This is absolutely infuriating! I'm dealing with the exact same thing - payments randomly stopped 10 days ago with just "pending" status and ZERO communication from them. I've literally called 87 times (yes, I'm keeping count because I'm going insane) and can't get through to a single human being. It's like they want us to just give up and disappear. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear this is happening to tons of people and it's probably those random "verification" flags they're throwing around because of fraud concerns. The fact that they can just freeze our lifeline without even sending an email is absolutely criminal. I'm definitely going to try the assembly member route first thing Monday morning, and if that doesn't work fast enough I might have to bite the bullet and try that Claimyr service everyone's mentioning. Has anyone had luck with the Twitter approach @NYSLabor? At this point I'm willing to try literally anything. We shouldn't have to jump through these insane hoops just to find out why our own benefits got cut off!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the system is absolutely broken! I'm in a similar boat where my payments just vanished with no explanation about 2 weeks ago. After reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear this is happening to SO many people because of these random verification flags they're throwing around. Here's what I've learned from this thread that seems most promising: 1. Contact your assembly member's office ASAP - multiple people say they have direct lines to DOL and can get faster responses 2. Try the Twitter approach @NYSLabor - seems hit or miss but worth a shot 3. If you're desperate and can afford it, several people have had success with Claimyr.com for actually getting through to a human The fact that we're all dealing with identical situations (payments stopped, "pending" status, zero communication) makes it obvious this is systematic rather than individual account issues. Don't give up - you have every right to those benefits and answers about what happened! Keep us posted on what works for you because we're all fighting the same battle here.

The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me. You pay into unemployment insurance your whole career and then they cap how much you can get back. Meanwhile the cost of living keeps going up but the max benefit barely increases each year!

Just wanted to add some clarity on the timing aspect - if you're considering taking that full-time position, remember that your base period for unemployment benefits is calculated using completed quarters. So if you take the job now, those higher earnings won't factor into your benefit calculation until several months later when those quarters become part of your base period. NYS Department of Labor uses a lag system, so there's always a delay between when you earn the money and when it counts toward your UI benefits. Something to keep in mind for your planning!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and can confirm what everyone is saying here - vacation pay absolutely needs to be reported and it will likely make you ineligible for benefits during those weeks. One thing I'd add that I learned the hard way: make sure you understand the difference between "vacation pay" and "payment in lieu of notice" if your employer offers both. My company gave me 2 weeks pay in lieu of notice (which didn't affect my unemployment) plus vacation payout (which did). Also, keep detailed records of everything - dates, amounts, which weeks it covers, etc. The DOL can and will ask for documentation later, and having it organized from the start saves a lot of stress. The system is definitely confusing but following the rules exactly is worth it to avoid overpayment issues down the road.

This is exactly the kind of detailed breakdown I needed! I'm currently in week 2 of unemployment after getting laid off from my job in Albany. My former employer just sent me paperwork showing they'll be paying out $3,200 in vacation time next Friday. Based on my previous weekly gross of $800, that works out to exactly 4 weeks of coverage. What's really helpful from reading everyone's experiences is understanding that I need to report this for the 4 weeks immediately following my last day of work, not spread it out randomly. I'm definitely going to contact my HR department to get official documentation showing the weekly breakdown - seems like that's crucial for staying compliant with DOL requirements. It's frustrating that this isn't explained clearly on the official website, but threads like this are invaluable for navigating the system properly!

@Mary, I'm sorry to hear about your hour reduction - that's really stressful! Just wanted to add that when you file your initial claim, you'll want to have your employment history ready including your employer's information, your Social Security number, and details about your wages from the past 18 months. The system will ask about the reason for your claim, and you'll select something like "reduction in hours" rather than "laid off." Also, don't wait to file - you can apply for benefits as soon as your hours are reduced, even before your first reduced paycheck. The sooner you file, the sooner your claim can be processed. You've got this!

Just wanted to share my experience - I went through something similar when my hours got cut from 35 to 15 per week at my office job. The partial unemployment benefits really made a difference! One thing that helped me was setting up direct deposit for the benefits right from the start - it made receiving payments much smoother. Also, keep a simple calendar or notebook to track your work hours each week since you'll need to report this accurately when filing your weekly claims. The NYS system is pretty user-friendly once you get the hang of it. Don't stress too much about the application process - they walk you through each step pretty clearly. The hardest part is just getting started, but once your claim is approved, the weekly filing becomes routine. Hang in there Mary, this temporary setback will get better!

UPDATE: I wanted to thank everyone for their help! I finally found what I needed. For anyone else looking for their award letter/benefit statement, check the payment history section. There's a small link called "View Benefit Details" that's easy to miss. From there you can download a PDF showing your weekly benefit amount. My landlord accepted this as proof of income!

This thread is so helpful! I'm bookmarking it for future reference. The NY unemployment system really needs to make these documents easier to find - it shouldn't take a whole community discussion just to locate a basic award letter. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions!