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I had issues getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my claim funding. Spent hours on hold trying to understand how my benefits were calculated. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent who explained the whole state vs federal funding thing. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful than trying to call the regular number.
The whole system is such a mess honestly. Federal taxes, state taxes, who knows where any of it really goes. NYS Department of Labor could do a better job explaining this stuff to people when they file their first claim.
The whole system is so confusing! I've been collecting for 8 weeks now and I still don't really understand how they calculate everything. My neighbor got benefits for longer than 26 weeks but that was during COVID when there were extensions. Now I hear there's nothing extra available.
Just to clarify - the 26 weeks is the standard maximum, but your actual duration might be less depending on your earnings history. NYS Department of Labor looks at your base period wages to determine both your weekly benefit amount and total duration. If you didn't work much in your base period, you might not qualify for the full 26 weeks.
ugh the NYS Department of Labor is THE WORST at communicating anything!! they just send these vague notices and expect you to figure it out yourself. I went through something similar and it took 3 months to get it resolved
Rebecca Johnston
just make sure u file asap!! i waited like 2 weeks thinking i needed to find other work first and that was a mistake because u cant get retroactive benefits for those weeks
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Nathan Dell
The whole unemployment system is such a bureaucratic nightmare. Took me 6 weeks to get my first payment last year because they kept asking for more documentation even though I provided everything they initially requested. NYS Department of Labor needs a complete overhaul.
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Jessica Nolan
•While the system definitely has room for improvement, most straightforward layoff cases process within 2-3 weeks. The key is being thorough and accurate when filing your initial claim.
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