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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.
This is really helpful advice, especially coming from someone in HR! I'm definitely going to gather all those texts from my babysitter and any emails I sent to my supervisor about the childcare issues. It's reassuring to know that they actually look at the circumstances rather than just automatically denying for attendance. How long does the adjudication process typically take when they're investigating these types of cases?
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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 🙏
Alice, I'm literally in the exact same boat! Got my $0 deposit this morning and been pending for 2.5 weeks now. Filed in mid-January after my company did unexpected layoffs. This thread has been such a relief - I was starting to panic that my claim was broken but now I understand the $0 deposit is actually their standard verification process before sending real money. The timeline variation is crazy though! Reading about people getting paid in days vs others waiting months is both hopeful and scary. I'm definitely taking everyone's advice to check portal messages religiously since it sounds like they hide critical stuff there. Also going to start the 8am calling routine tomorrow. If we don't see progress by Friday maybe we should both try claimyr - seems like getting an actual person on the phone is the key to unlocking whatever's causing our claims to be stuck in limbo. Stay strong, we'll figure this out! 💪
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! 🤞
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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!
That's such a great point about the password reset emails! I never would have thought to check those for my unemployment number. And the debit card paperwork tip is really valuable too - I remember getting one of those KeyBank cards but I probably tossed all the documentation without looking at it carefully. It's amazing how many obscure places this number can be found. This entire thread has been so incredibly helpful - it's like everyone has become unemployment number detectives sharing all their discoveries! Reading through all these experiences makes me realize that NYS DOL really needs to hear about how confusing their system is for users. Maybe they don't realize how much time people are spending just trying to find basic information about their own claims. Thanks for adding even more places to search - between everyone's suggestions here, I think we've covered every possible hiding spot!
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!
I'm so glad this thread has been helpful for you! I went through this same nightmare a few weeks ago and I know exactly how frustrating it is. One thing I'd suggest is to start with the easiest options first - definitely check that "View Claim Details" section since multiple people have confirmed finding it there labeled as "UI Number." Also, don't forget to look in your spam/junk email folder since those confirmation emails sometimes end up there. The mobile app suggestion is worth trying too since some people said the number shows up more clearly there than on the website. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to go through all this just to find our own basic account information, but you're definitely not alone in this struggle. Keep us posted on what works for you - and don't give up, it's definitely somewhere in your records!
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I just successfully got through this morning using a variation of the strategies shared here! Called at 8:47am (slightly later than the usual 8:00am rush everyone talks about) and got connected after 28 minutes. What worked for me was calling the main number (1-888-209-8124) and when I got the automated system, I pressed 2 for existing claims, then 4 for payment issues instead of 3. This routed me to a different department but they were able to help with my benefit calculation question anyway. The agent discovered that my previous employer had reported incorrect wage information, which was causing my weekly benefit amount to be way lower than it should be. She corrected it immediately and said I should see the adjustment in my next payment. One tip that really helped: I called from my landline instead of my cell phone like someone mentioned earlier in this thread. Not sure if that actually made a difference but I figured it was worth trying. For anyone still fighting this system - don't give up! The morning window (8:30-9:15am) seems to work just as well as the afternoon one everyone's been having success with. Just avoid that initial 8:00am rush and be patient once you're on hold.
Mason, this is really encouraging to hear about the morning window working too! I've been so focused on trying the afternoon times that everyone's been successful with, but it makes sense that there would be multiple good windows throughout the day. Your tip about pressing 4 for payment issues instead of 3 is interesting - sounds like different menu paths can still get you to helpful agents who can handle various types of problems. The landline vs cell phone thing is something I keep seeing mentioned, so there might actually be something to that in terms of connection quality or how their system processes the calls. It's great that you got your wage information corrected - seems like incorrect employer reporting is a really common issue that's causing a lot of people's benefit amounts to be wrong. I'm going to try both the morning window (around 8:45am) and the afternoon one to see which works better for my schedule. Thanks for sharing another successful strategy and giving us more options for timing our calls!
Mason, thank you for sharing the morning window success! This gives me another option since my work schedule makes it hard to call during those afternoon hours everyone's been recommending. I'm really intrigued by your experience pressing 4 for payment issues instead of 3 - it's good to know that different menu paths can still lead to helpful agents who can address multiple types of problems. The wage reporting error you discovered is something I'm definitely going to ask about when I call, since my benefit amount also seems lower than expected based on my previous salary. Your landline tip is smart too - I've been using my cell phone this whole time but maybe the connection quality really does make a difference in getting through their system. Planning to try the 8:45am window tomorrow morning using a landline and see how it goes. This thread has become such an amazing resource with all these different timing strategies and menu options. Really appreciate you adding another successful approach to help those of us still trying to crack this impossible system!
I've been struggling with this exact same issue for over 6 weeks now! My claim has been stuck in "under review" status and I can't get any information about what's holding it up. I've tried calling the main number dozens of times at random hours but always get stuck in that awful automated loop that eventually hangs up on me. Reading through all these success stories is giving me so much hope though! I had no idea about the specific timing windows or menu sequences that actually work. I'm definitely going to try the 4:15-5:00pm strategy tomorrow using the main number (1-888-209-8124) and press 2 then 3 like everyone's been having success with. I'll make sure to have everything ready beforehand: my PIN, SSN, all my pay stubs from last year, bank info, and a written list of specific questions about why my claim is stuck. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need to strategize like this just to reach our own state agency, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share what actually works when the official system is completely broken. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and timing tips - this thread has been more valuable than months of trying to navigate the NYSDOL website on my own!
Hi. Thank you for this amazing thread and all the support. I've been struggling to get through for 9 weeks. When I call the main number (1-888-209-8124) and press 2, it then directs me to enter my SSN and PIN without providing an option 3 to connect. Any advice on when to enter 3?
Rachel Tao
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.
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Mateo Sanchez
•This is super helpful Rachel! I didn't realize there was a minimum earnings requirement beyond just having worked in multiple quarters. So if I made $500/week consistently, that's $6,500 per quarter which should meet the $2,600 minimum, and my total base period earnings would be way more than 1.5 times my highest quarter. Thanks for breaking down the base period calculation too - I was confused about which quarters they actually look at.
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Rudy Cenizo
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.
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Kevin Bell
•That's a really good point about checking wage reporting! I hadn't thought about that potential issue. How do you verify through the NY.gov portal exactly? Is it under the same section where you can check your wage history that someone mentioned earlier? I want to make sure everything is properly documented before I potentially need to file.
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