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So I was about to throw my phone after 3 hours on hold when I remembered my cousin said he used something called Claimyr. I tried it the next day and got through in about an hour. It's kinda genius - they just automate the annoying part (waiting forever on hold) then connect you when a human picks up. Game changer for real.
claimyr.com - they have tons of reviews online. just google it
Giovanni, I totally feel your frustration - I was in the exact same boat about 6 months ago. My claim was stuck in pending hell for almost 3 months and I was about to lose my apartment. After reading through all these comments, I actually tried that Claimyr service that multiple people mentioned and it genuinely worked. I was super skeptical at first because it seemed too good to be true, but they literally just handle the waiting on hold part and connect you once someone picks up. Got through to an actual human in under 2 hours and had my whole mess sorted out in one call. Worth every penny when you're facing eviction. The other tip that helped me was having EVERYTHING ready beforehand - all my documents, dates, previous case numbers, etc. When you finally get someone on the line, you want to be super organized so they can help you quickly. Hang in there, the system is absolutely broken but there are ways to work around it!
Thanks Rosie, this is really helpful to hear from someone who actually went through the same thing! I'm definitely going to check out Claimyr since so many people here seem to have had success with it. You're right about having everything organized too - I've been scrambling for documents during the few times I've gotten close to reaching someone. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, gives me hope that this nightmare might actually end soon 🙏
I'm in a similar situation - just started collecting UI last month and considering doing some gig work to supplement. Reading through these responses is really helpful! One question I have is about tracking expenses - if I'm doing DoorDash and spending money on gas, can I deduct those expenses from what I report to NYS DOL, or do I need to report the full gross amount before any expenses? I want to make sure I'm doing this correctly from day one.
You need to report the full gross amount before any expenses to NYS DOL. So if you earn $150 from DoorDash but spent $30 on gas, you still report the full $150 on your weekly claim. The expense deductions are something you handle later when you file your taxes with the 1099, but for unemployment purposes they only care about your gross earnings. It's definitely confusing but better to over-report than under-report!
Another important thing to keep in mind - when you're doing DoorDash or any gig work while on UI, make sure you're setting aside money for taxes! Since you're getting 1099 income, there won't be any taxes withheld, so you might owe at tax time. I usually put about 25-30% of my gig earnings in a separate account to cover self-employment taxes. Also, keep detailed records of all your deliveries, mileage, and expenses - it'll make tax season much easier and help you maximize your deductions when you file.
This is really smart advice! I didn't even think about the tax implications. So if I'm making like $200-300 a week from gig work, I should probably set aside around $60-90 for taxes? That's a good chunk but better than getting hit with a huge bill later. Do you use any apps to track your mileage automatically or do you just keep a manual log?
UPDATE: Finally got this figured out! For anyone else with this problem - I ended up doing THREE things that worked: 1. Used the virtual card at Target for a small purchase and got $100 cash back (thanks for that suggestion!) 2. Found a newer Chase ATM with the contactless symbol and was able to withdraw $300 (had to tap my phone to the symbol, then enter PIN) 3. For the rest, I just waited 2 more days for the bank transfer to complete The most frustrating thing is that NONE of this was explained in any of the materials I got from unemployment. You'd think they'd make it easier to actually access our benefits! Thanks everyone for your help!
So glad you got it figured out! Your experience highlights exactly why this system is so frustrating for people who need their benefits. The lack of clear instructions from NYSDOL is really unacceptable - people shouldn't have to crowdsource solutions on forums just to access their own money. Your update will definitely help others who run into the same issues. It's crazy that something as basic as "here's how to actually use your benefits card" isn't explained properly in their official materials.
Absolutely agree! This whole thread shows how broken the communication is from NYSDOL. People are struggling financially and then have to jump through hoops just to figure out how to access their own benefits. It's honestly shameful that basic instructions aren't provided upfront. Really glad @ec89ffba57e6 shared their solution though - this thread is going to help so many people who are dealing with the same nightmare.
I went through something similar last year and can share what happened. I forgot to report about $200 in odd jobs over a few weeks. When I realized my mistake, I immediately called NYS Department of Labor (took forever to get through) and voluntarily reported it. They were actually pretty understanding since I came forward on my own. They calculated an overpayment of about $85 that I had to pay back, but no penalties since it was clearly an honest mistake and I self-reported. The key is being proactive - don't wait for them to find it during an audit. Document everything about the work you did (dates, amounts, who paid you) before you contact them. It shows you're being thorough and honest about the situation.
@GalaxyGazer Thank you for sharing your experience! That's really reassuring to hear that NYS Department of Labor was understanding when you self-reported. $85 overpayment is way more manageable than what I was imagining. Did you have to provide documentation about the work you did, or did they just take your word for it when you called? I'm going to start gathering all the details about that $150 job before I contact them - dates, who paid me, what the work was. Better to be over-prepared than caught off guard if they ask for specifics.
I was in a similar situation a few months ago and want to share some practical advice. First, definitely contact NYS Department of Labor as soon as possible - waiting only makes it look worse if they discover it themselves. When you call, have all your documentation ready: exact dates you worked, amount earned, and who paid you. They'll ask specific questions and being prepared shows good faith. In my case, I had unreported income of about $300 over several weeks and they calculated an overpayment, but because I self-reported they waived any penalties. The overpayment was much less than I expected because they only reduce benefits proportionally, not dollar-for-dollar. The whole process took about 6 weeks to resolve, and I was able to continue receiving benefits for the weeks where I properly reported income. Don't panic - honest mistakes happen and they handle them much differently than intentional fraud.
@Arjun Patel This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I m'feeling much more confident about handling this now. It s'reassuring to know that NYS Department of Labor distinguishes between honest mistakes and intentional fraud, especially when you self-report. I was worried they d'treat any unreported income the same way regardless of intent. Your point about the overpayment being proportional rather than dollar-for-dollar is also really important - I had assumed they d'want back every penny I received during those weeks. I m'going to gather all my documentation this weekend and call them first thing Monday morning. Did you find any particular time of day better for getting through to someone, or is it just a matter of persistence with the busy signals?
Keisha Taylor
I'm experiencing the exact same issue - filed my weekly claim on Sunday and it shows as processed on my.ny.gov but still no payment deposited. Usually gets deposited by Wednesday at the latest. This seems to be affecting multiple people so I'm hoping it's just a temporary processing delay on DOL's end. I'll keep checking my account and the portal for updates. Thanks for posting this - at least we know we're not alone in dealing with this delay.
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Zara Malik
•Same situation here! Filed Sunday, shows processed but no deposit yet. I'm in the same boat as everyone else - this is definitely a widespread issue with DOL processing. Has anyone checked if there are any official announcements from NYS about system maintenance or delays? I'm going to keep monitoring my account and maybe try that claimyr service someone mentioned earlier if this doesn't resolve by tomorrow. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experience so we know it's not just individual account issues.
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Chris Elmeda
I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Filed my weekly claim on Sunday and it shows processed on my.ny.gov, but still no payment in my account as of Thursday evening. This is really stressful because I have bills due. It's somewhat reassuring to see others experiencing the same delay - suggests it's a DOL processing issue rather than individual account problems. Has anyone received any updates or notifications from NYS about system delays? I'm going to try calling tomorrow morning but based on what others are saying, it sounds like the phone lines are overwhelmed too.
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