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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.
Just make sure you keep detailed records of EVERYTHING if you do apply. NYS Department of Labor will ask for proof of your work search efforts, documentation of your reduced hours, and records of all income including freelance payments. I learned this the hard way when they requested an audit of my claim six months later.
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my claim status. Spent hours calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected after waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to a real person at NYS Department of Labor. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made my life so much easier when I needed to verify some information about my weekly claims.
File as soon as possible! There's a waiting week before benefits start, and the sooner you apply the sooner your claim gets processed. With your work history at the retail job, you should definitely qualify. Just make sure you keep track of your job search activities since NYS Department of Labor requires you to actively look for work.
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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