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The whole system is a nightmare honestly. I've been trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my claim being stuck in adjudication and their phone lines are always busy. You call and get disconnected constantly. It's like they don't want to help people.
How much does something like that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay extra just to reach our own government agency.
Just make sure you file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still processing. Missing a week can cause delays in your payments later. And NEVER lie about working or earning money - they cross-reference with employment records and you'll get hit with an overpayment demand.
The system is definitely broken. I've been dealing with an overpayment notice for benefits I received LAST YEAR that they're now saying I wasn't entitled to. How can they approve payments and then take them back months later? It feels like they approve people just to create debt later. The whole NYS Department of Labor operation needs to be rebuilt from scratch.
If you're having trouble getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to verify your benefit amounts or get documentation, I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) when I needed to talk to an agent about my 1099-G form. They help you actually reach a human at the unemployment office instead of sitting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call.
Just to add - make sure you're looking at the right tax year when reporting. If you received unemployment in 2024, that goes on your 2025-2026 FAFSA. If it was 2023 benefits, it should have been on your current FAFSA. The timing can get confusing especially if you were collecting UI across multiple calendar years.
The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me! They expect us to remember every little detail but their own records are months behind. I got an overpayment notice for wages from a job I reported correctly, took forever to sort out.
Miguel Ortiz
Wait, I thought you had to wait until after your last paycheck or something? I've been putting off filing because my former employer said they're sending me a final check next week. Am I supposed to file before I get that?
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Sofia Ramirez
•You can file now and report that final paycheck when you do your first weekly claim. Don't wait for the paycheck - every day you delay is potential benefits lost. NYS Department of Labor expects you to report all earnings during your weekly claims anyway.
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Zainab Omar
I had issues reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone when I needed to clarify something about my claim timing. If you run into the same problem, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an agent quickly. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really helped when the phone lines were jammed and I kept getting disconnected.
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Connor Murphy
•never heard of that but honestly anything is better than sitting on hold for 3 hours just to get hung up on
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