Ruby, I went through almost the exact same situation last year. Don't give up after the ALJ decision - you absolutely can appeal to the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board within 30 days. That's your second level of appeal within the NYS Department of Labor system. I'd recommend focusing your Board Review appeal on specific legal errors the hearing officer made rather than just restating your case. The misconduct standard is pretty specific in NY and if they misapplied it, the Appeal Board might overturn the decision. Also, if you have any documentation you didn't present at the hearing (like employee handbook excerpts, witness statements, etc.), you can still submit that with your Board Review request. The whole process took me about 4 months but I eventually won at the Board level and got all my back benefits. Stay persistent!

Ruby, I've been through this exact situation and want to emphasize what others have said - you definitely have options! The NYS Department of Labor appeals process has two administrative levels: 1) Initial appeal to Administrative Law Judge (which you already did), and 2) Board Review with the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board (which is what you should file next). You have 30 days from the date of the ALJ decision to request the Board Review. The key difference is that the Appeal Board focuses more on whether the hearing officer correctly applied unemployment law rather than re-examining all the facts. So your appeal should highlight specific legal errors - like if they misapplied the misconduct standard or ignored relevant testimony. I'd also recommend gathering any documentation you might have missed in the first hearing (employment policies, witness statements, etc.) as you can still submit those. Don't let one bad decision discourage you - many people win at the Board Review level even after losing with the ALJ. The misconduct standard in NY is pretty specific, so if there's any ambiguity about whether your actions truly constituted willful misconduct, the Appeal Board might see it differently. Stay strong and file that appeal!

Just want to give everyone a heads up - when this happened back in February, some people who certified by phone had their payments delayed by 2-3 days. It's not a big deal but just so you're not surprised if it doesn't hit your account on the usual day.

I'm dealing with the same issue! Been trying since 6am and keep getting that blank screen too. Really appreciate everyone sharing the phone option - I had no idea that existed. Just tried calling 1-888-581-5812 and it worked perfectly! Took about 10 minutes to get through all the prompts but was able to certify successfully. For anyone still struggling, definitely try the phone system while they fix the website.

I just went through this exact same situation when I got laid off from my warehouse job a couple months ago! You're absolutely right with your math - that $14,820 is your total benefit "allowance" for the entire year, and at $495/week you'll get about 30 weeks which is actually pretty good compared to the standard 26 weeks. Once you burn through that maximum amount, you're completely done until you can work enough hours to qualify for a brand new claim. The part-time income thing really threw me off too at first - if you pick up some restaurant shifts and they dock your weekly payment down to like $350, your total maximum stays the same at $14,820, so you're just making your benefits last longer. I ended up doing some weekend work which helped stretch my benefits out while I job hunted. Definitely report everything though - the overpayment stuff is a nightmare if they catch unreported income later. The whole system is confusing as hell but sounds like you've got it figured out!

I went through this exact same confusion when I got laid off from my retail job back in September! You've got the math exactly right - that $14,820 is your total unemployment "fund" for your entire benefit year, and at $495/week you're looking at about 30 weeks of benefits, which is actually better than the standard 26 weeks most people get in NY. Once that money is gone, that's it until you work enough to qualify for a new claim. The part-time work thing was confusing for me too - if you pick up some restaurant shifts and they reduce your weekly payment to say $300, your maximum amount stays at $14,820, so you're just stretching your benefits over more weeks rather than losing money. I actually did this with some holiday retail work and it helped me make my benefits last longer. Just make sure to report all income honestly - the penalties for not reporting are way worse than the temporary weekly reductions. Good luck with your job search, the restaurant industry seems to be hiring more lately!

They better hurry up with these tax forms! Last year they were late and i had to amend my return which cost me extra money with my tax preparer 😡

I'm in a similar boat waiting for my 1099-G! Called the unemployment office yesterday and they said forms should be available online by January 25th this year. The rep mentioned they're trying to get them out earlier than the January 31st deadline because so many people need them for early tax filing. You can also sign up for email notifications in your NY.gov account so you'll know right away when they're posted. Hope this helps with your mortgage timeline!

Just wanted to add that timing matters too. You need to file your unemployment claim as soon as possible after the business closure. NYS Department of Labor has specific timeframes for filing and you don't want to miss the deadline. Also make sure you're prepared to do the weekly job search requirements once your claim is approved - the rules still apply even though your business closed.

I'm in a similar boat - had to close my small marketing agency last year due to the pandemic's lasting effects on my client base. The key thing I learned is that you absolutely need to have been classified as a W-2 employee of your LLC and paying unemployment insurance taxes. I was lucky because my accountant had set it up that way from the beginning. When I filed my claim, I had to provide documentation showing the business closure (I used my final business tax filing and a letter explaining the closure reasons). The whole process took about 3 weeks for approval. One tip: be very clear in your application that you were an employee of the business, not just the owner - that distinction matters to them.