This reminds me of when my sister went through something similar last year with her unemployment claim. She had some issue with her last employer not responding to NYS Department of Labor requests for information and her claim was stuck for like 2 months. When it finally got approved she did get all her back pay but it took forever and she had to call multiple times to make sure everything was processed correctly. The whole experience was really stressful for her because she has kids to feed and bills to pay. Honestly the unemployment system in this state really needs an overhaul, it's ridiculous how long these things take.

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! My claim was held up for about 5 weeks due to some confusion with my separation reason. When it finally got approved, I did receive all the back pay automatically - it showed up as separate line items for each week I had missed. The key thing is that you need to make sure you go into your account and complete the weekly certification for each of those back weeks. There should be a section that lets you certify for previous weeks once your claim is active. If you don't see that option, definitely call them because sometimes the system doesn't automatically generate those back weeks for certification. The back pay for me came in two deposits - one smaller one a few days after approval and then the bulk of it about a week later. Keep checking your payment history and don't hesitate to follow up if it doesn't appear within 2 weeks!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been waiting 5 weeks for my seasonal landscaping unemployment to process. What's really frustrating is that I've been doing seasonal work for 3 years and never had these kinds of delays before. Something definitely changed with their system this year. Has anyone had luck with the online chat feature? I noticed they added it recently but every time I try to use it, it says "all agents are busy" and never connects me to anyone. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get my claim moving. Also wanted to mention for anyone filing in the future - make sure you have your employer's federal tax ID number ready. I didn't have mine when I first applied and had to call my old boss to get it, which probably contributed to my delays. They use it to verify your work history automatically instead of having to wait for employer responses.

I'm going through something similar right now - worked at a waterfront restaurant that closed for the winter season in November, and I've been waiting almost 4 weeks for my first payment. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening about the seasonal work complications. I think I made the same mistake as Ethan - I probably didn't clearly mark my work as seasonal when I filed, and I definitely didn't know about that buried "seasonal work patterns" question that Jean Claude mentioned. That would explain why my claim is stuck in review limbo. The advice about getting a letter from your employer beforehand is brilliant - wish I had thought of that. And the tip about having the federal tax ID ready is something I'll definitely remember. I had to email my old manager to get employment verification info, which probably added to my delays. At this point I'm seriously considering trying that Claimyr service. It's frustrating that we have to pay extra just to access benefits we're entitled to, but if it actually works and gets me connected to someone who can resolve this, it might be worth it. The regular phone system is completely impossible - I've tried calling probably 20+ times and never gotten through to a human. Has anyone else noticed if certain times of day work better for getting through? I've been trying mostly afternoons but maybe I should try those early morning slots that Amara suggested.

Apply ASAP! You have nothing to lose by applying. Worst they can say is no. And start putting in 5 work search activities each week NOW even before you apply, so you can show you've been looking for work since your layoff.

I'm in a similar boat - got laid off from my warehouse job and started doing Instacart while job hunting. From what I've learned, you definitely CAN file for unemployment while doing gig work in NY. The key things are: 1) Report ALL your DoorDash earnings when you certify each week (they want gross pay before expenses), 2) Make sure you classify it as self-employment income, and 3) Keep detailed records of everything. The benefit reduction isn't dollar-for-dollar - there's a formula they use. I'd recommend applying right away since there's a waiting period, and honestly after reading all these comments, it sounds like talking to a live agent might save you headaches down the road. Good luck with the job search!

I'm new to this community and just wanted to share my recent experience with the address update process since I see others are still struggling with this. I successfully updated my address last week using a combination of the strategies mentioned here. I faxed my documents to (518) 457-9378 using the early morning timing tip (sent at 7:15 AM), included "ADDRESS CHANGE REQUEST" in large letters at the top, and put my claim number on every single page. I sent both my lease agreement and electric bill together as suggested. The key thing that made a difference was calling to confirm receipt using that Claimyr service - without that follow-up call, I think my documents might have sat unprocessed. The whole thing took 6 days from fax to address verification, and my benefits resumed with the next certification. For anyone still waiting, don't lose hope! This community's advice really works if you follow all the detailed steps. The system is definitely broken and frustrating, but these workarounds do get results eventually.

Wow, this thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same address update situation right now and was getting so frustrated with the NYSDOL website. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me a clear action plan. I'm going to fax my documents to (518) 457-9378 first thing tomorrow morning, making sure to write "ADDRESS CHANGE REQUEST" at the top and include my claim number on every page. I'll send both my lease and utility bill together as suggested. The tip about using Claimyr to follow up is genius - I never would have thought of that. It's amazing how much more useful this community discussion is than anything on the official website. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and solutions!

To answer your question about mentioning the previous disqualification - you don't need to volunteer that information, but if they ask directly you should be honest. Focus on your current job loss and the fact that it was through no fault of your own. Make sure you have documentation from your employer about the layoff if possible.

I went through something similar a few years back. Got disqualified initially but was able to file a new claim when I got laid off from my next job. One thing that helped me was keeping all the paperwork from my layoff - the WARN notice, any emails about the company restructuring, etc. Having that documentation ready made the process smoother when they reviewed my claim. Also, don't stress too much about the previous disqualification - like others said, they really focus on your most recent job separation. Good luck!