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If you're having trouble getting answers about your specific situation or need to verify your unemployment insurance contributions with NYS Department of Labor, I had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to actual agents when the phone lines are busy. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped when I needed to check my benefit eligibility last year.
Just remember that even though you're paying into unemployment insurance, there's no guarantee you'll actually get benefits if you need them. The NYS Department of Labor can be really picky about eligibility requirements and they seem to find reasons to deny claims all the time.
The whole system is ridiculous honestly. They expect you to pay the same amount whether you're making $800 a week or $385 on unemployment. Then they threaten to suspend your license if you fall behind. Makes no sense!
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about any of their determinations, I had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. I was stuck trying to call for weeks about my adjudication status and this got me through to someone who could explain everything in about 15 minutes.
How much does something like that cost? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for days about my own determination letter.
The unemployment tax system is such a mess. Employers pay different rates depending on how many former employees filed claims against them. New businesses pay a standard rate until they build up an experience rating. Some employers try to fight legitimate claims just to keep their tax rates low. It's ridiculous that the burden falls entirely on employers when employees are the ones who need the benefits.
Sean O'Donnell
I had a similar situation last year where I couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor to check on my claim status after being terminated. The phone lines were always busy and I was getting really anxious about the whole process. A friend told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a real person at NYS Department of Labor. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really took the stress out of trying to get answers about my adjudication process.
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Freya Thomsen
•How long did it take them to help you get through? I'm dreading having to call if my claim gets stuck.
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Sean O'Donnell
•It was pretty quick actually, way better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected. Worth checking out if you run into phone issues.
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Zara Ahmed
wait so if you get fired you can still get unemployment? i thought only people who got laid off could get it
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Omar Fawaz
•It depends on the reason for termination. Laid off or fired for non-misconduct reasons usually qualify. Fired for misconduct usually doesn't. NYS Department of Labor makes the final determination during their investigation.
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