I'm new to unemployment benefits and this thread has been super educational! I'm not dealing with a W9 situation myself, but I'm bookmarking this conversation because the explanations about timing (when work was performed vs when you get paperwork) are really clear. It seems like the key takeaway is that as long as you're honest on your initial application about past income, receiving tax forms later won't impact your ongoing weekly claims. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really helpful for those of us navigating this system for the first time!

I went through this exact same worry a few months ago! Got a W9 from some contract work I did over the summer, but I didn't start collecting unemployment until October. I called the NYS Department of Labor (took forever to get through) and they confirmed that W9s for work completed before your claim started have absolutely no impact on your benefits. The form is purely for the company's tax reporting - they need your info to send you a 1099 next year. Since you already included that $800 freelance income in your initial application, you've done everything correctly. The DOL has that info and it's already factored into your benefit calculation. Just fill out the W9 and send it back - your weekly certifications will continue as normal. The important distinction is between work performed WHILE claiming benefits (which must be reported weekly) versus receiving paperwork for work you did BEFORE claiming benefits. You're in the clear!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been stuck in ID.me hell for weeks because of my PO Box situation. Reading through all these suggestions is giving me hope though. I'm going to try the PS Form 1093 from the post office first since that sounds like the most official option. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to getting my bank to print a statement with my physical address and maybe try the video verification route. It's so frustrating that the system makes it this hard for people who live in rural areas or just prefer using PO Boxes for security reasons. Thanks everyone for sharing what worked - this thread is way more helpful than anything I've gotten from calling unemployment directly!

I've been lurking here for weeks dealing with this exact nightmare! Finally got verified last week after 2+ months of fighting with ID.me. What ended up working for me was combining multiple approaches - I got that PS Form 1093 from the post office that @Sophia Long mentioned (lifesaver!), plus I had my credit union print out an official account statement with my physical address. The key was doing the video verification call with both documents ready. The agent could see my driver's license matched everything and finally pushed it through. For anyone still stuck: don't give up! Try multiple document combinations and definitely do the video call if you can wait the 3-4 hours. The system is absolutely broken for rural folks but persistence pays off. Also keeping a detailed log of every attempt helped me explain the situation to the video agent. Rooting for everyone still fighting this battle! 💪

The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me. They make you jump through hoops to get unemployment benefits when you're already struggling, then they tax you on it like it's some kind of bonus income. Meanwhile rich people get tax breaks for their investments. Sorry for the rant but this stuff makes me so angry.

same here, got my 1099-G last week and now I owe like $900 in taxes 😭

From my experience working in HR before switching careers, I'd estimate employees win unemployment appeals around 40-50% of the time when they have solid documentation like you do. The fact that you have a company-wide email about budget cuts is huge - that directly contradicts their misconduct claim. NYS Department of Labor judges are pretty good at spotting when employers are trying to avoid paying unemployment costs. Make sure to organize all your evidence chronologically and practice explaining your timeline clearly. You've got a strong case!

I went through this exact situation 2 years ago - employer claimed misconduct when it was really downsizing. Won my appeal after a 3-month process. The key things that helped me: 1) I had the layoff announcement email (sounds like you have this too!), 2) performance reviews from the past year showing good standing, and 3) I stayed calm and factual during the hearing. The judge asked about the timeline of events, why I thought I was laid off vs fired for cause, and what documentation I had. Your company-wide budget cuts email is golden evidence - that alone should be enough to show their misconduct claim is bogus. Don't stress too much, you seem well-prepared!

Just want to add that sometimes they'll ask for your 'UI number' which is the same thing as your unemployment claim number. Don't let the different terminology confuse you - UI just stands for Unemployment Insurance.

Another thing that helped me was checking my online account dashboard - all your important numbers are usually displayed there once you log in. I bookmark that page because it has my claim confirmation number, benefit year dates, and weekly benefit amount all in one place. Much easier than digging through emails when you need to reference something quickly.