i stg the new york unemployment website is run by a hamster on a wheel. same thing happened to my sister last month - she ended up having to go IN PERSON to a office to get it fixed. ridiculous.

I had the EXACT same issue last month and it was driving me absolutely crazy! Turns out my account had been flagged for "suspicious activity" even though I hadn't done anything wrong. The rep told me it happens sometimes when you log in from different locations or devices. Here's what finally worked for me: 1) Stop trying to log in for 24 hours (I know it's hard but multiple failed attempts make it worse) 2) When you do try again, use the EXACT same device/browser you originally set up the account with 3) Make sure you're typing your username exactly as you registered it (no extra spaces, check capitalization) If that doesn't work, you really do need to call them. I know everyone says the phones are impossible, but I got through by calling at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday. Took 45 minutes on hold but the rep fixed it in literally 2 minutes - there was some weird technical flag they had to manually remove. Don't panic about the fraud stuff unless you notice actual changes to your bank account. The fact that your payments are still coming through normally is actually a good sign that it's just a technical glitch rather than identity theft.

This whole system is so messed up! Employers can just walk you out whenever they want but then you have to jump through hoops to prove you deserve benefits. Good luck dealing with the NYS Department of Labor bureaucracy - hopefully they actually process your claim quickly for once.

I work in HR and see this situation fairly often. @Fatima Al-Farsi you're absolutely right to file - this is called being "separated prior to resignation date" and NYS treats it as an involuntary termination. When you file online, there's actually a specific option for this exact scenario. You'll want to select that you were discharged/terminated and then explain in the comments that you had given notice but were released early. Also keep any documentation like your original resignation letter or emails about being told not to return. The fact that you have a job starting soon shouldn't affect your eligibility for that gap week, just make sure to report your new start date when you certify for benefits.

They better hurry up with these tax forms! Last year they were late and i had to amend my return which cost me extra money with my tax preparer 😡

I'm in a similar boat waiting for my 1099-G! Called the unemployment office yesterday and they said forms should be available online by January 25th this year. The rep mentioned they're trying to get them out earlier than the January 31st deadline because so many people need them for early tax filing. You can also sign up for email notifications in your NY.gov account so you'll know right away when they're posted. Hope this helps with your mortgage timeline!

I struggled with getting through to NYS Department of Labor to clarify this exact question when I filed last year. If you're having trouble reaching them by phone, I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process much less stressful when I could actually talk to someone who explained how the multi-employer situation works.

Just want to add that having multiple employers might actually help your benefit calculation since NYS Department of Labor looks at your total earnings. As long as you meet the minimum wage requirements during your base period, you should be fine. The main thing is making sure you were separated from your last job for a qualifying reason.

One more important thing - if you're doing freelance or gig work, you need to report that income in the week you performed the work, not when you got paid. This trips up a lot of people with unemployment claims.

Just want to add that if you're consistently earning close to or over your benefit amount, it might be worth considering whether to pause your unemployment claim temporarily. I had a few good weeks where I was making decent money from freelance work, and it made more sense to just not certify for those weeks rather than deal with the reduced benefits and potential complications. You can always resume your claim later as long as you're still within your benefit year. Just make sure to understand the rules about when you need to reopen vs. continue your existing claim.