I had the worst time trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my claim. Spent hours calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at the unemployment office. They have this video demo showing exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Saved me so much frustration dealing with the phone system.

Just wanted to add that if you do quit and apply for benefits, NYS Department of Labor will contact your employer to verify the reason for separation. If your employer disputes your claim and says you quit without good cause, you'll have to go through an adjudication process that can take weeks. Make sure you have solid documentation if you're going to claim constructive dismissal.

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 - you need to have earned at least $2,700 in wages during your base period to qualify for unemployment benefits in NY. And you need wages in at least two quarters of the base period. These are the monetary eligibility requirements.

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.

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.

maybe a stupid question but does anyone know if they're open on Saturdays? their website is so confusing and i work during the week so its hard for me to call during these suggested hours

Thanks for sharing this! I've been stuck in unemployment hell for 2 months now - my claim got flagged for "additional review" and every time I call I either can't get through or get disconnected after hours of waiting. Going to try calling tomorrow at 12pm and see if this timing actually works. At this point I'm willing to try anything. The stress of not knowing when (or if) I'll get my benefits is eating me alive. Really appreciate you taking the time to share what that agent told you!