I'm new to this community but wanted to share what happened when I was in a very similar situation last year. I owed about $3,100 in back taxes and was terrified about applying for unemployment after being laid off. Everyone here is giving great advice - you absolutely can and should file your claim right away! The tax debt won't disqualify you from receiving benefits. In my case, they intercepted about 22% of my weekly payments to cover the back taxes, but I still received the majority of my benefits. The offset didn't start immediately either - I think it was about 3-4 weeks after my first payment. I received written notice explaining exactly how much they'd be taking and for how long. It was actually a relief because I was making progress on the tax debt without having to stress about finding a lump sum while unemployed. Don't let the tax situation delay your application - file as soon as possible!

I went through this same situation about 6 months ago when I got laid off from my retail job. I owed around $2,200 in back taxes and was really worried about filing for unemployment. Everyone here is absolutely right - you can definitely still get approved for benefits even with tax debt! In my case, they started offsetting about 18% of my weekly benefit amount after about 5 weeks. I got a clear notice in the mail explaining exactly what was happening and how long it would take to pay off my debt through the offsets. The process was way less scary than I thought it would be. The most important thing is to file your claim immediately - every day you wait is money you're potentially losing out on. The unemployment system and tax collection system are separate, so don't let one delay the other. You've earned these benefits through your work, so go ahead and apply right away!

I'm a benefits advocate and this is one of the most frustrating errors I see with NYS DOL - their system frequently miscodes "lack of work" layoffs as disqualifications when they should be automatic approvals. This is almost certainly either a data entry error or your employer reported the wrong separation reason. Here's what you need to do immediately: 1) Call your former employer's HR/payroll department to verify what separation code they submitted to NYS DOL - ask specifically if they reported it as "layoff due to lack of work" or something else, 2) If they reported it wrong, have them contact NYS DOL to correct it (this is usually the fastest fix), 3) If that doesn't work, file Form IA 007.2 for an appeal within 30 days - include your written layoff notice as evidence. Continue certifying weekly during this process since you'll get backpay once it's resolved. This type of obvious error gets overturned regularly, so don't let their broken system discourage you from claiming benefits you've earned and deserve.

I'm new to the unemployment system and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea that "lack of work" denials were such a common error with NYS DOL. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize how broken their initial determination process really is. It's honestly shocking that so many people are getting denied for what should be the most straightforward qualifying reason for unemployment benefits. For anyone else dealing with this - it sounds like the consensus is to call your former employer's HR first to check what separation reason they actually reported, then file Form IA 007.2 if that doesn't resolve it. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and practical advice - this kind of community support is invaluable when dealing with such a frustrating bureaucratic system!

I've been following this thread closely as someone who went through a very similar ordeal last year - stuck in NYSDOL limbo from March to July with the exact same immediate hangup problem. This thread has become an incredible resource that I wish existed when I was going through this nightmare! What finally worked for me was a combination of several strategies mentioned here: I used the early morning timing (7:58am sharp), borrowed a landline phone, and most importantly - I called the day after a holiday when I figured call volume might be lower. Got through on my third attempt that morning and the agent was able to resolve my stuck claim in about 20 minutes. One additional tip I haven't seen mentioned: if you have any union connections or know someone who works for the state, they sometimes have internal phone numbers that bypass the main queue system. It's worth asking around your network if anyone has connections. Also want to echo what others have said about documenting everything. I kept a detailed log of every call attempt, and when I finally got through, having those dates and times actually helped the agent understand how long the system had been failing me. She made specific notes in my file about the technical issues I'd experienced. Diego, with all these strategies from everyone in this thread, you're going to get through this! The collective problem-solving here is amazing - it's like having a whole support network of people who actually understand what you're dealing with instead of being told to "just keep calling" by people who've never experienced this broken system.

I've been dealing with the exact same nightmare since April - getting that immediate hangup every single time I call. Reading through this thread has been like finding a goldmine of actual solutions after months of useless "just keep trying" advice from everywhere else. I'm definitely going to try the Spanish line (1-888-209-8124) first thing tomorrow at 7:59am based on all the success stories here. I've got my landline ready, all documents organized, and I'm going to ask for supervisor escalation immediately like Yara suggested. One thing I wanted to add - I just discovered that some local libraries have free phone services you can use if you don't have access to a landline. The librarian at my branch mentioned they've had several people come in specifically to make unemployment calls because cell phones weren't working. Might be worth checking if your library offers this! This community support has been incredible. It's so much better than fighting this broken system alone. I'll definitely update everyone on how the Spanish line strategy works out. Fingers crossed we can add another success story to this thread! 🤞

I just went through this exact same situation about 6 weeks ago and totally understand the anxiety you're feeling! That $0 showing everywhere is honestly terrifying when you're counting on those benefits. But I can confirm what others have said - this is completely normal during initial processing. The system shows $0 as a placeholder while they verify your work history and calculate your actual benefit amount. Since you already found that message requesting pay stubs in your portal, you're actually doing great! Many people miss those requests entirely. My timeline was similar: filed claim → 2.5 weeks of $0 → submitted requested documents → benefit amount updated 8 days later → received backpay for all weeks I had certified. Key things that helped me: - Set a recurring Sunday alarm to certify weekly (even with $0 showing) - Check portal messages once daily but try not to obsess - Keep copies of all documents submitted The NY system is terrible at communication but it does work eventually. That backpay lump sum is going to be such a relief when it comes through! Keep certifying weekly no matter what - you don't want to miss out on those weeks. Hang in there! 💪

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Filed my claim about a week ago and have been absolutely panicking seeing those $0s everywhere. I was convinced I'd messed something up in my application or didn't qualify somehow. This thread has been such a lifesaver - it's incredible how many people are dealing with the identical experience right now. The NY unemployment system really is terrible at communicating what's happening during processing. They could easily add a simple "Claim under review - processing time 2-4 weeks" message instead of just showing $0 and leaving everyone to think their claim was denied. I haven't received any document requests in my portal yet, but based on everyone's timelines here it sounds like I should expect something soon. Just set up my Sunday certification reminder after reading all these comments - seems like that weekly certification is absolutely crucial even when everything shows zero. The waiting is brutal when you're depending on these benefits to pay bills, but reading all these success stories about getting backpay makes me feel so much more confident. It's amazing how this community can provide the clarity that the actual unemployment website completely fails to give. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - you're helping so many stressed newcomers like me understand this confusing process! 🙏

Just a heads up - if you're running QB Desktop 2022 or older, you might need to manually download the latest tax tables to get the correct 2025 wage base limits. The automatic updates sometimes don't include all the state-specific changes for unemployment insurance.

I work in payroll for a small business in NY and we had this exact same issue earlier this year. After updating the wage base in QB, make sure you also run a liability adjustment report to see if any employees were incorrectly charged UI tax on wages above $12,800. You might need to process manual adjustments for those employees and file amended returns with NYS Department of Labor if the overage was significant. Also, double-check that your company's SUI rate is correct in the system - sometimes QB doesn't pull the right rate from your Department of Labor account.