I'm currently going through this process right now and wanted to share what I've learned so far. Like you, I was worried about whether having a criminal record would affect my eligibility, but after reading through the NY Department of Labor guidelines, I found out that they focus primarily on your work history and earnings during the base period. The fact that you worked for 2 years at a warehouse before your sentence is really important - that shows you have substantial work credits. I'm about 3 weeks into my application process and while it's been slow, the caseworker I spoke with was professional and didn't make me feel judged about my situation. One tip: when you file online, make sure you have your Social Security number, employment dates, employer contact information, and reason for separation ready. Also, be prepared for the weekly certification process where you'll need to report your job search activities. It's actually helped keep me motivated to actively look for work. Don't give up - you earned these benefits through your previous employment and you have every right to apply for them.

I went through this same situation about 8 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. You absolutely can collect unemployment after incarceration in NY - your criminal record doesn't disqualify you from benefits you earned through prior work. Since you worked 2 years at the warehouse, you should have enough work credits. When I applied online through ny.gov, I had to provide employment history, wages, and dates, but they didn't ask directly about incarceration. However, during the phone interview (which took about 3 weeks to get scheduled), they did ask about the employment gap and I was honest about it. The key things that helped me: 1) Had all my W-2s and pay stubs organized beforehand, 2) Registered with the NYS job bank immediately after filing, 3) Started documenting job searches right away (you need 3 work search activities per week), and 4) Connected with a local American Job Center for additional support. The whole process took about 6 weeks total, but I did receive back pay from my filing date. One more tip - consider reaching out to reentry organizations like The Fortune Society or STRIVE - they understand the system and can provide job search support that counts toward your weekly requirements. You paid into unemployment insurance through your warehouse job, so you've earned the right to these benefits. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise!

One thing to keep in mind is that the base period they use for calculating benefits is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at your earnings from January 2024 through September 2024. Since you've been working consistently for 8 months, you should have enough quarters to qualify. Also, don't forget that you need to have earned at least $2,600 in your highest quarter AND have total base period earnings of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter amount to be eligible.

Just wanted to add that you should also check if your employer has been properly reporting your wages to the state. I had an issue where my part-time employer wasn't submitting my wage reports correctly, which delayed my claim processing. You can verify this by checking your Social Security earnings record or through the NY.gov portal. Also, if you do end up filing, make sure to keep detailed records of your job search activities since you'll need to certify that you're actively looking for work each week to continue receiving benefits.

Same thing happened to me but with my car breaking down constantly. Filed anyway and got approved after they investigated. The key is showing it wasn't intentional misconduct.

I work in HR and can tell you that attendance issues don't automatically disqualify you from unemployment benefits. The NYS Department of Labor looks at whether the behavior was willful misconduct or due to circumstances beyond your control. Childcare emergencies can be considered compelling circumstances. Make sure to file your claim immediately and be completely honest about the situation. Keep any documentation you have about the childcare issues - texts, emails, etc. Even if your claim goes to adjudication, don't give up. Many people win their appeals when they can show the attendance problems weren't due to deliberate misconduct.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got my $0 deposit yesterday morning and have been stuck on pending for almost 3 weeks. Filed my claim in early February after my restaurant job ended when they cut staff due to slow business. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying - sounds like the $0 deposit is definitely normal and means they're verifying our bank info, but the timeline seems to be all over the place! Some people get their actual payment in 2-3 days while others are waiting months. I've been certifying every single week religiously and checking my account status obsessively. Definitely going to start checking my portal messages daily now since so many people mentioned important notifications hiding there with no email alerts. Planning to try calling right at 8am tomorrow too. If I don't see any movement by early next week I might have to bite the bullet and try that claimyr service everyone keeps mentioning - sounds like actually talking to a human is the only way to figure out what's causing these pending delays. This whole system is such a nightmare but at least now I know I'm not alone! Thanks for asking this question OP, really needed to see other people dealing with the same frustrating situation 🙏

I'm in the same exact situation! Got my $0 deposit this morning and have been stuck on pending for 3 weeks now. Filed in late January after my company did layoffs. This thread is incredibly helpful - I was starting to worry something was seriously wrong with my claim, but now I understand the $0 deposit is actually their way of testing bank info before sending real payments. The timeline differences are pretty wild though - some people get paid within days while others wait months! I've been certifying every week without fail and checking my status constantly. Definitely going to start checking my portal messages daily since so many people mentioned important notifications get buried there with no email alerts. Also planning to try calling right at 8am starting tomorrow. If I don't see any movement by next week I might have to try that claimyr service everyone keeps talking about - sounds like actually getting a human on the phone is the only way to figure out what's causing these pending delays. Thanks for posting this question OP, it's reassuring to know so many of us are dealing with the same frustrating situation right now! 🤞

I just wanted to share my experience since I struggled with this same issue recently! One place that hasn't been mentioned yet is if you've ever used the "forgot password" feature on your ny.gov account - sometimes they send reset emails that include your unemployment number as part of the account verification process. Also, if you've received any unemployment debit cards in the mail (like KeyBank cards for NY unemployment), your claim number is often printed on the paperwork that comes with the card or on the card carrier itself. I ended up finding mine on the little paper insert that came with my debit card that I almost threw away! It's really frustrating that such basic information is so hard to locate - they definitely need to make this more user-friendly. But don't give up, everyone's suggestions here are incredibly helpful and between all these different places to check, you'll definitely find your unemployment number!

I'm dealing with this exact same frustration right now! I've been searching for my unemployment number for days and it's driving me crazy. Thank you so much to everyone who shared all these different places to look - I had no idea there were so many possible locations. I'm going to start with checking my ny.gov account under "View Claim Details" and then work through all the other suggestions like email confirmations, bank statements, and even my phone screenshots. It's honestly unbelievable that finding your own unemployment number requires this much detective work, but I'm feeling much more hopeful now that I have all these strategies to try. This community is amazing for helping each other navigate such a poorly designed system!