


Ask the community...
ugh the whole system is so confusing. why can't they just make it simple to reopen a claim instead of making you start over from scratch every time
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE! I've been waiting 6 WEEKS for my adjudication and they keep saying 'we're reviewing your case.' Meanwhile I'm about to lose my apartment. NYS Department of Labor acts like they're doing us a favor when WE PAID INTO THIS SYSTEM through our paychecks!
Just to add - make sure you're filing your weekly claims every Sunday even if your initial claim is still pending. Missing weekly certifications can delay your benefits even after approval. Also keep detailed records of any job search activities since you'll need to meet those requirements once approved.
ugh the whole system is so confusing and they make it impossible to get straight answers. I got disqualified initially because they said I didn't work enough quarters but then when I appealed with better documentation they approved me. sometimes it feels like they just deny everyone first to see who fights back
To answer your earlier question about base periods - NYS Department of Labor looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if your cousin files now in 2025, they'd look at her wages from Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. She needs at least $2,600 total in that period AND wages in at least two different quarters. The seasonal retail work might actually help if it was during Q4 2024 and the restaurant work was in a different quarter.
From what I understand, there are different levels of review. Simple claims get auto-approved by the computer system. More complex ones go to claims examiners, and really complicated cases might go to hearing officers. The whole process depends on your specific situation and how busy they are.
Anastasia Kozlov
I had a nightmare trying to reach NYS Department of Labor when my employer contested my claim after being fired. Spent weeks calling and never got through. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that connects you directly to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Got through to an actual person within hours and got my claim resolved. Way better than sitting on hold forever.
0 coins
Sean Kelly
•How much does something like that cost though? If you're unemployed money is already tight.
0 coins
Anastasia Kozlov
•It's worth checking out their site for details. For me it was way better than losing weeks of benefits because I couldn't reach anyone to explain my situation.
0 coins
Zara Mirza
THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST WORKERS! I got fired for 'performance' which was really just my supervisor not liking me and NYS Department of Labor STILL made me jump through hoops for 6 weeks. They'll side with employers every time unless you have a lawyer. Don't get your hopes up that this will be easy even if you did nothing wrong!!!
0 coins
Luca Russo
•That sounds terrible but every case is different. Most people I know who got fired for non-misconduct reasons got approved eventually.
0 coins