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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!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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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!
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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.
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Wait I'm confused about something - if you appeal and lose, can you appeal again? Or is that it? Also do you have to keep filing weekly claims while the appeal is processing?
Good questions! If you lose the first appeal, you can request a board review as a second level appeal. And yes, you should continue filing weekly claims during the appeal process even though you won't get paid until it's resolved. If you win the appeal, you'll get all the back payments.
I went through this same situation with NYS Department of Labor about 8 months ago. Definitely appeal - you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The 30-day deadline is firm, so don't wait. I filed my appeal online through my.ny.gov which was pretty straightforward. The hearing was conducted over the phone and lasted about 20 minutes. The hearing officer asked me to walk through exactly what happened when I was laid off, and I had my layoff notice and final paycheck stub ready to reference specific dates. My former employer didn't even participate in the hearing, which apparently happens a lot. I won my appeal and got about 6 weeks of back payments. The whole process took about 2 months from filing the appeal to getting my first check. Don't let them intimidate you - if you were truly laid off due to business reasons, you deserve those benefits.
This is really encouraging to hear! I'm in almost the exact same situation - laid off from restaurant work and they're claiming I quit. Did you need to provide any witness statements or was your layoff documentation enough? I have the email from my manager about the layoffs but wondering if I should try to get former coworkers to back up my story too.
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Just want to add - make sure the contract work doesn't interfere with your job search requirements. You still need to be doing your required work searches even while working the contract, unless NYS Department of Labor specifically waives that requirement for your situation.
Another important consideration - since this is web development contract work, make sure you understand how NYS Department of Labor handles self-employment income. As a 1099 contractor, you're technically self-employed for those weeks you're working. If you're working full-time hours on the contract (even if it's temporary), you might not be eligible for benefits during those weeks regardless of the income amount. The key is whether you're "totally unemployed" vs "partially unemployed" during each claim week. I'd recommend calling to clarify your specific situation before starting the contract.
This is a really important point about the full-time vs part-time distinction! @Noah Torres raises a key issue - if you re'working 40 hours a week on the contract, NYS Department of Labor might consider you fully employed during those weeks, which could make you ineligible for any benefits regardless of it being temporary. I d'definitely recommend getting clarity on this before accepting the contract. The able "and available for work requirement" can be tricky with intensive contract work.
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I'm so thankful I found this thread! I've been on NY unemployment for about 5 months now and while I haven't experienced this exact lockout issue yet, reading through everyone's stories has been incredibly informative. It's honestly terrifying how a simple typo can completely freeze your account - I never realized the system was THAT sensitive to minor errors. The Claimyr service Max mentioned sounds like it's been a total lifesaver for multiple people here. I'm definitely saving that info since it seems like getting through to NYSDOL directly is nearly impossible. And that tip about keeping a copy/paste document with all your exact details is pure genius - I'm creating one right now to avoid any potential slip-ups. Oliver, thanks so much for circling back with the full details of how you got it resolved! Knowing it was just an accidental extra digit in your SSN makes these lockouts feel way less catastrophic. It's reassuring that once you actually reach an agent, they can usually fix it in just a few minutes. This community is such a valuable resource for helping each other through these stressful bureaucratic nightmares!
This thread has been such an incredible resource! I just started receiving NY unemployment benefits last month and was honestly pretty anxious about potentially running into system issues like this. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has been both educational and reassuring - it's good to know that while these lockouts are scary, they're actually pretty common and definitely fixable. The fact that so many people have successfully used the Claimyr service that Max shared really gives me confidence there are reliable solutions when the regular phone system fails. I'm also setting up that copy/paste document immediately - never would have thought about how sensitive the system is to typos without reading all these stories. Oliver, thank you for the detailed follow-up! It really helps newcomers like me understand what to expect and how these issues can be resolved quickly with the right help.
This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm dealing with this exact same "not authorized to use system" error right now - got locked out yesterday morning when trying to certify and I've been in full panic mode ever since. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief - knowing this is a common issue with real solutions makes me feel so much less alone in this mess. Oliver, thank you SO much for following up with your resolution details! The fact that it was just a typo in your SSN that caused the whole lockout is both reassuring and terrifying - reassuring because it shows these are fixable issues, but terrifying because I realize how easy it is to make that kind of mistake. I've been trying to call NYSDOL all day with absolutely zero success getting through. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that Max recommended since it seems to be the only reliable way to actually reach an agent. The tip about keeping a copy/paste document with all your exact info is brilliant too - setting that up right now so I never have to worry about typos again. This community is amazing for helping each other navigate these incredibly stressful system failures. Will update once I hopefully get this nightmare resolved!
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Adding to what others have said - one thing that caught me off guard was that the exemptions can change if your business grows. For example, if you start as a family business employing only relatives but later hire outside employees, you might lose that exemption status. Also, some exemptions have annual wage thresholds that reset each year, so you need to monitor your payroll carefully. I'd recommend keeping detailed records from day one and maybe consulting with a payroll specialist who knows NYS Department of Labor requirements inside and out. It's one of those areas where being proactive can save you major headaches down the road.
This is really helpful advice about monitoring changes in exemption status! I hadn't thought about how hiring non-family members later could affect my current exemption. Do you know if there's a grace period when you transition from exempt to non-exempt status, or do you have to register immediately once you cross that threshold?
As someone who just went through the registration process, I can tell you that you typically need to register within 30 days of meeting the liability requirements - there's no grace period once you cross the threshold. The NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about this timeline. I'd recommend setting up a quarterly review of your payroll to track when you might hit those thresholds (like the $300 per quarter per employee rule). That way you can register proactively rather than scrambling after the fact. Also, even if you think you qualify for an exemption, it's often safer to register anyway since the penalties for late registration are much worse than just paying the taxes from the start.
That 30-day registration timeline is crucial info - thanks for sharing! I'm curious though, when you registered did you find the NYS Department of Labor online portal user-friendly, or did you end up having to call them? I've heard mixed reviews about their digital systems and want to know what to expect when I need to register my business.
Fidel Carson
just wanted to say good luck with your claim! nonprofit work is really important and its good that you can get benefits while you look for something new
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Jibriel Kohn
I went through this same situation last year when I got laid off from a nonprofit arts organization in Brooklyn. The uncertainty was really stressful! But like others have said, most nonprofits in NY do pay into the unemployment system. I was able to file my claim online and got approved pretty quickly. One tip - when you file, make sure to list your job title exactly as it appeared on your pay stubs. The NYS Department of Labor system can be picky about matching employment records. Also keep copies of everything you submit because sometimes they'll ask for documentation later during the review process. Hope this helps and hang in there!
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NeonNomad
•This is really helpful advice! I'm also dealing with a nonprofit layoff situation and the tip about matching job titles exactly is something I wouldn't have thought of. Did you run into any issues with the work search requirements while looking for nonprofit positions? I'm worried that there might not be enough similar openings to meet the weekly requirements since nonprofit jobs seem less common than regular corporate positions.
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