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Been there, done that. Gap insurance = car gets destroyed, insurance pays difference. What you want is income protection or unemployment coverage which is totally separate. Focus on getting your weekly claims filed with NYS Department of Labor and see if your lender has any hardship programs while you wait for benefits to kick in.
Just wanted to add another perspective - while gap insurance won't help with unemployment, if you're struggling with car payments, don't forget to check if your state has any emergency assistance programs. New York has some temporary financial aid programs that might help bridge the gap while your NYS Department of Labor claim is processing. Also, document everything related to your job loss (termination letter, final pay stub, etc.) because you'll need it for your unemployment application. The more organized your paperwork is, the smoother the process usually goes.
i stg unemployment is DESIGNED to be impossible to navigate. they don't want to pay us so they make us jump through 500 hoops hoping we'll just give up. don't let them win. be persistent.
Man this hits home so hard. I've been dealing with the exact same thing for 2 months now - zero communication about needing ID.me verification until I finally got through to someone last week. The worst part is they act like it's YOUR fault for not knowing about some random requirement they never told you about. I'm still waiting after completing ID.me verification too. The system is absolutely broken and it feels like they're hoping we'll just give up and go away. Stay strong and keep fighting - we shouldn't have to be detectives just to get benefits we're entitled to.
Just wanted to update - got my payment this morning! Looks like it was just a one-day delay. Thanks everyone for your help and reassurance!
Same thing happened to me last month during the December quarterly processing! I was panicking because my car payment was due, but like everyone said, it showed up on Friday. The NY DOL really should send out notifications when there are going to be delays - would save us all so much stress. At least now I know to expect this at the end of each quarter. Thanks for posting this question, it's helpful to know we're not alone when these delays happen!
I went through something similar but with a shorter timeframe - about 2 years after my original claim. Even then it was an uphill battle, but I eventually got my back pay after filing an appeal. The key thing that helped me was keeping detailed records. Since you have those confirmation emails, that's actually huge - most people don't have any proof they certified. Also check if you have any screenshots of your online account from back then showing pending certifications or payment status. One thing I learned is that NYSDOL sometimes has "system glitches" where payments get stuck in processing limbo. If you can show this was their error and not something you did wrong, you might have a better shot even after 4 years. The fact that you certified correctly every other week except those 3 specific ones could actually work in your favor - it shows a pattern of compliance with a clear system error. Don't give up before you even try! $1,425 is worth fighting for.
That's really encouraging to hear! I do have those confirmation emails and I think I might even have some screenshots saved on my old phone. The fact that you got your back pay after 2 years gives me some hope. You're right about the pattern - all my other certifications went through fine, so it really does seem like a system glitch rather than user error. Did you have to go through multiple levels of appeals or did they approve it on the first try once you provided the documentation?
I'm in a similar boat - just discovered I'm missing unemployment payments from 2020 that I never received. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the odds aren't great after so much time has passed, but I'm encouraged by the people who actually got results by being persistent and having documentation. @Omar - definitely try that Claimyr service if you can't get through on the phones. I've been trying to reach NYSDOL for weeks with no luck. The fact that you have those confirmation emails is actually really good - most people don't keep records that long. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone tried reaching out to their local state representatives for help with these kinds of cases? Sometimes they can cut through the red tape when regular channels don't work. Might be worth a shot if the direct approach doesn't pan out.
Omar Zaki
I had issues reaching NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about continuing my claim. Kept getting busy signals and when I did get through, I'd get hung up on after waiting forever. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI). Saved me hours of frustration and I got my questions answered same day.
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Chloe Taylor
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Did it actually work or is it one of those scam things?
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Omar Zaki
•Totally legit. I was skeptical too but it actually connected me to a real NYS Department of Labor agent who could access my account and everything.
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Diego Flores
The system is SO confusing! I feel like they make it hard on purpose so people give up and stop claiming. I've been on unemployment for 3 months now and I still feel like I'm doing something wrong even when I follow all the rules.
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Emma Wilson
•@Diego Flores I totally get that feeling! The system really isn t'user-friendly at all. What helped me was writing down the exact steps I do each week for my claim so I have a routine - same day, same time, same process. It made me feel more confident that I wasn t'missing anything. You re'doing great by staying on top of it for 3 months!
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