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honestly the whole system is designed to trip you up and deny claims. they'll find any excuse to say no. even if you qualify they'll put you through adjudication hell for months. just be prepared for a fight
File your claim as soon as possible even if you're not sure about eligibility. It's better to apply and get denied than to wait and miss out on benefits you're entitled to. The worst they can say is no, but if you don't apply you definitely won't get anything.
@Diego Fisher is absolutely right about filing ASAP. I was in a similar situation last year - worried about old issues affecting my claim but my lawyer friend told me the same thing. The application deadline is strict but you can always appeal a denial. Plus filing starts your claim date even if there are delays with severance or other issues. Don t'let fear of rejection stop you from trying.
That's fantastic news! So glad you got it resolved. This thread is going to be super helpful for others dealing with the same issue. The "waiting week suspension flag" explanation really cleared things up for everyone. Thanks for updating us - it's always great to hear when these problems actually get fixed!
This is such a relief to read! I've been following this thread because I'm dealing with a similar situation - my claim has been stuck for 3 weeks now. Seeing that there's actually a specific name for this issue ("waiting week suspension flag") and that it can be resolved gives me hope. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and use the exact terminology when I call. Thanks for sharing your success story!
Amazing outcome! This whole thread is like a masterclass in navigating NY unemployment issues. The fact that @Morgan Washington provided such detailed insider knowledge about the "waiting week suspension flag" was incredibly valuable. And @Anna Stewart's Claimyr recommendation seems to be a game-changer for actually getting through to agents. It's frustrating that this kind of technical glitch is so common, but at least now we know exactly what to ask for when calling. Definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference - this should be required reading for anyone dealing with NY unemployment claims!
Absolutely agree! This thread should definitely be saved as a reference. I'm new to this community but dealing with unemployment issues myself, and seeing how everyone came together to help @Gavin King figure this out is amazing. The step-by-step guidance from @Morgan Washington was incredibly detailed - having someone who actually works in the system explain the technical side made all the difference. And the Claimyr tip from @Anna Stewart seems like such a lifesaver for getting past those endless busy signals. It s sad that'navigating unemployment benefits requires this much detective work, but threads like this really show the power of community knowledge sharing!
The whole system is a mess honestly. I've been unemployed for 2 months and still dealing with adjudication issues. Even when the system is 'open' half the time it doesn't work properly.
I've been dealing with the same frustration! One tip that helped me - if you're getting errors during the Sunday morning maintenance window (2-6 AM), try using the mobile app instead of the website. Sometimes one works when the other doesn't. Also, make sure you're using the correct login credentials - I had issues because I was mixing up my NY.gov account with my old unemployment login. The system can be really picky about browser settings too, so try clearing your cache or using incognito mode if you keep hitting walls.
One more thing - your benefit year is exactly 52 weeks from when you first filed, but you can only collect for up to 26 of those weeks. So if you find work and then get laid off again within that same benefit year, you might be able to reopen your claim instead of filing a new one. Just something to keep in mind for planning purposes.
Just to add to what everyone's saying - make sure you also know about the waiting week! In NY there's usually a one-week waiting period before you start receiving benefits, so your first payable week is actually the second week after you file. Also, if you're in construction like the original poster, you might want to look into whether your union has any additional resources or job placement services that could help with your search requirements. The building trades often have their own networks that can count toward your job contacts.
Mei-Ling Chen
being in school full time can also disqualify you unless you meet certain exceptions. NYS Department of Labor wants to see that you're available for full time work
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Zoe Wang
Another important disqualifier to be aware of is if you're receiving certain types of pension or retirement income - NYS Department of Labor will reduce or deny benefits depending on how much you're getting and whether your employer contributed to it. Also, if you're not a US citizen or don't have work authorization, that can disqualify you even if you were working legally before. The key thing is to be completely honest on your application because any false information is considered fraud and will definitely disqualify you.
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