Just wanted to add that the rates can change if your state has outstanding federal loans. New York usually stays current so you get the full credit, but it's worth double-checking each year.

This is really helpful information! I'm also dealing with payroll setup for a small business. One thing I'm wondering about - do these NYS Department of Labor rates apply from the very first employee you hire, or is there a minimum threshold? I know some states have exemptions for very small employers, but I want to make sure we're compliant from day one.

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare right now! Been calling for over a week and it's driving me insane. What really gets me is that automated message - "your call is important to us" - like if it was actually important they'd answer the phone! I've tried calling at literally every hour they're open and it's always the same story. The worst part is you can't even get in a queue, it just hangs up on you. I'm going to try some of the tips mentioned here like calling right at 8am and that alternative number. This whole system feels designed to make you give up before you even get started. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not alone in this mess!

OMG I could have written this post myself! I've been going through the exact same torture for the past week and a half. That stupid automated message plays in my nightmares at this point 😭 I've literally tried calling over 40 times at different hours and NOTHING. The system is absolutely broken and it feels intentional at this point. One thing I discovered though - if you call and get that message, don't hang up immediately. Sometimes if you wait like 30-45 seconds it will actually say something different or give you menu options. It's rare but it happened to me twice (though I still didn't get through to a person). Also saw people mentioning Claimyr and I'm honestly tempted to try it at this point because I'm running out of options and patience. Has anyone else here actually used it successfully? I'm usually skeptical of these services but desperate times... Hang in there @Omar Hassan - we're all in this nightmare together!

I remember last summer when I was collecting, I got so confused about the whole "effective days" thing. Kept thinking I was getting shorted money. Turns out NY unemployment has this weird way of calculating where each day equals 1/4 of your weekly benefit. Anyone else find that super confusing?

Just want to add that your friend should also make sure he meets the basic eligibility requirements before applying. He needs to have worked and earned wages in at least 2 of the last 4 calendar quarters, and his job loss can't be due to misconduct or quitting without good cause. If he was laid off from the warehouse (which sounds like the case), he should be fine. The good news is that warehouse workers often have straightforward cases since layoffs are usually clearly documented. Hope this helps and good luck to your friend!

This is really concerning - sounds like your family might owe back unemployment taxes to NYS Department of Labor if they've been misclassifying you all this time. At $18/hour for 8 months, you're definitely over that $500 quarterly threshold. I'd recommend documenting everything about your work arrangement (schedule, how they direct your work, etc.) in case you need to prove employee status later. The good news is that even with misclassification, you should still be eligible for unemployment benefits once NYS Department of Labor reviews your case. Just be prepared that it might take longer to process than normal claims.

You're absolutely right to be concerned about this situation. As someone who's dealt with household employment issues before, I can confirm that nannies are almost always employees, not independent contractors. The IRS has specific guidelines about this - if the family controls when, where, and how you work (which they clearly do), you're an employee. At $18/hour for 8 months, your family should definitely be paying unemployment taxes to NYS Department of Labor. The fact that you're getting a 1099 suggests they're either unaware of their obligations or trying to avoid them. I'd strongly recommend having a conversation with them about proper classification - they could face penalties for misclassification, and you deserve proper employee protections and benefits. You can find more info about household employee requirements on the NYS Department of Labor website.

I just went through this same nightmare last month! What finally worked for me was using a different device entirely - I borrowed my roommate's tablet and it went through on the first try. Sometimes ID.me just doesn't play nice with certain device/browser combinations for reasons nobody can explain. Also make sure you're not using any VPN or proxy - that can mess with their location verification. If you're still stuck, try doing it at a different time of day too. I found early morning (like 7-8 AM) worked better than peak hours when their servers are probably overloaded. Hope this helps!

I just want to add something that helped me when I was stuck on the ID.me verification for weeks - if you have any browser extensions running (especially password managers, ad blockers, or privacy tools like Ghostery), try disabling ALL of them temporarily. I know it sounds like overkill, but ID.me's upload system is really sensitive to anything that might interfere with their scripts. I was pulling my hair out until I tried a completely clean browser session with no extensions, and suddenly everything worked. Also, if you're on mobile, try enabling "Desktop Site" mode in your browser - sometimes their mobile interface has bugs that the desktop version doesn't have. The whole system is frustrating but there are definitely ways around the technical issues!