To summarize for you and others with similar questions: 1. If your unemployment benefits were under $10,500 for 2025 (which yours are at $9,280), you qualify for the federal tax exemption. 2. This is NOT a payment or refund you receive now. It's an exemption when you file your 2025 taxes. 3. You still need to report all unemployment income on your tax return using information from Form 1099-G. 4. If unemployment was your only income and it's below the standard deduction amount (approximately $13,850 for single filers in 2025), you likely won't owe any federal income tax regardless. 5. New York State still taxes unemployment benefits, so you may still owe state taxes. 6. If you didn't have taxes withheld from your weekly payments, you might have a state tax bill when you file. Hope this clears things up for everyone!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I understand now that this isn't a separate payment but rather an exemption when I file my taxes. I'll make sure to update my address with NYSDOL so I get my 1099-G and will double-check everything when I file. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain!

This is a known issue happening today. According to the NYSDOL Twitter account (@NYSLabor), they're experiencing higher than normal traffic due to the quarterly tax filing deadline coinciding with regular certification activity. They've increased server capacity and expect the system to be fully operational by 6pm today. In the meantime, you can also try the automated phone certification system at 1-888-581-5812 which appears to be working normally.

FYI its working for me now just certified 5 mins ago

UPDATE: I used the Claimyr service someone recommended below and finally got through to an agent! They confirmed I was missed in the April cycle due to a processing backlog but have now manually added me to receive payment on April 29th. They said this happens sometimes with eligibility determinations that come through right after a payment cycle. SUCH a relief to have an actual date now!

Good advice about saving the confirmation number. For everyone's reference, the current NY unemployment CTC payment schedule for 2025 is: - January 15th - February 19th (delayed due to President's Day) - March 18th - April 29th (delayed due to tax filing deadline) - May 20th - June 17th - July 15th If your eligibility is determined within 14 days before any of these dates, you might be rolled to the next cycle unless you specifically contact them to request inclusion in the current cycle.

Does anyone know if its different if you go to CANADA instead of another state?? I'm planning a trip to Toronto next month and now I'm worried!!!!

I'm back from my trip and everything worked out fine! I certified while in California on Sunday, answered 'no' to the residence question since I wasn't relocating, and my payment was deposited as normal today. Thanks everyone for the help!

After your forfeit days are used up and you start receiving benefits again, make absolutely certain that your weekly certifications are 100% accurate going forward. The system flags accounts that have had prior issues, and second offenses typically result in much harsher penalties, including permanent disqualification from benefits.\n\nIf you're doing any side work or gig jobs while collecting, report every single dollar. It's better to have your weekly benefit reduced than to face more forfeit days or worse penalties.

That's really good advice, thank you. I'm definitely going to be extra careful with all my certifications going forward. This has been such a stressful experience that I never want to deal with forfeit days again!

Sometimes deleting your browser cookies and trying in a different browser can fix weird system errors. Might be worth a try?

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! Used Claimyr (thanks for that recommendation!) and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. The agent could see all my failed attempts and said there was a system flag on my account that was preventing the update. She manually removed the flag and processed my direct deposit change while I was on the phone. She said the new info should be active for my next payment. Such a relief!

has anyone got a partial refund? mine was supposed to be $743 according to my tax forms but i only got $598 deposited. no explanation why it was less.

UPDATE: My refund just posted to my account this morning! For anyone else waiting, I'm in the $45K-$55K income range and filed in early February. Looks like they're definitely working through Batch 2 right now. Thanks everyone for the help and information!

Update: Just checked the NYSDOL Twitter account and they've acknowledged the login issues. They say they're working on it and expect to have it resolved by tomorrow morning. They're also extending certification deadlines by 24 hours for anyone affected by this outage.

It's working now! Just logged in successfully. Must have been fixed in the last hour.

I've been collecting NY unemployment for 2 months now and had a similar issue with my KeyBank card in February. What I discovered is that sometimes there's a security hold if there's unusual activity. In my case, I had tried using the card at 3 different ATMs in one day (because the first two weren't working properly). This triggered some kind of fraud alert. You might want to check if you've done anything that could be considered "unusual" - like trying to withdraw a larger amount than normal, using the card in a different location, or making multiple transactions in a short time. When I finally reached someone at KeyBank (took forever!), they told me the security department had put a hold on my funds. They transferred me to that department who verified my identity and released the money immediately. Hope this helps! The situation is incredibly frustrating, I know.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to someone at KeyBank? If not, another trick I've heard works is calling right when they open in the morning. Their customer service opens at 8am EST Monday-Friday, and apparently the wait times are much shorter if you call right at 8.

Update on my situation: I finally got through using Claimyr this morning. Turns out they flagged my account because I had started a part-time job but hadn't reported the exact hours correctly (I reported the income but messed up the dates). The agent was actually helpful and unfroze my account within minutes once I explained. My payment should arrive by Friday. Such a relief!

Any update on your situation? Were you able to reach someone and get an explanation? For others reading this thread in the future, it's worth noting that NYSDOL now has specific requirements about reporting even the smallest amount of work or income during claim weeks. Missing even a few hours of part-time work can trigger an automatic forfeiture. The rules changed in late 2024 and they're being enforced more strictly in 2025.