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The whole system is a nightmare honestly. They make you jump through hoops and then leave you hanging for weeks without any explanation. I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for over a month about my claim and still don't have answers.
unemployment and social security are COMPLETELY different!! your employer pays unemployment insurance taxes to the state, not you. social security comes from federal taxes that you and your employer both pay. totally separate systems, totally separate money.
I was confused about this too when I first started getting unemployment. The NYS Department of Labor website actually has a section explaining how the system is funded if you want to read more about it. But yeah, it's all employer taxes going into a state trust fund.
ugh dealing with NYS Department of Labor phone lines is such a nightmare when you need to ask about tax stuff. I spent hours trying to get through about my 1099-G last year. If you need to actually talk to someone about your tax withholdings, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents faster. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to reach someone.
I'm dealing with something similar - got let go two weeks ago and I've been calling NYS Department of Labor every day trying to get through to someone to ask about my specific situation. The phone system is absolutely terrible, I've been hung up on probably 15 times. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a human there? I have so many questions about the job search requirements and whether my termination reason will disqualify me.
I had the same problem with reaching them until someone here recommended using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that calls NYS Department of Labor for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked - got through to someone within a few hours instead of days of trying myself. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you're stuck.
The whole system is designed to discourage people from filing honestly. They make it confusing on purpose so fewer people claim benefits. I got fired for 'attendance issues' which was complete BS - I had documented medical reasons for my absences but they didn't care. Still got approved after a long adjudication process but the stress of not knowing for 6 weeks was awful.
Rachel Clark
ugh the whole system is confusing. i thought you got kicked off after 3 months but my cousin has been on it for like 6 months last year?? makes no sense
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Jeremiah Brown
•Your cousin might have been on extended benefits or pandemic programs that were available in 2020-2022. Regular unemployment in NY is up to 26 weeks now.
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Zachary Hughes
Just keep filing and don't overthink it. The system will tell you if there's a problem. I made it through my full 26 weeks last year without any issues as long as I kept up with the weekly claims and job search requirements.
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