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ugh the NYS Department of Labor website is such a pain to navigate and their phone lines are always busy! I spent hours trying to get through when I had questions about my application. Has anyone found a better way to actually talk to someone there?
I had the same problem trying to reach NYS Department of Labor agents about my claim status. After weeks of busy signals, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually gets you through to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. It was a lifesaver when I needed to resolve an adjudication issue that was holding up my benefits.
This whole economic situation is insane!!! Three of my friends got laid off this month and my company is talking about 'restructuring' which we all know means more layoffs coming. The system wasn't built to handle this many people losing jobs at once. I'm dreading having to deal with NYS Department of Labor bureaucracy if I get cut.
I had major issues trying to reach NYS Department of Labor agents when I needed help with my adjudication. Kept getting busy signals and when I did get through, got transferred around forever. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier.
Wait, I'm confused about something. If businesses are failing because of the recession phase, does that affect whether I can get unemployment? Like if my employer goes completely bankrupt, will NYS Department of Labor still pay benefits? I'm worried they'll say it's not the employer's fault or something weird like that.
Business closure due to economic conditions absolutely qualifies for unemployment benefits. The reason for the layoff doesn't matter as long as it wasn't for misconduct on your part. NYS Department of Labor benefits come from a state fund, not directly from your employer, so bankruptcies don't affect your eligibility.
I had such a hard time getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about this exact situation. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent who could explain the rules for my specific case. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to get answers about whether I could transition from workers comp to unemployment when my claim ended.
The whole system is so confusing! Why can't they just have one program that covers all situations when you can't work? Makes no sense to have workers comp AND unemployment with completely different rules and agencies handling them.
Chris King
Don't forget she also needs to file her weekly claims every week even if she hasn't found work yet. Missing those weekly certifications can mess up your benefits big time. I learned that the hard way when I forgot to file one week and had to call NYS Department of Labor to fix it.
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JacksonHarris
•Good point! How long did it take to get that sorted out when you called?
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Chris King
•Honestly it was a nightmare trying to get through on the phone. Took me like 2 weeks of trying before I could talk to someone. If she runs into phone issues, I recently heard about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if the phone lines are still crazy busy.
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Rachel Clark
Also make sure she applies ASAP because there's a waiting week and benefits don't start immediately. The sooner she gets her claim in, the sooner she can start receiving payments if she's eligible.
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