Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live NYDOL agent in minutes.
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Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the NYDOL
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the NYDOL drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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What's really interesting is that New York was actually one of the first states to implement unemployment insurance even before the federal Social Security Act. The state passed its own unemployment insurance law in 1935, just months before the federal legislation. The NYS Department of Labor has been refining this system for almost 90 years now, which explains why it has so many detailed procedures and requirements - they've had decades to build out all the fraud prevention measures and eligibility criteria that sometimes make the process feel overwhelming for claimants.
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Just wanted to jump back in and say I've been reading all your comments and they mean so much. This is exactly the supportive community I was hoping for. Let's keep lifting each other up through this unemployment journey. ❤️
This post really hit home for me. I just started my unemployment claim process last week and I was already feeling overwhelmed by all the paperwork and requirements. Reading through everyone's experiences here - both the struggles and the successes - makes me feel less alone in this. It's amazing how much difference it makes to know there are real people going through the same thing who are willing to help each other out. Thank you @Amina for creating this positive space! 🙏
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Just wanted to add that you'll still need to do the job search requirements even while on SSDI. NYS Department of Labor requires three work search contacts per week unless you're on standby status. Make sure you keep your job search log updated when you file your weekly claims.
I just went through this exact situation last year! I'm on SSDI and was able to collect unemployment when I lost my part-time job. The NYS Department of Labor did ask me to explain how I could be available for work while on disability during my phone interview, but I explained that my disability allows me to work part-time with accommodations. They approved my claim without any issues. Just be honest about your work limitations when you file - they understand that SSDI recipients can often still work in some capacity. Good luck!
@Derek Olson That s'so helpful to hear from someone who actually went through this! I was getting worried about the phone interview part. When they asked you to explain your work capacity, did you have to provide any documentation from your doctors or was your verbal explanation enough? I want to make sure I m'prepared with the right information when I file my claim.
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UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at NYSDOL! They explained that I should have reported the training hours in the week I did them, even though I wasn't paid yet. They fixed my claim and explained exactly how to report going forward. For anyone in a similar situation: When you have a firm start date but are in a gap period, make sure you report any training hours during the week you actually did the training. And definitely call to explain your situation if the system flags your account. When I start my after-school job on 9/13, I'll need to report those hours each week, and my benefits will be reduced accordingly. The same applies when I start my driving job. Thank you all so much for your help! I was really stressing out about this.
That's awesome news! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my seasonal job starts in October but I had some training last week. Your experience gives me hope that they can fix these weird gaps in the system. Did you end up using that Claimyr service people mentioned or were you able to get through the regular way?
@Nora Bennett I actually got through using the regular phone number! It took about 45 minutes on hold but I got connected. The agent was really helpful once I explained the whole situation with training vs. actual start date. Good luck with your seasonal job situation - sounds very similar to what I went through!
This whole situation perfectly shows how broken the NY unemployment system is for people with seasonal or irregular work schedules. I'm glad you got it resolved, but it shouldn't take this much stress and confusion just to report training hours correctly! For anyone else reading this thread - definitely save it as a reference. The key takeaways seem to be: 1) Always report training hours in the week you actually do them, regardless of when you get paid, 2) Call NYSDOL immediately if the system flags your account, and 3) Be prepared to explain gap periods between training and actual work start dates. It's ridiculous that we have to become experts in unemployment law just to collect benefits we're entitled to. But at least this thread shows there are solutions if you're persistent enough to get through to an actual human being!
Christian Burns
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about your claim timing, I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Was way easier than sitting on hold for hours just to ask about filing deadlines and claim status.
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Sasha Reese
•The bigger issue is people not knowing they should file immediately. The unemployment system really doesn't do a good job of communicating these basic rules. Half the people I know who got laid off during my company's downsizing waited weeks to apply thinking they had some grace period.
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Muhammad Hobbs
Just file online at my.ny.gov ASAP. Don't overthink it. You need your social security number, employment history for the last 18 months, and your employer's info. The whole process takes maybe 20-30 minutes and then you'll start getting weekly claim forms. The longer you wait the more money you're throwing away.
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Edwards Hugo
•This is really helpful info, thanks! Just to clarify - when you say employment history for the last 18 months, does that include all jobs even if they were part-time or temporary? I had a few different gig jobs before my warehouse position and I'm not sure if I need to include all of them or just my most recent full-time employer.
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Brian Downey
•Yes, include ALL employment from the last 18 months - full-time, part-time, temporary, gig work, everything. NYS DOL uses this to calculate your benefit amount based on your earnings history. Even if a job was just a few weeks, include it. Better to over-report than miss something and have delays in processing your claim. They'll verify with all employers anyway, so being thorough upfront saves time later.
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