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Just be prepared for the NYS Department of Labor system to be a nightmare. I've been trying to get through to them for weeks about an issue with my claim. The phone lines are always busy and the online chat never works. Good luck!
I was in a similar situation last year and couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about working while on benefits. The phone lines were constantly busy and I was getting stressed about making mistakes. Someone on here recommended claimyr.com and I tried their service to get connected to an actual agent. It worked really well - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. The agent was able to explain exactly how my part-time work would affect my benefits before I started the job.
How much does that service cost? I'm always skeptical about paying for something the government should provide for free.
ugh the whole system is so complicated! why can't they just have a simple calculator on the website instead of making us guess? i've been partially employed for months and still don't fully understand how they calculate everything
The waiting is the worst part honestly. I remember when I filed last year it felt like forever but looking back it was only about 18 days total. Just make sure you keep doing your weekly certifications even if you haven't gotten paid yet - that's really important or it can delay everything even more.
Don't count on getting anything quickly from NYS Department of Labor. The whole system is a joke and they make you jump through a million hoops just to get what you're entitled to. I've been waiting 3 weeks and still nothing.
The system is so confusing! I got unemployment when my restaurant closed permanently during covid but my friend got denied when she was fired from retail for 'attitude problems.' Sometimes it feels like they just pick and choose randomly.
Marcus Williams
I had the same issue with getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone. Someone on here recommended this service called Claimyr that actually calls for you and gets you connected to an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. I was skeptical at first but it actually got me through to someone in like 20 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks.
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Lily Young
•How much does that cost though? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to reach our own unemployment office.
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Marcus Williams
•I get that frustration but honestly it was worth it for me. Way less stress than spending hours every day trying to call.
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Kennedy Morrison
The whole system is broken. Why do we even have unemployment offices if they're never open and you can't reach anyone? This is exactly what's wrong with NYS Department of Labor - they make it impossible to get help when you actually need it most.
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