Just to add - some people confuse reemployment services with Reemployment Assistance Programs (which is what they call unemployment in other states). In New York, we have Unemployment Insurance benefits AND separate reemployment services requirements. Both are administered through NYS Department of Labor but they serve different purposes in getting you back to work.

This is exactly why I joined this community - the NYS DOL website makes it sound like you need a PhD to understand basic unemployment benefits! I'm going through the same process right now and what helped me was thinking of it this way: unemployment insurance = your weekly check, reemployment services = the hoops you jump through to keep getting that check. The orientation will probably explain your specific work search requirements (like how many jobs you need to apply for each week) and what resources are available. Don't stress too much about the terminology - just show up to everything they tell you to attend and you'll be fine!

Hey OP, what specific issue are you having with filing your claim? Might be able to give more targeted advice if we know exactly where you're stuck.

Just went through this same nightmare last month! Here's what finally worked for me: 1) Try the online portal at exactly 8 AM on weekdays - seems to be the sweet spot before it gets overloaded 2) If you get that SSN error, clear your browser cache and try a different browser entirely 3) For phone calls, I had better luck calling the local office directly instead of the main number. The wait times were still brutal but at least I got through eventually. Stay persistent - it's a broken system but you'll get there! 💪

Just remember the $504 is before taxes. They do withhold federal taxes if you elect to have them taken out, which I'd recommend unless you want a surprise at tax time. Also if you have any other income while collecting you need to report it on your weekly claims or you could end up with an overpayment situation.

Based on your $22/hour full-time wage, you should qualify for a decent benefit amount. At 40 hours a week, that's about $880 gross weekly, so you'd likely get somewhere in the $400-450 range per week depending on your exact earnings history. One thing to keep in mind - make sure you file as soon as possible since there's usually a one-week waiting period before benefits start, and you can't get benefits for weeks before you actually file your claim. The sooner you get the process started, the sooner you'll start receiving payments.

when I was trying to get through to ny unemployment, I literally set up an auto-dialer app on my phone to keep calling them every 30 seconds from 8am to 4pm for THREE DAYS before I finally got through. The system is beyond broken.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now - benefits stopped in January with no explanation, just says "pending review" and I can't get through to anyone no matter what I try. The system is absolutely broken. From reading through all these comments, it sounds like contacting your state representative might be the most reliable option, along with checking spam folders thoroughly. I'm also seeing multiple people vouch for that Claimyr service which I was skeptical about but might be worth trying if you're really desperate. The auto-dialer approach sounds exhausting but at least it's free. Really sorry you're going through this - the stress of not knowing when your benefits will resume while bills pile up is just awful. Hang in there and keep trying multiple approaches at once.

One thing that really helped me when I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone was using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They can get you connected to an actual agent to verify your eligibility or ask specific questions about your situation. There's a good video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting hung up on.

Also make sure you file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still being processed or in adjudication. Missing weeks can cause you to lose benefits for those periods and you usually can't go back and claim them later. The NYS Department of Labor system is pretty strict about this timing requirement.