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!

Make sure she understands the weekly claim requirement too! Even after the initial application is approved, you have to file every week to actually receive payments. I know someone who got approved but didn't realize they had to keep filing weekly and missed out on several weeks of benefits.

One thing I'd add is to make sure your neighbor has her most recent pay stub and any termination paperwork from her employer ready. The system will ask for her last day of work and final wages, so having those exact dates and amounts will make the process smoother. Also, if she was laid off due to lack of work (not fired for cause), that makes her eligible right away. The initial application usually takes 2-3 weeks to process, but she should start filing weekly claims immediately after applying even before getting approved - those weeks can be paid retroactively once she's approved.

I went through this exact same struggle when I filed my claim a few months ago! The terminology on those forms is definitely confusing. For the separation reason, I'd suggest being as specific as possible - if your employer used the exact phrase "reducing workforce due to budget cuts" then "lack of work" is probably your best bet since it's the broadest category that covers layoffs. One thing that really helped me was calling the NYS DOL customer service line (888-209-8124) during off-peak hours (usually mid-morning on weekdays) to clarify questions before submitting. Yes, you might be on hold for a while, but it's worth it to get it right the first time. Also, make sure you have your Social Security card handy - they ask for the exact spelling of your name as it appears on your SS card, and any discrepancies can cause delays. Good luck!

I'm going through this same process right now and this thread is incredibly helpful! One thing I want to add - if you worked multiple jobs before becoming unemployed, make sure you list ALL of them in the employment history section, not just your most recent one. I almost missed including a part-time job I had alongside my main job, but it turns out that can affect your benefit calculation. Also, when they ask about any severance pay or vacation payout, be completely accurate about the amounts and dates - they'll verify this with your employer anyway, and any discrepancies will just slow things down. The whole system seems intimidating at first but reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel much more confident about filling it out correctly. Thanks to everyone who shared their tips!

Hey Andre, I went through something really similar last year. One thing that helped me was looking into whether my employer was violating labor laws - like if they're cutting your hours without proper notice or creating an unsafe work environment, that could actually work in your favor for an unemployment claim. NYS Department of Labor has specific rules about "good cause" for leaving, and some things that seem like normal bad management are actually violations. You might want to file a complaint with the Department of Labor about the working conditions WHILE you're still employed - this creates a paper trail that shows you tried to address the issues before leaving. Even if you don't get the workplace issues resolved, having that complaint on file can really strengthen your case if you do end up having to quit and apply for benefits.

I was in a really similar situation a few months ago - toxic manager, unpredictable schedule changes, the whole nightmare. What I learned is that just walking away without notice is definitely risky for unemployment benefits, but there are some strategies that worked for me. First, I started documenting EVERYTHING - every time my hours got cut, every inappropriate comment from management, every policy violation I witnessed. Then I filed complaints with NYS Department of Labor about the scheduling issues and workplace environment while I was still employed. This created an official record that I was trying to address legitimate workplace problems. When I eventually had to leave (I gave two weeks notice citing the documented issues), my unemployment claim was approved because I had established a pattern of trying to resolve workplace violations before quitting. The key is building that paper trail that shows you didn't just abandon your job on a whim, but were responding to genuine workplace problems that your employer failed to address.

Update: I finally got through!!! Used the Claimyr service that someone suggested above and spoke with a representative. Turns out there was a glitch in their system that applied my tax withholding AND student loan garnishment retroactively, so they took out 8 weeks worth of deductions all at once! The rep submitted a correction request and said my next payment should be back to normal, and they'll refund the extra amount they took out within 2-3 weeks. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

So glad you got through and figured it out! That system glitch sounds like a nightmare - taking 8 weeks of deductions all at once is brutal. I've been dealing with similar issues trying to reach DOL for my own claim problems. Quick question - about how long did the Claimyr service take to get you connected? And did they charge upfront or after they got you through? Trying to decide if it's worth it for my situation too.