omg the system is so confusing!! why cant they just let you get both if you need the money?? dealing with all this paperwork while trying to take care of family is stressful enough

I'm sorry to hear about your mom's stroke, Amina. This is such a difficult situation to navigate. From what others have shared, you're right that you can't collect both simultaneously, but I wanted to add that you should also check if you're eligible for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) through your employer. While FMLA is unpaid leave, it provides job protection for up to 12 weeks if your employer has 50+ employees and you meet the other requirements. This could give you some security about getting your job back after caring for your mother. You might be able to use PFL for the income replacement while FMLA protects your position. Definitely worth asking HR about this option alongside the PFL application.

Just wanted to add that if you're still having issues with ID.me, another thing that helped me was making sure my face was completely centered in the camera frame and holding very still during the scan. Also, remove any glasses or hats if you're wearing them - even if your ID photo has them. The system is super picky about matching exactly what it sees. I also found that having a plain white or light colored wall behind you works better than a busy background. Hope your video appointment goes well tomorrow!

For anyone else struggling with ID.me, I wanted to share what finally worked for me after weeks of failed attempts. I was getting the same "Unable to verify identity" errors on multiple devices. What ended up working was: 1. Using incognito/private browsing mode 2. Disabling any ad blockers or browser extensions 3. Making sure my internet connection was stable (used ethernet instead of WiFi) 4. Taking the photo during mid-morning when lighting was consistent The key thing that made the difference was actually updating my browser to the latest version - apparently ID.me has compatibility issues with older browser versions. Also, if you wear contacts, try taking them out for the verification - I read somewhere that the reflections can interfere with the facial recognition. Hope this helps someone avoid the frustration I went through! The video chat option is definitely worth trying if all else fails.

Just went through this exact same thing last month! My status said "determining benefits" for about 8 days and I was refreshing the portal constantly lol. Then one morning I woke up and had my first payment deposited! The key thing is they're calculating your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings history. As long as you worked enough qualifying hours and didn't quit voluntarily, you should be good. Just make sure you keep certifying weekly even while they're determining your benefits. Pro tip: set up direct deposit if you haven't already - it's way faster than waiting for the debit card. Good luck! 🤞

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this recently! Had the "determining benefits" status for exactly 12 days before getting approved. During that time I was checking the portal like 5 times a day lol. One thing I learned - they actually update the system overnight, so I found checking first thing in the morning was the best time to see any changes. Also got a text notification when my status finally updated to approved, so make sure you have notifications turned on! The waiting is definitely stressful but from what I've seen here and from my own experience, getting to the "determining benefits" stage is actually a really good sign. Hang in there! 💪

ugh the whole system is so confusing for small businesses. why can't they just make it simple instead of all these different thresholds and quarterly deadlines

One thing to keep in mind is that the 4.1% rate Arnav mentioned applies to the unemployment insurance tax, but there's also a separate reemployment services fund tax that's usually around 0.075%. Small additional cost but worth budgeting for. Also, if you have any employees who work part-time or seasonal, make sure you understand how their hours count toward the 20-week threshold - it can be tricky to calculate correctly.

I was making about $950/week and got the full $504. But here's the thing - if you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check on your claim status or resolve any issues, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually gets you connected to a real agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.

Just remember you can work part-time and still collect some benefits as long as you don't earn more than $504 in a week. They'll reduce your benefit dollar for dollar over $504 but you can earn up to that amount without penalty.