This entire discussion has been incredibly educational for someone like me who's just starting to navigate the NY unemployment system! Reading through everyone's experiences really drives home how important it is to understand these penalty distinctions from the beginning. What I find most helpful is how @Astrid Bergström shared both the problem and the resolution - it shows that while these penalty situations can be confusing and stressful, they are ultimately manageable once you get the right information. The breakdown of 2 consecutive forfeiture weeks followed by small offsets gives a clear picture of what to actually expect. The tips throughout this thread about documentation, continuing to certify during forfeitures, and using services like Claimyr to reach actual humans are all going straight into my personal unemployment survival guide. I'm especially grateful for the detailed list of common reporting scenarios that trigger penalties - that kind of preventive guidance could save someone from going through this whole ordeal in the first place. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and advice. This thread should honestly be pinned as essential reading for anyone dealing with NY unemployment benefits. The community knowledge here is far more practical and accessible than anything I've found in official NYSDOL resources!

This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! As someone who just received my first confusing penalty notice from NYSDOL, reading through all these real-world examples has been so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official documentation. What really strikes me is how @Astrid Bergström's situation shows that even minor reporting mistakes can cascade into complex penalty combinations, but also that these situations can be resolved once you get proper clarification. The distinction between forfeitures (losing entire weeks) vs offsets (reduced payments) was completely new to me and explains so much about the confusing notices I've been receiving. I'm definitely taking everyone's advice about documentation seriously - already started screenshotting every certification and keeping a simple tracking spreadsheet. The tip about continuing to certify during forfeiture periods seems absolutely crucial and could have been a costly mistake if I hadn't learned about it here. One thing I'm curious about: for those who've dealt with penalties, did you find that being proactive about contacting NYSDOL (via Claimyr or persistent calling) helped resolve things faster, or is it sometimes better to just let the penalty process run its course if you understand what's happening? I'm trying to decide whether to invest time in getting through to someone or just focus on proper documentation and compliance going forward. Thanks again to this community - the collective wisdom here is invaluable for navigating NYSDOL's complex system!

I'm in a similar situation - just filed my claim two days ago and the waiting is nerve-wracking! From what I'm reading here, it sounds like 2-3 weeks is typical if everything goes smoothly. @Ben Cooper, definitely start filing your weekly claims right away - I called the Department of Labor help line yesterday (took forever to get through) and they confirmed you need to certify weekly even while your initial claim is still pending. The rep told me that's one of the biggest mistakes people make that delays their payments. Hang in there!

I just went through this process about 6 weeks ago and wanted to share my timeline to help ease some anxiety. Filed my initial claim on a Monday, status showed "under review" for about 10 days, then switched to "approved" on a Thursday. Got my first payment the following Tuesday - so roughly 2 weeks total from filing to money in my account. The payment covered 3 weeks since I had been filing my weekly certifications the whole time (which you should definitely start doing immediately!). One thing that helped speed things up was making sure I had all my documents ready and responded to any DOL requests within 24 hours. Also, don't panic if your status doesn't change for several days - that seems to be normal. The system updates in batches rather than real-time.

Really great to see so many success stories in this thread! I'm also a remote worker (for a Portland company while living in Westchester) and this has been my biggest worry about potentially filing for unemployment. The consistent advice about using your NY home address for work location and employer's actual address for company info seems pretty foolproof at this point. I especially appreciate the tips about being explicit in the additional comments section and keeping up with weekly certifications during pending status - those seem like easy things to overlook that could cause major headaches later. The timeline expectations are super helpful too, knowing that 2-4 weeks for wage verification with out-of-state employers is normal takes a lot of the anxiety out of the waiting period. Definitely saving this thread as a reference guide!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm also a remote worker (for a Denver company while living in Manhattan) and have been anxious about this exact scenario since my company just announced layoffs. The consistent advice across all these experiences is really reassuring - use your NY home address for work location, employer's actual address for company info, and be crystal clear about the remote work arrangement in any comment fields. The success stories from people like @efb8d09770ab who got approved in just 10 days give me hope that following this approach will work smoothly. I'm particularly grateful for the HR perspective from @c8dc05ecbfa7 about wage verification timelines and the importance of continuing weekly certifications during pending status. Planning to reach out to my HR department tomorrow to confirm they've been paying NY unemployment taxes as suggested. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your real experiences!

Just went through this exact situation last week! I submitted my questionnaire 10 days late and was freaking out too. Called the DOL and they said late submissions don't automatically disqualify you - they just get flagged for additional review which can delay your payments by 1-2 weeks. The key is to call them and explain the situation. They're usually understanding if you have a valid reason and it's not a pattern. Also pro tip - log into your NY.gov account and make sure all your contact info is updated so you don't miss future notices. You should be fine, just stay on top of it going forward!

I had this happen to me about 6 months ago! Submitted my questionnaire almost 2 weeks late because I was dealing with a family emergency and completely spaced on it. I was terrified they'd deny my claim but they didn't. What happened was: 1. My payments got temporarily held while they reviewed it 2. I had to call and explain why I was late (family emergency in my case) 3. They processed it after about 10 days and released all my back payments The rep told me they rarely deny claims just for late questionnaire submissions unless it becomes a repeated pattern or you ignore it completely for like 30+ days. Since you submitted it and it was only a few weeks, you should be okay. Just be prepared for a slight delay in processing. If you want to speed things up, definitely call them to explain the situation. I know it's hard to get through but it's worth it for peace of mind. You've got this! 💪

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago when I started my consulting business while on unemployment. Here's what I learned: The most important thing is to be completely transparent with NYS DOL from the start. I called them (eventually got through after many tries) and explained my situation before I even started taking clients. They told me as long as I report all income and stay under the earnings threshold each week, I'd be fine. I also had to confirm I was still actively job searching and available for full-time work if offered. The weekly certification asks specifically about any work performed and income earned, so don't try to get creative with the reporting. One tip - I found it helpful to schedule my business development work for evenings/weekends so it didn't interfere with my availability for potential interviews during business hours. Six months later, my business is doing well and I never had any issues with my benefits. Just be honest and follow the rules!

I actually went through the SEAP application process last year and can share some details about it. There is an application process - you need to submit a business plan, financial projections, and demonstrate that your business idea is viable. The program only accepts a limited number of participants each year (I think it's around 1,000 statewide), so there can be competition to get in. The good news is that once you're accepted, you can work full-time on your business without the job search requirements, and you still receive your full unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks while developing your business. The application typically opens in the spring, so timing might work well for you. I'd recommend calling the SEAP coordinator directly rather than the general unemployment line - they're much more knowledgeable about the program specifics. Even if you don't get into SEAP, you can still start your consulting business as others mentioned, just with more restrictions on reporting and availability requirements.