Yeah definitely file right away. I made the mistake of thinking I should wait and see if I could find another job first. Bad idea - you're just losing time and potentially money. The NYS Department of Labor wants you to file as soon as you're unemployed.

Just to add some clarity - in NY you should file your initial unemployment claim immediately after losing your job, but there's still a 7-day waiting period before you receive your first benefit payment. This waiting period starts from your first day of unemployment, not from when you file. So if you were laid off yesterday, that counts as day 1 of your waiting period. You'll still need to certify for benefits during that first week even though you won't get paid for it. The key is getting your claim started ASAP so there are no unnecessary delays in the process.

This is such a nightmare! I went through something similar last year and it turns out the system had my mom's maiden name spelled with a "y" instead of an "i" from some old DMV record. What finally worked for me was using a combination of approaches - I contacted my assembly member's office AND used that Claimyr service people are mentioning to get through to an actual human at DOL. The assembly member's office took about 5 days to respond, but Claimyr got me connected to someone within 2 hours who could see exactly what data they had on file. Turns out they were pulling from an old credit application where I had accidentally misspelled it years ago! The agent was able to override the system and verify my identity manually. Cost me like $20 for the Claimyr service but honestly worth every penny after weeks of frustration. Also definitely check your credit reports - all three bureaus - because that's apparently where a lot of these verification questions come from and there could be errors you don't even know about.

OMG this is literally happening to me RIGHT NOW! I'm on week 3 of the same exact problem - locked out after 3 attempts with the mother's maiden name. Reading through all these responses is actually giving me so much hope because I was starting to think I was completely screwed. The credit report angle is brilliant - I never would have thought they'd be pulling from there but it makes total sense why nothing is matching up. I'm definitely going to check all three bureaus today. Also going to try the assembly member route tomorrow. It sounds like that's worked for multiple people here and honestly at this point I'll try anything. The fact that they have direct lines to bypass the phone system is exactly what we need. Pedro, have you had any luck with any of the suggestions people posted? I'm particularly curious about the Claimyr thing - seems like several people had success with it even though I'm usually skeptical of these services. But desperate times... Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! This thread is like a lifeline when you're drowning in this broken system 🙏

The number of people going thru this EXACT same thing right now is wild. They're cracking down hard on everyone post-pandemic. My theory is they're trying to recoup all the money they paid out during covid.

im dealing with almost the identical situation, except my penalty is $580 for not reporting some gig work i did. called for weeks with no luck. finally broke down and used claimyr.com after seeing it recommended here. got a callback within 3 hrs and explained my situation. the rep actually helped me file for a waiver since it was my first offense! worth a shot for u too

I'm going through something similar right now with a $1,900 overpayment notice. From what I've learned, you should definitely file both the appeal AND the waiver request - they're separate processes that can run simultaneously. The appeal challenges whether the overpayment is correct, while the waiver asks for forgiveness even if it is correct. Make sure you have copies of all your weekly certifications showing you DID report the work. I found mine in my online account under "Payment History" - it shows exactly what you reported each week. Also document any technical issues you had with the system or confusing instructions. The fact that you reported the work but maybe got the hours wrong is actually a strong point in your favor for a waiver since it shows good faith effort to comply.

Carlos, I went through almost the exact same situation last year - $2,650 overpayment for underreporting part-time hours during a 4-week period. Like you, I had reported the work but miscalculated the hours on a couple weeks. Here's what worked for me: I immediately filed both an appeal AND a waiver request (as Harper mentioned, they're separate processes). For the appeal, I gathered my pay stubs, bank deposits, and screenshots of my weekly certifications showing I DID report income every week. For the waiver, I focused on proving it was an honest mistake - I wrote a detailed letter explaining how I calculated hours (I was mixing up gross vs net hours worked) and provided evidence of my good faith efforts. The key thing that helped was showing a pattern of consistent reporting with just computational errors, not hiding income. It took 3 months, but they reduced it to $650 and let me do a 12-month payment plan at $54/month. Don't panic - the fact that you reported the work puts you in a much better position than people who didn't report at all.

This is so frustrating but unfortunately very typical of the NY unemployment system right now. That 2015 expiration date is a dead giveaway that something is seriously wrong with your account - either old data got mixed up or there's a system glitch affecting multiple people. I've been following similar issues in this community and it seems like there was a major system update that went wrong, causing old penalties and random dates to appear on current accounts. The fact that you weren't even on unemployment in 2015 makes this pretty clearly a system error. The double penalty situation (forfeit + still owing money) doesn't make sense either. Normally if they forfeit your entire weekly payment, that should count toward any penalty balance, not be separate from it. Here's what I'd recommend based on what's worked for others: - Document everything immediately, especially that 2015 date before it potentially gets "fixed" and disappears - Try the secure messaging system first asking specifically about the date discrepancy - If that fails, the callback services people mentioned seem to be the most reliable way to actually reach a human - Consider contacting your state representative's office - they often have direct lines to DOL Don't let them wear you down - this sounds like a legitimate system error that they'll have to fix once someone actually reviews your case. Keep us posted on how it goes!

This is absolutely ridiculous - the NY unemployment system is completely broken! That 2015 expiration date is definitely a red flag that screams system error. I've seen similar issues where old data gets randomly attached to current accounts after their system updates. The fact that you're getting both a forfeit penalty AND they're saying you still owe money makes no sense. If they're taking your entire weekly payment away, that should be applied toward whatever penalty balance they think exists - not be separate from it. It sounds like their system is double-dipping. I'd definitely screenshot that 2015 date before it potentially disappears. Also try sending a secure message through your online account specifically asking about that expiration date discrepancy - at least you'll have their response in writing. If you can't get through by phone (which seems impossible these days), consider reaching out to your assembly member's office. They often have direct contacts at DOL and can help cut through the bureaucratic mess. This is clearly a system error that needs to be fixed, not your fault. Don't let them discourage you from fighting this - you deserve your benefits and they need to sort out their technical problems!