i think im the only person here with some good news lol. yes its 26 weeks BUT if you work part time during those weeks and report earnings, those weeks where you get reduced benefits don't fully count against your 26. i stretched my claim to almost 9 months doing this. just something to consider.

Everyone saying 26 weeks is right, but no one talking about the stupidly low maximum benefit amount in NY 🙄 even if you made good money before, the max benefit is way below what most people need to survive in NY. The whole system needs an overhaul.

While you're dealing with NY unemployment, make sure you're taking steps to protect yourself elsewhere too! Immediately: 1. Place fraud alerts with all 3 credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) 2. Consider freezing your credit completely 3. Change passwords on ALL your accounts, especially email and banking 4. Set up 2-factor authentication everywhere possible 5. Monitor your bank accounts daily for suspicious activity 6. Check your credit reports weekly (they're free right now) 7. File an identity theft report at identitytheft.gov If someone has enough of your info to file an unemployment claim, they might try other types of fraud too. I learned this the hard way after my unemployment account was compromised last year and then they tried opening credit cards in my name too. Be proactive! For dealing with NY unemployment specifically, after wasting DAYS trying to call them myself, I finally used claimyr.com which got me through to a rep who could actually help. Talking to an agent got my account secured immediately which was crucial to stopping the fraudsters.

Pro tip: document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots of your account showing the fraudulent claim, write down dates and times of all calls, get names of representatives you speak with, and save case numbers. I'm still dealing with tax issues from a fraudulent claim that happened to me last year because I didn't have enough documentation to prove it wasn't me who received the benefits.

My friend works for NYSDOL (dont tell anyone lol) and she said they are SUPER backlogged with 1099 requests right now. Apparently their printer broke or something stupid 🤦‍♀️ If you need it urgently, calling is your best bet.

I went thru this last week. You HAVE to talk to a human. The automated system and website both suck. After 3 days of trying I used claimyr.com to get through and had my form in 2 days.

Double-check if you're calculating your gross wages correctly. It's pre-tax, pre-deduction amounts that matter for unemployment. Sometimes people accidentally use their net pay which is lower.

Fun fact: if you divide 504 by 8 hours, that's $63/hr... so they basically expect you to make less than $63/hr or lose ALL benefits... makes no sense for those of us making way less than that normally 🤔

worst case scenario - you can file your taxes without the W-2 by estimating the numbers and then file an amended return later when you get the actual document. IRS understands there are delays with government agencies. i had to do this last year.

Can't believe nobody mentioned this yet - but the IRS actually gets a copy of your 1099-G from unemployment directly. If you create an account on IRS.gov you can view your wage and income transcript which shows what was reported to them. Not as good as the actual form, but at least gives you the numbers you need for filing!

just got mine after TWO AND A HALF months lmaooo. the envelope was dated 3 weeks ago so it's been sitting in postal hell too. ny unemployment AND usps both failing us 👏👏👏

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE YEAR?? You'd think they'd figure out how to mail a form after decades of doing this. I'm so sick of this state's incompetence.

Not to be that person, but there are TONS of jobs out there right now. I know it might not be what you want to do long term, but places are desperate for workers. My local target is offering $18/hr starting and signing bonuses. Just something to consider while you figure out the unemployment situation.

have you considered gig work? when i ran out of benefits i did doordash/ubereats while job hunting. not amazing money but better than nothing and you can work whenever.

my hearing took 8 months to get scheduled and then they cancelled it the day before and rescheduled for another month later. ny unemployment is a joke.

one thing that helped me: document EVERYTHING. every call, every letter, every email. if you get a hearing, the more documentation you have, the better. take screenshots of your bank statements too if this is about wage discrepancies.

I've called 153 times this week (yes I counted). still haven't spoken to a human being. this is hell.

i know this sounds weird but try calling from a different phone number if you can. I think they might be filtering out people who call repeatedly from the same number

The wait is different for everyone tbh. Mine took 37 days exactly (yes i counted every single day lol). The judge ruled that my company was wrong to deny me benefits. Waiting was the worst part but it was worth it in the end when i got that backpay. hope u get good news soon!

I won my appeal in september, it took exactly 4 weeks and 3 days to get the decision in the mail. Be prepared to wait but also dont lose hope! From what i've seen, judges tend to side with the workers more often than employers in these cases. The system is defiantly designed to be frustrating but hang in there