This is really concerning - sounds like your family might owe back unemployment taxes to NYS Department of Labor if they've been misclassifying you all this time. At $18/hour for 8 months, you're definitely over that $500 quarterly threshold. I'd recommend documenting everything about your work arrangement (schedule, how they direct your work, etc.) in case you need to prove employee status later. The good news is that even with misclassification, you should still be eligible for unemployment benefits once NYS Department of Labor reviews your case. Just be prepared that it might take longer to process than normal claims.

You're absolutely right to be concerned about this situation. As someone who's dealt with household employment issues before, I can confirm that nannies are almost always employees, not independent contractors. The IRS has specific guidelines about this - if the family controls when, where, and how you work (which they clearly do), you're an employee. At $18/hour for 8 months, your family should definitely be paying unemployment taxes to NYS Department of Labor. The fact that you're getting a 1099 suggests they're either unaware of their obligations or trying to avoid them. I'd strongly recommend having a conversation with them about proper classification - they could face penalties for misclassification, and you deserve proper employee protections and benefits. You can find more info about household employee requirements on the NYS Department of Labor website.

One important thing - if you receive any severance pay, that might affect when your benefits start. Severance is considered wages in NY so it could delay your eligibility. Make sure to report any severance when you file your initial claim so there are no issues later.

I went through this exact situation last year. File your claim the Monday after your last day of work - don't wait any longer than that! The NYS DOL website lets you file 24/7 online which is way easier than calling. You'll need your employer's full business name and address, your employment dates, and your Social Security number. The one-week waiting period means you won't get paid for your first week of benefits, but you still need to certify for it. Also keep records of everything - save confirmation numbers and print out your claim summary. Good luck with everything!

Wait I'm confused about something similar - if I'm working 35 hours a week but making way less than my old job, do I still qualify for anything? I thought unemployment was only if you're completely out of work.

I went through this exact same situation when I was laid off from my administrative job and picked up part-time hours at a grocery store. The NYS Department of Labor considers you partially unemployed, not fully unemployed, but you still qualify for benefits. The important thing is to report every penny you earn during your weekly certification - they'll automatically calculate how much your benefit gets reduced based on your part-time wages. I found it helpful to keep a simple log of my hours and earnings each week to make sure I was reporting accurately. Also, don't forget you can earn up to a certain amount (I think it's around $143 per week) without any reduction to your benefits at all.

I'm new to this community and just joined because I'm starting my NY unemployment claim process soon. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - reading through everyone's detailed experiences and solutions has taught me more about navigating potential direct deposit issues than I could have learned anywhere else. The consistent success stories with the secure message center approach using "DD REJECTION" as the subject line are really encouraging, especially with those reliable 24-48 hour response times multiple people have reported. It's also incredibly helpful to understand all the various root causes that can trigger these problems - name formatting mismatches between NYSDOL and bank systems, ACH processing changes from bank mergers, system flags from address updates, and the ongoing complications from that April system update. The banking industry perspective that was shared really clarified that these are often failed ACH attempts due to formatting issues rather than true rejections, which explains why banks don't show any attempted deposits. I'm definitely bookmarking this entire conversation as my reference guide. What I appreciate most is how supportive this community is - people actually take the time to come back and share what worked for them with specific details and timelines instead of just disappearing once their issues are resolved. Thanks to everyone for creating such a comprehensive and helpful resource for newcomers like me navigating this complex system!

I'm brand new to this community and just joined because I'm dealing with my first NY unemployment claim and wanted to learn from others' experiences. This entire thread has been absolutely incredible - I had no idea there could be so many complications with direct deposits or that there were specific strategies to resolve them. The "DD REJECTION" secure message center approach that multiple people have had success with seems like the way to go, especially seeing those consistent 24-48 hour response times compared to the impossible phone lines. It's also really enlightening to understand all the different causes - name formatting mismatches, bank system changes from mergers, the April update issues, and system flags from various account changes. The banking industry perspective explaining these as failed ACH attempts rather than true rejections really helps clarify what's actually happening behind the scenes. I'm definitely saving this entire conversation as my go-to reference guide. What I love most about this community is how people actually come back to share what worked for them with specific details and timelines - it makes such a difference for newcomers like me who are trying to navigate this complex system. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and creating such a valuable resource!

I went through this same confusion earlier this year! In addition to what others mentioned, you can also try logging into your NY.gov account and looking under "My Online Services" - sometimes the determination letters show up there first before being mailed. Also, if you're able to certify for weekly benefits and haven't been blocked from the system, that's usually a positive sign. The 2-week timeframe is still pretty normal for processing, especially if they need to verify employment with your previous employer. Keep doing those weekly certifications even if you haven't gotten a clear answer yet - you don't want to miss any potential back pay if you do get approved!

Another thing to check - if you can see a "Weekly Benefit Amount" listed anywhere in your account (even if it says $0), that usually means your claim went through initial processing. Also, make sure you didn't miss any requests for additional documentation. Sometimes they'll send a message asking for pay stubs or separation paperwork and if you don't respond within 10 days, it can hold up your claim indefinitely. The fact that you can still file weekly claims is definitely encouraging though - when claims are outright rejected, they typically block you from filing at all.