Same boat here - worried about my old supervisor getting bothered! But like others said, they probably only heard from unemployment when I first filed. Been collecting for 6 weeks now and haven't heard anything about them getting calls.

Don't stress about it too much! I've been on unemployment twice in NY and can confirm what others are saying - they only contacted my employers during the initial filing process. The weekly certifications are just for you to confirm your status, not triggers for them to call your old job. Your manager was probably just misinformed or maybe trying to make you worry for no reason. Focus on your job search and don't let the anxiety about employer contact distract you from that!

I'm going through something similar right now and just wanted to share what I learned from talking to a benefits counselor. You definitely can't get unemployment while on medical leave - that's clear. But here's what helped me: contact your county's social services department. They often have benefits counselors who can walk you through ALL the programs you might qualify for, not just the obvious ones. In my case, I found out about emergency assistance programs I never knew existed, plus they helped me apply for everything at once instead of doing it piecemeal. Some counties even have emergency funds for people in situations like yours while waiting for disability to kick in. Also, if you have any savings or retirement accounts, look into hardship withdrawals. Not ideal, but might bridge the gap better than trying to survive on $170/week. The whole system is set up terribly for people dealing with health issues, but there are more resources than what's immediately obvious. Hope your recovery goes well!

I'm dealing with something similar and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea there were so many different programs and that they could potentially work together. The gap between unemployment benefits and disability is absolutely crazy - $170/week in NY is basically nothing. From reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key is to cast a wide net and apply for multiple programs simultaneously rather than just focusing on one. I'm definitely going to check with my HR about supplemental disability insurance and look into that Paid Family Leave option too. Has anyone had luck with the appeals process if you get initially denied for disability? I'm worried about the paperwork being filled out correctly the first time since it seems like the doctor's wording makes such a huge difference in whether you get approved. Also, for those who mentioned claimyr.com - is there a similar service for the disability system or do you just have to deal with those phone lines yourself? The unemployment system seems impossible to reach, so I'm assuming disability isn't much better. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences. It's making a stressful situation feel a lot more manageable knowing there are actual options out there!

omg yes file asap! I waited too long thinking I couldn't get it and lost out on like 3 weeks of benefits. dont make my mistake

As someone who works in healthcare administration, I can confirm that nurses are absolutely eligible for unemployment benefits in New York. The confusion might come from the fact that healthcare workers are often in high demand, but that doesn't affect your eligibility for UI benefits when you're laid off through no fault of your own. Since you were laid off due to budget cuts (which is considered involuntary separation), you should definitely qualify. Make sure to file as soon as possible since there's usually a waiting period, and benefits are calculated based on your wages during your base period. Good luck with your claim!

UPDATE: I was able to get through to someone at NY unemployment! I used the Claimyr service that someone suggested earlier and got connected to an agent within 25 minutes (which is miraculous compared to my previous attempts). The agent confirmed they can mail my 1099-G to my parents' address in New York. They said it should arrive within 7-10 business days. Just wanted to update in case anyone else has a similar issue. Thanks everyone for your help!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. The geographic IP blocking makes total sense from a security standpoint, but it's definitely frustrating when you're legitimately trying to access your own tax documents. Good to know there are multiple solutions - the official phone line, written requests, and services like Claimyr. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and workarounds!

Fun fact: if you divide 504 by 8 hours, that's $63/hr... so they basically expect you to make less than $63/hr or lose ALL benefits... makes no sense for those of us making way less than that normally 🤔

This happened to my sister too - she made like $506 and lost the whole week's benefit. It's such a brutal system! One thing that might help for future weeks: try to track your hours daily so you can see when you're getting close to the limit. Some people I know will actually ask their boss to cut them early if they're approaching $504. It sucks that we have to limit our work to keep benefits, but that's the reality of NY's cliff system. Definitely still certify though - you want to keep your claim active even if you get $0 for this particular week.