemployment.

I got denied because I couldn't reach anyone at NYS Department of Labor to verify my employment history and missed the deadline. Their phone system is impossible. If you do apply, try using something like claimyr.com to actually get through to an agent - there's a demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Could have saved me months of headaches.

The performance thing might actually work in your favor if they're also saying restructuring. Sounds like they're trying to cover their bases but it shows they had multiple reasons for the termination. Mixed messages from employers often help the claimant's case during adjudication.

The whole system is ridiculous honestly. Got fired from my warehouse job for missing too many days when my kid was sick and they STILL made me wait 6 weeks for adjudication. Like they're doing you a favor or something. But yeah you can definitely apply, just be prepared for them to take forever to decide.

Just to add - make sure you're honest about the reason for termination when you file. NYS Department of Labor will contact your employer anyway, so any discrepancies will hurt your case. The fact that you feel the write-ups were unfair doesn't necessarily matter legally, but if you can show the termination wasn't for willful misconduct, you should be approved.