One thing that tripped me up was that if you have multiple employers during the base period, NYS Department of Labor will count wages from ALL of them when calculating your benefits. You don't have to choose just one job - they look at your total wages from all covered employment.

One more tip for @Giovanni Moretti - when you file your claim, make sure you have your W-2s or pay stubs from both jobs during your base period ready. NYS Department of Labor might ask for wage verification, and having those documents handy can speed up the process. Also, if you had any gaps in employment during the base period, that won't disqualify you as long as you meet the minimum wage requirements. The system is designed to help workers who have had multiple jobs or varying work schedules.

update????? did u ever get thru?

So glad you were able to get through and resolve your issue! Identity verification problems seem to be really common right now - I've seen several people mention that in other posts. It's frustrating that such a simple fix can hold up payments for weeks, but at least you got it sorted out. Hopefully your payments come through quickly! Thanks for updating us on what worked - this thread will definitely help other people in the same situation.

just to add - make sure you apply as soon as possible after losing your job. there's usually a waiting period before benefits start and you want to get that clock ticking. the UI number is just the beginning of the process.

I went through this same process about 6 months ago and can confirm what others have said - the UI number gets assigned automatically when you submit your initial claim on my.ny.gov. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have all your employment history for the past 18 months ready, including exact dates and employer addresses. The system will ask for detailed info about your previous jobs. Also, once you get your UI number, you'll need to certify for benefits every week - don't forget to do this or you could lose your benefits! The certification usually opens up on Sunday for the previous week.

I'm seeing a lot of helpful advice here, but wanted to add one more important point - when you call NYS Department of Labor to self-report, make sure you ask them to put a note in your file that you voluntarily disclosed this information. This creates a paper trail that shows your good faith effort to correct the mistake. Also, if you're having trouble getting through on the phone (which is unfortunately common), you might want to try calling right when they open at 8 AM or during lunch hours when call volume is sometimes lower. I had success reaching them around 12:30 PM when I needed to make corrections to my claim last year. The wait was still about 45 minutes, but at least I got through! Don't give up if you can't reach them immediately - this is definitely worth the effort to resolve properly.

I've been following this thread closely as someone who went through a similar situation recently, and I want to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - when you call NYS Department of Labor, be prepared that they might temporarily suspend your benefits while they investigate and process the correction. This happened to me when I self-reported unreported work from 4 weeks prior. The suspension lasted about 3 weeks while they reviewed everything, calculated the overpayment, and updated my claim. It was stressful not receiving benefits during that time, but once everything was resolved, my benefits resumed and I just had to set up a repayment plan for the overpayment amount. The agent explained this is standard procedure to prevent further overpayments while they sort things out. Just wanted to give you a heads up so you're not caught off guard if this happens - it doesn't mean you're in more trouble, it's just part of their process for correcting claims. Having some emergency funds set aside if possible might help during that gap period.

This is super helpful info! I've been trying to get through for over a month about a certification issue that's holding up my payments. The timing makes total sense - I always assumed calling right when they opened would be best, but I never thought about them having meetings and training in the mornings. Definitely going to try that 11:45am-1:30pm window tomorrow. It's so frustrating that we have to play these games just to reach someone about our own benefits, but I really appreciate you sharing what that agent told you. Hopefully this helps more people get the assistance they desperately need!

This is gold! I've been calling at random times for weeks with no luck. The insight about morning meetings and training makes perfect sense - no wonder I kept getting busy signals when calling at 8am. I'm going to try that 3:30-5:45pm window since I can usually step away from work then. Really appreciate you sharing this insider knowledge. It's sad that we need "hacks" just to access basic services we're entitled to, but at least now I have a better strategy than just randomly dialing all day. Fingers crossed this works for others too!