Awesome news! Quick question - when you get the back pay, is it all in one lump sum or do they spread it out over several weeks? Also do you know if they pay interest on the delayed benefits?

This is such an inspiring story! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - my claim was denied because my employer said I abandoned my job, but I actually resigned due to unsafe working conditions. Reading about your success gives me hope that the appeals process can actually work when you have the evidence to back up your case. Did you have any specific documentation that was particularly helpful in proving your side? I'm trying to gather everything I can before my hearing.

Thanks for mentioning taxes - I hadn't even thought about that part. I'll make sure to set aside some of the unemployment money for taxes if I get approved. And that's good to know about partial unemployment too, in case they eventually bring us back but only part-time at first.

Carmen, I went through almost the exact same situation with a boutique hotel in Brooklyn last year. They kept promising a "soft reopening" that never happened while I waited around for 5 months like a fool. The worst part was watching my savings disappear while holding onto false hope. Here's what I wish I'd known earlier: File for unemployment IMMEDIATELY - you've already waited too long. In NY, you're eligible the moment you have no work and no pay, regardless of your employment status on paper. I lost out on thousands in benefits because I believed my manager's promises. Also, start documenting everything NOW if you haven't already. Screenshot every text, save every email, write down dates of phone calls. When (not if) this drags on longer, you'll need proof of their promises for both unemployment and potential legal action. My hotel eventually sold to developers and became luxury condos. All of us who waited got nothing but a generic "thanks for your service" email. Don't let loyalty to a company that's stringing you along cost you the financial support you're entitled to. The billion-dollar corporation will be fine - make sure YOU are too.

My neighbor retired at 62 and tried to file for unemployment because she heard you could. NYS Department of Labor denied her claim immediately. She wasted weeks trying to appeal it before giving up. Don't bother unless you have a really unusual situation.

Just to add some clarity for anyone reading this thread - the key requirement for unemployment benefits in NY is that you must be "able and available for work" and actively seeking employment. When you voluntarily retire, you're essentially stating that you don't want to work anymore, which directly contradicts this requirement. Even if you change your mind later and want to return to work, the initial voluntary retirement would still disqualify you. The only real exceptions might be if your retirement was actually involuntary (like a forced early retirement due to company restructuring) or if there were discriminatory factors involved. But standard voluntary retirement? Definitely not eligible.

are u using a shared or public computer? they block those sometimes for security. also check if ur browser is blocking cookies - the site needs those to work

I had this exact same problem last week! What finally worked for me was completely signing out of all my Google accounts first, then opening a fresh incognito window and going directly to labor.ny.gov (not through any bookmarks or saved links). Also make sure you're typing your username/password manually instead of using autofill - their system seems to hate saved passwords. If that doesn't work, try logging in at like 2-3 AM when hardly anyone else is using the site. The whole system is such a mess but these tricks have gotten me through when nothing else worked!

Have you tried the virtual assistant on the unemployment website? Sometimes it can help with verification issues. But honestly talking to a real person is the fastest solution. I spent 2 weeks trying to DIY before finally getting through to someone who fixed it in 5 minutes.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Been waiting 6 days for my ID.me verification code and nothing. What's really frustrating is that my friend applied for unemployment in a different state and their verification went through instantly. It seems like NY's system integration with ID.me is particularly broken. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here like using incognito mode and checking different email folders. Really hoping we can get this sorted soon because the financial stress is real when you're counting on these benefits to pay rent 😰