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The system is fundamentally broken and they know it. They make it deliberately difficult hoping people will give up and stop claiming benefits. I've been through THREE separate adjudication processes this year alone, each one lasting weeks. The job search requirements are intentionally confusing and they change the rules without proper notification.
One thing that helped me was setting up a dedicated email folder for all NYS Department of Labor correspondence and keeping a calendar with important dates like when my job search activities are due. Prevention really is better than trying to fix problems after they happen. Also make sure your contact information is always current in the system.
I wouldn't get your hopes up too much. The unemployment system is designed to make it as hard as possible to get benefits. They'll probably deny your backdate request and make you jump through hoops to appeal it. But definitely worth trying since you're talking about thousands of dollars potentially.
Make sure you understand the partial benefit calculation too. You can work and still collect as long as your total earnings for the week are less than your weekly benefit rate. NYS Department of Labor has a specific formula for partial benefits. And document everything about why your hours were reduced - that'll help your case for backdating.
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone, you might want to check out claimyr.com - they help people actually reach unemployment agents when the regular phone lines are jammed. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Given how important it is to report this situation quickly, it might be worth looking into.
same boat here, claim disappeared after I submitted it last week. at least you got a confirmation email, I didn't even get that
For future reference, always save screenshots when you submit your unemployment application. The NYS Department of Labor system can be glitchy and having proof of submission helps if you need to call them. Also make sure you're checking the right section - sometimes claims show up under 'Benefit Programs' instead of 'Unemployment Insurance' in your my.ny.gov account.
Carmen Vega
Check your my.ny.gov messages too sometimes they post the determination there before the letter arrives. Also make sure your address is current because if the letter gets returned your case could get delayed even more.
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Luca Russo
•Good point about the address! I moved last month but I think I updated it. Better double check that now.
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Yuki Kobayashi
Just wanted to add that if the appeal was decided in your favor, you might also need to resume filing weekly claims right away to continue getting benefits going forward. The back pay is separate from your ongoing weekly claims.
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