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Honestly the whole system is confusing and they don't explain anything clearly. I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and half the time I don't understand what they're asking for. But no, unemployment is definitely not social security - completely different bureaucracies making your life difficult in different ways!
Just to add - your unemployment benefits might be taxable income for federal taxes, but that's different from affecting Social Security. Make sure you're setting aside money for taxes if you're not having them withheld from your NYS Department of Labor payments.
If you're having trouble getting through to the IRS about your unemployment tax refund status, I had luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of being on hold trying to check my refund status.
The unemployment tax situation is so confusing. I got unemployment benefits in 2023 but didn't realize I could get a refund until this year. Can I still file an amended return for that?
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to discuss your specific situation, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to speak with real agents. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call and getting busy signals when I needed to clarify some details about my claim status.
Restaurant industry is notorious for pulling this crap. They cut your hours instead of laying you off properly so they don't have to pay into the unemployment system as much. At least NY lets you collect partial benefits unlike some states. Make sure you document everything in case they try to fight your claim later.
Sean O'Donnell
The NYS Department of Labor system is completely broken! This happens to people constantly and they never explain what's going on. I've been fighting with them for months over different issues and they just give you the runaround every single time.
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Zara Ahmed
•I feel your frustration but that doesn't really help the OP figure out what's wrong with their specific situation.
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StarStrider
def call them or your gonna wait forever for answers. the zero benefits thing usually means theres some kind of hold on your account that you cant see from the website
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