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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 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.
One thing to know is that if you have trouble getting through on the phone to NYS Department of Labor, there's a service called Claimyr that can help you get connected to an agent faster. I found out about it when I was stuck in adjudication and couldn't reach anyone for weeks. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me a lot of frustration when I needed to speak to someone about my claim status.
The NYS Department of Labor has actually improved processing times significantly since 2023. Standard claims without complications typically process within 10-14 business days. However, if your claim requires adjudication (employer disputes, quit vs layoff verification, etc.) it can take 4-6 weeks. You can check your claim status on my.ny.gov. If you're having trouble reaching them by phone due to high call volume, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works.
Wait what's adjudication exactly? My status just says pending and I'm freaking out that something went wrong
The whole system is a nightmare honestly. I've been waiting 3 weeks just to talk to someone about my claim status and the phone lines are always busy. They say processing is faster but try actually getting help when something goes wrong!
Ella Knight
The whole system is ridiculous if you ask me. Why can't they just make a simple calculator that actually works? I spent three weeks trying to figure out my benefits and even the NYS Department of Labor rep I finally reached gave me different numbers than what showed up in my account.
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William Schwarz
Don't forget you can also check if you qualify for the alternate base period if your regular base period doesn't give you enough wages to qualify. That uses the most recent 4 quarters instead of the first 4 of the last 5.
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