I had something kinda like this happen back in January. My payment jumped up by around $200. Turned out they had recalculated my base period wages and I qualified for more than they initially thought. I got a letter about it a week later. Maybe check your mail?

Just to follow up - were you able to get an answer about this? If it was indeed a recalculation of your benefit amount, you should have received a Monetary Determination Notice (T402) showing the updated calculation. This would explain the increase and confirm whether it's permanent going forward.

Update for everyone following this thread: For situations like this with short-term out-of-state employment (under 6 weeks), you need to request a "Non-Qualifying Employment Exclusion" from NYSDOL. This requires: 1. Proof of the short duration (termination letter with dates) 2. Evidence you've returned to NY (lease, utility bill, etc.) 3. Form UI-BK-28 (Interstate Wage Exclusion Request) Once processed, they can reinstate your original NY claim as if the out-of-state employment never happened. But you must speak to a Combined Wage Claims specialist at NYSDOL, not a regular claims agent.

My cousin works for unemployment and says they've been swamped with these exact cases since so many people are doing gig work and temp jobs in different states. The system wasn't designed for how people actually work these days.

anyone know if we can pick up the 1099 in person at one of there offices? might be faster

Update: I followed everyone's advice and tried logging in early this morning (5:45am) and the website actually worked! I was able to download my 1099-G without any issues. Thanks so much for all your help! For anyone else with the same problem, definitely try accessing the site during off-hours.

Based on everything you've shared, it sounds like you have a strong case with the employer dispute since you have documentation about the layoff. One thing that helped in my situation was submitting a detailed timeline document through the secure message system. Create a chronological list of every interaction you've had with NYSDOL, including dates, names of representatives, and summaries of what was discussed. This shows you're organized and serious about resolution. Also, I recommend calling first thing Monday morning right when they open - the representatives seem to have more time and patience early in the day compared to later when they're overwhelmed.

Just checking in - have you had any progress with your case? Did any of these suggestions help?

UPDATE: I finally got my check cashed! Had to go to Bank of America (where the check is drawn from) and bring all the paperwork plus two forms of ID. The manager had to call some special verification number but it worked! Thanks everyone for the suggestions. For anyone else having this problem - definitely bring all documentation that came with the check and be prepared to wait while they verify it.

My check had the wrong address on it (I moved last year) and now they're saying I need to wait for them to reissue it which could take 4-6 weeks??? Has anyone dealt with this particular issue? The whole tourism bonus thing seemed straightforward until it wasn't.