Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live NYDOL agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the NYDOL
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the NYDOL drops your call
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!
Really made a difference
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!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
Just wanted to say thanks for asking this question - I'm in the exact same boat and was wondering the same thing!
I went through this exact situation last year when my company did sudden layoffs. You definitely don't need a termination letter to file - I filed the same day I was let go with just my employment details. The NYS Department of Labor website walks you through everything step by step. One tip: keep a record of exactly what your supervisor said when they let you go, even if it's just notes you write yourself. I wrote down the conversation right after it happened and it helped when they asked for details during the phone interview. The whole process was actually smoother than I expected, and I started receiving benefits within a few weeks.
That's really helpful advice about writing down the conversation! I wish I had thought to do that right after it happened. I can still remember most of what my supervisor said, but having written notes would definitely give me more confidence. Did they ask you a lot of detailed questions during the phone interview, or was it pretty straightforward?
Join the conversation
I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my eligibility question but their phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a real person there? This is so frustrating when you need answers about whether you even qualify.
Really? That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point. Did they charge you a lot for it?
They focus on getting you connected rather than the cost aspect. For me it was worth it just to finally talk to someone who could answer my specific eligibility questions instead of guessing from the website.
Don't forget you also have to be able and available for work and actively seeking employment. NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log of your job search activities. Even if you qualify initially, you have to maintain eligibility by meeting these ongoing requirements.
Good point! I've already started applying to other jobs since my hours got cut. Should I start keeping track of those applications now even before I file my claim?
Yes, definitely start keeping track now! Even though you haven't filed your claim yet, having that documentation ready will help when you do apply. NYS Department of Labor wants to see that you're serious about finding work. Keep records of where you applied, when, what position, and any responses you get. It'll make the weekly certification process much smoother once your claim is approved.
Join the conversation
The whole system is so confusing!! Why can't they just post the rates clearly online instead of making everyone hunt around for information? I spent hours on the NYS Department of Labor website last month trying to figure this out.
One thing to remember is that the taxable wage base for 2024 increased to $12,300 per employee, up from $12,000 in 2023. So even if your rate stays the same, you'll be paying slightly more per employee due to the higher wage base.
Good point about the wage base increase. That definitely affects my calculations. Do you know if there are any other changes for 2024 I should be aware of?
@Angelina Farar That s'a great point about the wage base increase! I m'also wondering if the subsidiary tax rate or any of the administrative fees changed for 2024. With 8 employees, even small percentage changes can add up quickly in the budget planning.
Join the conversation
That's amazing news that you got it figured out! For anyone else reading this thread in the future, it's worth noting that the NY DOL system can be really confusing with all the different sections. If you're ever stuck, the updated "More Online Services" > "Upload Documents" path that Riya mentioned seems to be the current best practice. I've bookmarked this thread because I know I'll probably need to help other family members with this stuff eventually. Good luck with your grandmother's appeal!
This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation for my elderly father and was getting so frustrated with the system. It's really reassuring to see that there's a clear solution now with the updated portal. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so valuable to have real people explaining the actual steps that work rather than trying to decipher the official government instructions.
Just wanted to chime in as someone who works at a local One-Stop Career Center - we see this confusion A LOT! The NY DOL portal has gone through so many updates that even we sometimes have to hunt around to find where things moved. @Riya Sharma thanks for sharing that updated path - I'm going to pass that along to my colleagues so we can help folks more efficiently. One thing I always tell people is to take screenshots of each step when you successfully upload documents, just in case there are any technical glitches later. The system will usually give you a confirmation number too - definitely save that! And for anyone still having trouble, don't hesitate to visit your local career center. We're here to help and it's literally part of our job to navigate these systems with you.
@Caleb Bell That s'so helpful to hear from someone who actually works at a career center! I had no idea you all were seeing this confusion regularly - it makes me feel less frustrated about how confusing the system can be. The screenshot tip is brilliant, I wish I had thought of that earlier. It s'really reassuring to know that career center staff are there specifically to help with these technical issues. I think a lot of people myself (included assume) you have to figure everything out on your own online, but having that in-person support option is so valuable especially for older adults who might not be as comfortable with constantly changing web interfaces.
Tony Brooks
Just wanted to add that you can also appeal your benefit calculation if you think there's an error. I had to do this when they missed including wages from a job where I worked the last few weeks of a quarter. The appeal process took about 6 weeks but they corrected my weekly amount from $298 to $421. Make sure to gather all your pay stubs and W-2s before filing an appeal though - they'll want documentation of all your earnings during the base period. The deadline to appeal is usually 30 days from when you receive your monetary determination letter.
0 coins
Madison Allen
•That's really good to know about the appeal process! I didn't realize you could challenge the calculation if there are errors. 30 days seems like a reasonable timeframe too. Did you have to go through any kind of hearing or was it just a paperwork review? I'm wondering if it's worth double-checking all my pay stubs against what they have on file, especially for that part-time job since those wages might be easier to miss or report late.
0 coins
Sophia Russo
One thing that caught me off guard was that the base period might not be what you expect - it's not the most recent four quarters, but the first four of the last five completed quarters. So there's actually a lag period where your most recent earnings might not count yet. When I filed in March, they were looking at my earnings from the previous January through December, not including January-February of the current year. This is called the "standard base period." If your earnings were higher in more recent quarters, you might be able to request they use the "alternate base period" which shifts everything forward by one quarter. Worth asking about if you think your recent earnings would give you a higher benefit rate!
0 coins
Jamal Brown
•That's a really important distinction about the base period timing! I think a lot of people assume it's just the most recent four quarters. The alternate base period option sounds like it could make a big difference for people who had their earnings increase more recently. Do you know if there's a specific process to request the alternate base period, or do they automatically consider both when calculating your benefits? I'm curious if that might apply to my situation since I got a raise at my main job toward the end of last year.
0 coins