Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
$19.99StandardOne price
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the NYDOL
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the NYDOL drops your call
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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Just remember they also deduct taxes if you elect to have them taken out. I made the mistake of not having taxes withheld and owed a bunch at tax time. You can change this anytime though through your online account.
Good point! I did elect to have the 10% federal tax withheld but wasn't sure about state taxes. Do they withhold NY state taxes automatically?
No, NY doesn't automatically withhold state taxes from unemployment. You have to pay quarterly estimated taxes or set aside money for when you file your return.
The whole system is designed to confuse people I swear. They could make this so much clearer on the website instead of using all this bureaucratic language that nobody understands.
I agree the presentation could be better, but the information is all there if you know where to look. The Unemployment Insurance Handbook on the NYS Department of Labor website has detailed explanations of all the calculations.
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I had such a hard time getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor when my claim got stuck in adjudication. Spent hours calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to get my case reviewed.
interesting, never heard of that before. was it expensive?
Worth it for me since I couldn't afford to keep missing work trying to call them. Much easier than sitting on hold for hours.
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Rajan Walker
I had such a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about my benefit calculation last year. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent who could explain my specific situation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Was so much easier than trying to call myself.
How much did that cost though? I hate paying for something that should be free government service.
Rajan Walker
•I get that frustration but honestly it was worth it for me. The time I saved and stress I avoided trying to get through on my own made it worthwhile. Plus the agent was able to answer questions I couldn't find answers to online.
Just want to add that the maximum can change each year so always check the current rates. Also restaurant workers sometimes have issues with the way tips are reported affecting their benefit calculation, so make sure all your tip income was properly reported to get the full benefit amount you're entitled to.
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The unemployment rate being lower in 2023 doesn't really affect individual claim processing times. What matters more is whether your brother has any issues that need adjudication - like if he was fired vs laid off, or if there are any wage discrepancies. Manufacturing layoffs are usually pretty straightforward for NYS Department of Labor to approve.
Cedric Chung
•He was definitely laid off, not fired. The whole factory shut down a section so there were like 30 people let go at once.
Perfect, that should be an easy approval then. Mass layoffs like that rarely get held up in adjudication since the reason for separation is clear.
Chris Elmeda
just wanted to say good luck to your brother! i was unemployed for 4 months in 2023 and the benefits really helped keep me afloat while job hunting
Evelyn Martinez
There's also the possibility that if your school was accredited and you're eligible for a closed school discharge of student loans, there might be additional support available. Contact your state's higher education agency as well as filing with NYS Department of Labor. Document everything about the school closure - dates, notifications, any communications.
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Cameron Black
•Good point about documenting everything. I saved all the emails they sent about the closure. The school said they're trying to help students transfer to other programs but nothing concrete yet.
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Benjamin Carter
my sister went thru something similar but it was a beauty school that closed. she ended up having to start working again right away because she couldn't get unemployment. really depends on your work history i think
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