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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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One important thing to keep in mind - if you do qualify based on your previous W-2 employment and file a claim, you'll need to report any earnings from your DoorDash work when you file your weekly claims. Even though it's 1099 income, any work and earnings need to be reported to NYS Department of Labor. This could affect your weekly benefit amount depending on how much you earn.
Carmen Vega
•Good point about reporting the gig income. I definitely don't want to mess up my claim if I do qualify. Do you know if there's a threshold where DoorDash earnings would make me ineligible for that week's benefits?
In New York, you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit rate without any reduction in benefits. If you earn more than that but less than your full weekly benefit amount, your benefits will be reduced dollar-for-dollar by the excess amount. If your DoorDash earnings exceed your weekly benefit rate, you won't receive any unemployment benefits for that week. So it's definitely worth tracking your gig earnings carefully when filing your weekly claims.
Mateo Silva
I went through this exact same situation about a year ago when my DoorDash earnings dropped significantly. I had worked at a retail job for about 10 months before switching to full-time gig work. What really helped me was gathering all my W-2 documents and pay stubs from my previous employer before applying. NYS Department of Labor was able to establish my claim based on those wages, but the process took longer than I expected - about 3-4 weeks to get my first payment. Just make sure you're prepared to actively job search for traditional employment positions and keep detailed records of your applications. It's worth applying even if you're not 100% sure about your eligibility since they'll review your work history and let you know.
Isla Fischer
•Thanks for sharing your experience @Mateo Silva! This gives me hope that I might actually qualify. Did you have any issues with NYS Department of Labor questioning why you left your retail job to do gig work? I'm worried they might see that as voluntarily quitting without good cause, which I know can disqualify you from benefits. Also, when you say 3-4 weeks for first payment, was that from when you first applied or from when your claim was approved?
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I went through something similar when my company had an unexpected 4-day closure for emergency repairs. The process was actually pretty straightforward - I filed online the same day they announced the shutdown and got benefits for those days. One thing that helped me was having all my employer info ready (company name, address, supervisor contact) before starting the application. Also, when you certify for benefits that week, you'll mark that you were "totally unemployed" for those days but expecting to return to work. The system handles temporary layoffs really well, so don't worry about it being complicated. Just make sure you're honest about the situation and you should be fine!
This is really helpful! I'm feeling much more confident about filing now. One quick question - when you say have all the employer info ready, do I need anything specific beyond the basics like company name and address? Like do they ask for the reason for the shutdown or just that it's temporary?
Miguel Ramos
•They'll ask for the basic employer info (name, address, phone) and you'll need to indicate the reason for separation - there's usually a dropdown option for "temporary layoff" or "lack of work." You don't need to write a detailed explanation about the equipment maintenance, just select the appropriate reason code. The system is pretty good about recognizing these standard temporary layoff situations. Having your last day of work and expected return date ready helps too, even if the return date is approximate.
Caden Nguyen
Just wanted to add my experience from when this happened at my warehouse job. The most important thing is to file your claim ASAP - don't wait until the shutdown actually starts. I made that mistake and it delayed my first payment by a few days. Also, keep documentation of the shutdown notice from your employer if they gave you anything in writing. It's not required but it can help if there are any questions later. The whole process took me about 15 minutes online and I had my benefits deposited within a week. Your employer has to pay into the unemployment system anyway, so don't feel guilty about using it when you legitimately need it!
That's great advice about filing ASAP! I wish I had known that when I went through a similar situation a few months ago. I waited until the actual shutdown day and it definitely delayed things. Also totally agree about not feeling guilty - we pay into this system for exactly these kinds of situations. Quick question though - when you say keep documentation of the shutdown notice, does a text message or email from a supervisor count, or does it need to be something more official?
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I'm 62 and went through this exact situation last year when I got furloughed from my warehouse job. You absolutely can collect both - there's no conflict between social security and unemployment benefits in New York. The key things to remember: 1) You'll need to report your social security income on your weekly certifications, but as others mentioned, they only count 50% of it against your unemployment benefits. 2) You still need to be actively job searching and available for work - age doesn't exempt you from the work search requirements. 3) Apply as soon as possible since there's usually a waiting period. I found the online application process pretty straightforward once I got started. Don't let the phone issues discourage you - the online system works much better than trying to call them.
Thanks for sharing your experience! This is really helpful. I'm curious about the waiting period you mentioned - how long did it take for your benefits to start after you applied? Also, when you say the online system works better, do you mean for the initial application or for the weekly certifications too? I'm trying to get a sense of what to expect when I file my claim.
Nia Watson
•@Elijah Knight In my experience, there was about a 2-3 week delay from when I filed to when I received my first payment, but that included the mandatory waiting week that everyone has to serve. The online system is definitely better for both - I did my initial application online without any issues, and the weekly certifications are pretty straightforward too. You just log in every week, answer the standard questions about your job search activities and any income, and submit it. Much more reliable than trying to get through on the phone. Just make sure you keep good records of your job search activities since they can audit those at any time.
Liam Mendez
I'm 69 and was in this exact situation two years ago when my part-time retail job ended. You can definitely collect both - I received unemployment benefits for 6 months while continuing to get my full social security. The NYS Department of Labor staff I spoke with confirmed there's no federal or state law preventing this combination. Just make sure you're completely honest on your weekly certifications about your social security income and keep detailed records of your job search activities. One tip: when you're doing your required 3 weekly job searches, don't limit yourself to just younger-worker jobs - there are employers specifically looking for experienced workers. I ended up finding a new part-time position through indeed.com that valued my experience. The whole process was much smoother than I expected once I got past the initial anxiety about applying.
This is really encouraging to hear from someone who's been through the whole process! I appreciate you mentioning the tip about not limiting job searches to "younger-worker jobs" - I hadn't thought about that but it makes sense. I've been worried that my age might work against me in the job search, but focusing on employers who value experience sounds like a much better approach. Did you find that most employers were understanding about your situation of being on both social security and looking for work? I'm hoping to find something part-time like you did.
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FYI - after you complete id.me verification, you need to go back to your ny.gov account and click "verify with id.me" again to link the accounts properly. Took me forever to figure that out!!
Wait really?? I didn't know this! Maybe that's why mine is still pending. I'll try that now, thank you!
Yep! The instructions are terrible. Let me know if that works for you!
Just went through this same nightmare last month! The phone number 866-775-4363 that others mentioned does work, but here's a pro tip - call right when they open at 8am EST. I got through in about 10 minutes vs the usual hour+ wait times later in the day. Also make sure you have your reference number from when you first started the verification process - they'll ask for it immediately. The whole thing is such a mess but once you get a real person they can usually sort it out pretty quickly. Hang in there, you'll get through this! 🤞
This is really helpful advice about calling at 8am! I've been calling in the afternoons and getting nowhere. Quick question - did you have to do the video verification call too, or were they able to fix everything over the phone? I'm dreading having to do another video call since my first one got disconnected halfway through 😩
Ruby Blake
Just went through this same thing last week. TurboTax will walk you through it step by step. You enter the 1099-G info in the 'Federal Taxes' section under 'Unemployment Income.' It's actually pretty straightforward once you find the right section. The software calculates everything for you.
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GalaxyGazer
One thing to double-check is whether you received any supplemental unemployment benefits like the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) or other pandemic-related payments mixed in with your regular NYS benefits. Even though those programs ended, if you received any of those payments in early 2024, they would be included in your 1099-G total. Also, make sure to keep a copy of your 1099-G form - you'll need it for your records and the IRS gets a copy too, so the amounts need to match what you report.
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Ezra Beard
•That's a really good point about the pandemic payments! I totally forgot about those. I think I might have gotten some FPUC payments early in 2024 before they fully ended, which would explain why my total seems higher than expected. I'll need to dig through my payment history to see if that's what's causing the discrepancy with my weekly benefit amount calculations.
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