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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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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!
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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.
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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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Just to add some numbers to this - in NY, employers typically pay between 0.6% to 9.9% of their first $12,300 in wages per employee annually, depending on their experience rating. New employers start at around 4.1%. So for a company with 50 employees making $50k each, they might pay around $25,000-$30,000 per year into the unemployment fund. It really is a significant business expense that employers have to budget for, which explains why they're so careful about how they handle layoffs and terminations.
Wow those numbers really put it in perspective! No wonder employers take unemployment claims seriously. $25-30k annually for a medium sized company adds up fast. Thanks for breaking down the actual percentages and wage base - helps me understand why the whole experience rating system exists.
This thread has been really helpful! I had no idea the funding was so complex. One thing I'm curious about - does the amount I receive ($425/week) depend on how much my specific employer paid in, or is it just based on my previous wages? Like if I worked for a company that had a really low experience rating vs a high one, would that affect my benefit amount at all?
Your benefit amount is based solely on your previous wages, not your employer's experience rating or how much they paid into the fund. The NYS Department of Labor calculates your weekly benefit using your highest quarter earnings from your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed). The maximum weekly benefit in NY is currently $504, so your $425 suggests you had decent wages. Your employer's experience rating only affects how much they pay into the system going forward, but has zero impact on what you receive.
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This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm in almost the exact same situation as the original poster - my UI benefits expired about 3 weeks ago and I've been too scared to apply for cash assistance because I didn't want to somehow jeopardize my ability to reopen my unemployment claim if I find work. Reading everyone's real experiences has completely shifted my perspective. The consistent message about transparency being key, combined with the practical tips about bringing unemployment documentation to DSS and understanding the difference between gross vs net reporting, gives me a clear roadmap forward. What really struck me is how many people mentioned that DSS eligibility workers are actually experienced with these overlapping situations - I had convinced myself I'd be some kind of unusual case that would cause problems. I'm going to call my local office tomorrow morning and be completely upfront about my unemployment history and current job search. Thank you all for proving that getting help doesn't have to be scary when you're informed and honest about your situation!
Welcome to the community, Javier! Your situation sounds exactly like what so many of us have faced, and it's great that you're taking action now rather than continuing to stress about it. The point you made about being worried about jeopardizing your ability to reopen your UI claim is something I hadn't even considered, but it makes total sense. From what everyone has shared here, it seems like being transparent with both agencies actually protects you rather than hurts you - they can guide you on how to properly handle the transition if you do find work and need to reopen your unemployment claim. Your plan to call tomorrow and be completely upfront sounds perfect. You're going in with so much more knowledge than most people have thanks to this discussion. I'm confident you'll find the DSS worker helpful just like everyone else has reported. Best of luck with your call, and I hope you'll update us on how it goes!
I'm just joining this discussion but wow, what an incredible resource this thread has become! As someone who's been anxiously googling "unemployment and cash assistance NY" for weeks without finding clear answers, reading all these real experiences is exactly what I needed. The fear of accidentally doing something wrong and losing benefits or getting in trouble has kept me from even making a phone call, but seeing how many people have successfully navigated both systems with transparency and good record-keeping is so reassuring. I'm especially grateful for the practical tips about bringing unemployment documentation to DSS appointments and the timing advice about calling 30-45 days before benefits expire. My UI runs out in about 6 weeks and I was planning to just tough it out, but this thread has convinced me that reaching out for help is the smart move. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative discussion!
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same boat here but in Buffalo... rent due next week and still waiting on NYS Department of Labor to process my claim from 3 weeks ago. this system is so broken
Have you been filing your weekly claims? Even if your initial claim is still processing, you need to keep certifying or you'll lose those weeks of benefits.
I'm in a similar situation in Syracuse - lost my restaurant job 3 weeks ago and still waiting on my claim to process. What helped me get through was plasma donation if you're eligible (BioLife pays around $50-100 per donation), and I signed up for gig work like DoorDash just to have some immediate income while waiting. Also reach out to Salvation Army and Catholic Charities - they both have emergency assistance programs that can help with rent if you're about to be evicted. The key is applying for everything NOW, don't wait until you're completely out of money. Stay strong, the benefits will come eventually!
This is really helpful advice! I never thought about plasma donation - is there a BioLife location in Rochester? And how quickly were you able to start getting paid from DoorDash? I'm willing to do whatever it takes right now to bridge this gap until my unemployment comes through.
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I'm new to this community and dealing with the exact same situation! Certified on Sunday, got the "payment released" email on Monday, and it's now been 5 days with no deposit. I've been a nervous wreck thinking I did something wrong with my certification or that there was an issue with my direct deposit info. Finding this thread has been such a relief - it's clear this is a widespread problem affecting tons of people with identical timelines. I can't believe NYSDOL didn't send out any advance notice about potential delays when they implemented their new fraud prevention system. We depend on these payments for rent, groceries, and other essentials - the lack of communication is really unacceptable. I'm going to start by calling my bank tomorrow to rule out any holds on their end, then maybe try that Claimyr service if I need to reach someone at NYSDOL directly. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and keeping each other informed. It really helps to know we're not alone in this!
Rebecca, welcome to the community and you're definitely not alone! I'm also new here and going through the exact same timeline - Sunday certification, Monday release email, now day 5 of waiting. This thread has been a lifesaver for my anxiety too. It's incredible how many of us are experiencing identical delays with the new fraud prevention system. The lack of advance warning from NYSDOL is really frustrating, especially when people are counting on these payments for basic necessities. Calling your bank first sounds like a smart approach - several people here have found that helpful. And that Claimyr service Carmen mentioned seems promising if we need to actually reach someone at NYSDOL. Keep us posted on what you find out tomorrow! It's comforting to have this support network while we all navigate this mess together.
Just wanted to add my voice to this discussion as someone experiencing the exact same issue! I certified last Sunday, got the "payment released" email Monday morning, and here I am on day 5 with nothing in my bank account. Like so many others here, this has never happened to me before - my unemployment payments have always shown up within 24-48 hours of the release notification. I was starting to panic thinking I'd made some mistake or that there was a problem with my account, but reading through all these comments has been such a huge relief. It's clear this is a widespread system issue affecting tons of people with identical timelines. The fact that NYSDOL didn't warn claimants about potential delays when they rolled out this new fraud prevention system is really frustrating - we're already dealing with financial stress and need to be able to plan accordingly. I'm going to call my bank tomorrow morning to make sure they're not holding anything on their end, and if that doesn't resolve it, I'll look into that Claimyr service. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and creating this supportive space. It really helps knowing we're all going through this together!
Isabella Oliveira
The whole system is funded by employers but honestly it feels like they make it as hard as possible for us to actually collect what we're entitled to. All these adjudication delays and job search requirements - it's like they want people to give up and stop filing claims.
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Natasha Petrova
•SO TRUE!! the job search thing is ridiculous when you're already looking for work obviously
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations! I had no idea it was completely employer-funded. It's actually pretty smart that companies with higher turnover pay more - gives them a real financial incentive to treat workers better and avoid unnecessary layoffs. Makes me feel less guilty about collecting benefits knowing my former employer was required to pay into this system all along.
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QuantumQuest
•Exactly! It really is a well-designed system when you think about it. I was in the same boat when I first started collecting - felt weird about it until I learned how it actually works. The employer contributions are just part of doing business, like workers' comp insurance. Don't feel guilty at all - you earned this safety net through your work history!
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