There's a special place in hell for whoever designed the ny unemployment system. Watching my savings drain away while waiting for them to verify I'm not committing fraud (which THEY should know since THEY have all my employment records) is just *chef's kiss* the perfect American experience.

This whole thread is giving me flashbacks to my own nightmare with NY unemployment. I went through almost the exact same thing - fraud flag for 6 weeks, no payments, couldn't get through on the phone. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: I used one of those callback services (similar to what others mentioned), AND I filed a complaint with the NY State Attorney General's office online. Within 3 days of filing that complaint, someone from DOL called me directly and my account was cleared. I think the AG complaint creates a paper trail they can't ignore. Also, document EVERYTHING - every call, every person you speak to, reference numbers, dates. If this drags on much longer, consider filing for emergency assistance through your county social services. They have programs specifically for people waiting on unemployment. Hang in there - the system is broken but you WILL get your money eventually.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently on unemployment and my grandmother in Italy has been diagnosed with a serious condition. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much clarity on how to handle this properly. I was panicking thinking I'd have to choose between being there for my family and keeping my benefits, but it's clear there's a legitimate process for family medical emergencies. The consistent advice about calling NYS DOL before traveling, being completely honest, and having medical documentation ready seems straightforward enough. It's really reassuring to see so many people who successfully suspended their claims temporarily and resumed without issues. I'm going to start gathering documentation from her doctors and call NYS DOL as soon as I have a clearer picture of when I might need to travel. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - it makes such a difference to hear from people who've actually navigated this rather than just guessing about the rules.

I'm so grateful this question was asked and for all the detailed responses! As someone who's been on unemployment for the past few months, I had always assumed that any travel outside the US would automatically disqualify you from benefits. Reading through everyone's real experiences with family emergencies has been incredibly enlightening and reassuring. The consistent pattern seems to be that NYS DOL does have compassionate policies in place for legitimate family medical emergencies - you just have to know how to access them properly. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) Call NYS DOL immediately when you know you might need to travel, 2) Be completely transparent about the family medical situation, 3) Have documentation ready (hospital info, medical records, etc.), 4) Request an official temporary claim suspension rather than continuing to file weekly, and 5) Don't try to work around the system by filing claims while unavailable for work in NY. It's really heartening to see that when people followed these steps, they were able to handle family emergencies without losing their benefits or facing penalties. This information could be a real lifesaver for anyone facing similar situations in the future.

I'm currently stuck with this exact same Google Authenticator issue! My account has been locked for 3 days now and I'm getting desperate since I need to certify by Friday. Every time I enter the code from Google Authenticator, it says "invalid authentication code" even though I know I'm entering it correctly. Reading through everyone's solutions here is giving me so much hope! I had no idea there was a separate recovery process on id.ny.gov versus the regular unemployment login. I'm definitely going to try the self-service recovery first thing tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work I'll call the ID support line at 844-891-1786. It's honestly ridiculous that this Google Authenticator sync problem is so widespread but there's zero mention of it in their official help documentation. This thread has been more useful than hours of searching their website! Thanks to everyone who shared their step-by-step solutions - you're all lifesavers for people dealing with this nightmare.

I'm going through this exact same Google Authenticator issue right now! Been locked out for 5 days and it's been incredibly stressful. I tried calling the unemployment line countless times but could never get through to an actual person - just endless hold music or busy signals. After reading through all these detailed solutions, I'm definitely going to try the self-service recovery on id.ny.gov first thing in the morning. If that doesn't work, I'll call the ID support line at 844-891-1786 that so many people have recommended. It's such a relief to know there are proven solutions and that this Google Authenticator sync issue is more common than I thought. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - way more helpful than anything on the official NY.gov help pages! The step-by-step advice from people who actually solved this problem is exactly what I needed. Planning to switch to SMS authentication as soon as I get back in to avoid this nightmare in the future. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

I completely understand your concerns about filing - I was in a very similar situation where my former employer made some questionable claims about my termination. What really helped me was learning that the NYS DOL has a pretty robust fact-checking process. When they send that initial form to your employer, they're looking for specific documentation, not just opinions or hearsay. One thing that gave me peace of mind was realizing that if your employer tries to contest your claim with false information, it often backfires on them. The adjudicators are trained to spot inconsistencies, especially when employers can't provide proper documentation to support their claims. In my case, my former boss tried to claim I was terminated for cause but had zero written warnings or performance reviews to back it up - the claim was approved pretty quickly once that became clear. My advice would be to file sooner rather than later, since you can't get benefits for the weeks before you actually submit your claim. While you're waiting for the employer response, use that time to gather any documentation you have - emails, texts, pay stubs, anything that supports your version of what happened. Even if they do contest it, you'll be prepared with evidence, and the process is designed to be fair to legitimate claimants. Don't let fear of what they might say keep you from accessing benefits you've earned!

I was in almost exactly your situation about 6 months ago - worried sick about what my former manager would tell NYS DOL after she made some pretty unfair statements during my termination. Here's what actually happened: they sent the standard form (IA 12.3) to my employer, she responded with her version of events claiming I was fired for "attitude problems," but when the adjudicator asked for documentation, she had absolutely nothing. No write-ups, no performance reviews mentioning attitude issues, no progressive discipline - just her word. My claim was approved within 2 weeks. The thing that really struck me was how professional and thorough the whole process was. The adjudicator actually called me to clarify a few details and seemed genuinely interested in getting to the truth, not just rubber-stamping whatever the employer said. Don't let fear keep you from filing - every day you wait is money you're potentially losing, and the system really does work to protect legitimate claimants like yourself!

The NYS Department of Labor job search requirement is such a hassle! I understand why they need it but having to track everything when you're already stressed about being unemployed is frustrating. At least they don't make you submit it every week like some states do.

I've been using a simple Google Doc to track my job search activities and it works great! I set up columns for date, company name, position, contact method, and any follow-up actions needed. Since it's in the cloud I can access it from anywhere and it's easy to search if I need to find something specific. The key is being consistent about logging everything right after you do it - don't wait until the end of the week or you'll forget details.