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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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Going through the exact same thing right now! I certified on Wednesday morning and it's Friday evening with absolutely nothing in my payment history. Usually it shows up within a few hours like you said. After reading all these comments, it sounds like there's definitely some kind of system-wide issue happening this week. I'm going to check my message center tomorrow morning and try calling right when they open at 7:30am. If that doesn't work, I might have to bite the bullet and try Claimyr since so many people here are saying it actually works. It's just crazy that we have to pay a service to get through to our own state agency! Really hoping this resolves for all of us soon - the stress of not knowing if your payment is coming when you have bills due is awful. Keep us updated if you hear anything!
I'm in the same exact situation! Certified Wednesday too and still nothing showing up. It's so frustrating when you're depending on that money. I've been reading through all these replies and it seems like there's definitely something going on system-wide this week. Multiple people are reporting the same delays. I'm going to try calling first thing Monday morning and also check my message center like others suggested. If all else fails, might have to look into that Claimyr service everyone keeps mentioning. Really hope this gets sorted out soon for all of us - the uncertainty is the worst part!
I'm experiencing the exact same issue! Certified on Tuesday and it's now Saturday with absolutely nothing showing in my payment history. This is really stressful because I have my electric bill due Monday and was counting on this payment. After reading through everyone's experiences here, it's somewhat reassuring to know this seems to be a widespread problem this week rather than something specific to my account. I'm going to follow the advice here and check my message center first thing Monday morning, then try calling right at 7:30am when they open. If I can't get through after a few attempts, I think I'll have to try that Claimyr service that so many people are recommending - it sounds like it actually works even though it's frustrating we have to pay extra just to reach our own state agency. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and solutions, it really helps to know we're not alone in this mess!
I'm going through the same thing! Certified on Monday and it's now Sunday with nothing showing up. This whole thread has been so helpful - at least we know it's not just us. I was starting to think my account got flagged or something. I'm definitely going to try the early morning calling strategy tomorrow and check my message center like everyone suggests. It's ridiculous that we might have to use a paid service like Claimyr just to get through to our own unemployment office, but if it works it might be worth it. Really hoping they get this system issue sorted out soon - the stress of waiting for money you need for basic expenses is unbearable. Thanks for sharing your situation, it helps knowing others are in the same boat!
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One important thing to consider - if you do qualify based on previous W-2 wages, you'll need to be available for work and actively job searching. Running your sole proprietorship while collecting benefits could be tricky depending on how much time you're dedicating to it. NYS Department of Labor requires you to be able and available for full-time work.
Good point. My business is basically dead right now anyway, so I'd definitely be available for full-time employment. I've actually been looking for regular jobs since the consulting work dried up.
I went through this exact situation last year. As a former sole proprietor who had some W-2 income, I was able to qualify for benefits. The key is that NYS Department of Labor looks at ALL your covered wages during the base period, not just your most recent employment status. Since you mentioned having part-time W-2 work last year, definitely check your wage history first. Also, when you do apply, be completely transparent about your consulting business status - they'll ask about any self-employment income during your weekly certifications. If your business truly has no income coming in and you're genuinely seeking employee work, you should be fine. Just make sure you can document your job search efforts.
This is really helpful, thank you @Zoe Papanikolaou! It's reassuring to hear from someone who actually went through this process successfully. When you say "be completely transparent about your consulting business status" - did you have to officially close your business or just report that it had no active income? I'm worried about how to handle that part since technically my LLC is still registered even though I have zero clients right now.
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OP, I just went through this nightmare last month! Here's what worked for me: 1) Mail your forms to the Albany address that @Natasha Petrova mentioned if you have the barcode forms - use certified mail with tracking. 2) Fill everything out in BLACK INK ONLY (learned this the hard way). 3) Write your claim number on EVERY single page. 4) Take photos of everything before you send it. 5) If you need to talk to someone urgently, I had success with Claimyr - got connected to an agent who expedited my case. The whole verification process took about 2.5 weeks once they received my documents. Hang in there, it does get resolved eventually! Also check your online inbox daily once the site is working - they send important updates there.
This is exactly the kind of comprehensive advice I needed! Thank you so much for laying it all out step by step. I'm going to follow this to the letter - already found a black pen and ready to write my claim number on every page. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience!
This is so frustrating! I'm in a similar boat - got the identity verification forms two weeks ago and the website has been completely unusable. I've been trying to log in at different times of day but keep getting those timeout errors. Really worried about my rent payment too. Did anyone find out why so many people are getting these verification requests all of a sudden? It seems like half the people I know on unemployment got these forms around the same time. Also, for those mentioning Claimyr - is there a cost to use that service? At this point I'm willing to try anything to get through to an actual human being. The phone lines are impossible and I've been calling for days with no luck.
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Just want to add that attending career workshops or job training programs also count as work search activities. I went to a resume writing workshop at my local workforce center and it counted toward my weekly requirement.
I've been collecting unemployment for about 6 months now and wanted to share some additional tips for work search activities. Besides the standard job applications, you can also count networking events, informational interviews, and even reaching out to former colleagues about potential opportunities. I keep a spreadsheet with all my activities including company names, dates, contact info, and type of activity. The key is being consistent and genuine in your search efforts - don't just do the bare minimum of 3 activities if you're serious about finding work. Also, if you're in a specialized field, don't be afraid to reach out directly to hiring managers on LinkedIn - this counts as a work search activity too!
This is really helpful advice! I hadn't thought about networking events and informational interviews counting as work search activities. Do you know if there's a limit to how many of these "non-application" activities can count toward the weekly 3? Like, could I do 2 networking events and 1 job application, or do I need to have a certain number of actual job applications each week?
Hannah White
I was in a very similar situation - got laid off in September but didn't file until December because I was confident I'd land something quickly. NYS DOL approved my backdating request once I explained that I genuinely believed unemployment was meant as a last resort and had been actively interviewing. The key thing that helped my case was showing a clear timeline of my job search efforts during those months. I submitted screenshots of job applications, interview confirmations, and even rejection emails to prove I was pursuing work rather than just delaying. They ended up giving me back pay for about 8 weeks out of the 12 I requested. Don't let the fear of rejection stop you from trying - the worst they can say is no to some of the weeks, but you'll still get benefits going forward.
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Logan Chiang
•Hannah, your story gives me so much hope! I'm basically in the exact same situation - lost my job in October and kept thinking something would come up. Did you submit all that documentation right when you filed your initial claim, or did they ask for it later? I'm worried about overwhelming them with too much paperwork upfront but also don't want to seem unprepared. Also, how long did it take for them to make the decision on your backdating request?
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Steven Adams
•@Hannah White This is exactly what I needed to hear! I ve'been beating myself up about waiting so long, but your experience shows it s'not hopeless. I have a folder full of job applications and interview emails from those three months, so I feel more confident now about putting together a solid case. Did you upload everything as PDFs when you filed, or is there a specific format they prefer? Really appreciate you sharing your experience - it s'given me the push I needed to stop procrastinating and actually file this claim!
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Eli Butler
I went through this exact situation last year! The good news is that NYS DOL does allow backdating in cases like yours where you had legitimate reasons for not filing immediately. Since you mentioned your entire department was laid off, that actually strengthens your case - it shows this wasn't a voluntary quit or misconduct situation. When you file, be very clear in your explanation that you believed unemployment was meant as a last resort and that you were actively pursuing employment during those three months. Document everything you can - job applications, interview schedules, networking emails, even LinkedIn messages. The fact that you're within the one-year window means you're still eligible. I'd recommend filing online as soon as possible and requesting backdating for the full period. Even if they only approve partial backdating, you'll start receiving benefits immediately going forward. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good here - file now rather than waiting any longer!
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