I'm also completely new to unemployment and just filed my claim 2 days ago! This thread has been such a lifesaver - I was getting so stressed trying to figure out the my.ny.gov portal interface. Like everyone else here, I was totally lost until I found all this step-by-step guidance. I haven't even seen my status update yet since it's so recent, but reading about everyone's "Adjudication in Progress" experiences has really prepared me for what to expect. It's so reassuring to know that this seems to be the completely normal path rather than something to worry about! I've already bookmarked the direct unemployment services link, set up notifications, and made sure I understand that I need to keep filing weekly claims even during review. The Messages section tip is huge - I would have totally missed checking that regularly without this thread. Thanks to everyone for creating such an amazing resource for newcomers like me who are trying to navigate this confusing system for the first time. It's really comforting to know so many others are going through the same learning process!

I'm also brand new to filing unemployment and just submitted my claim yesterday! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I was completely lost trying to navigate the my.ny.gov portal until I found all the detailed guidance everyone shared here. The interface is definitely not intuitive for first-time users like us. Even though my claim is so new that I haven't seen any status updates yet, reading about everyone's "Adjudication in Progress" experiences has really prepared me for what to expect and helped calm my nerves about the process. I've already bookmarked the direct unemployment services link, set up text and email notifications, and made sure I understand that I need to continue filing weekly claims even during the review period. The tip about checking both the Claim Summary AND Messages sections regularly seems absolutely crucial - I would have completely missed that Messages section without this thread! Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed step-by-step guidance and creating this amazing resource for newcomers like me who are trying to figure out this confusing system for the first time.

I really feel for you - this kind of lingering worry about old claims can be absolutely exhausting. What strikes me most about your situation is how clearly you're demonstrating good faith intent. The fact that you're losing sleep over potentially honest mistakes from years ago shows you were never trying to defraud anyone - you were just trying to navigate a confusing system during an already stressful time. The gross vs net earnings confusion you mentioned is something I've seen come up in so many discussions about unemployment reporting. It's honestly one of the most common areas where people made honest errors, especially during 2019-2020 when so many were dealing with unemployment benefits for the first time while juggling part-time work. From what I understand, NYS Department of Labor does have the technical authority to audit old claims, but in practice they tend to focus their limited resources on more recent cases or ones with clear red flags suggesting intentional fraud. The fact that it's been several years without any contact from them is actually somewhat encouraging. I know everyone's saying "don't worry," which is easier said than done, but try to remember that you were doing your best with the information you had at the time. That genuinely counts for something if questions ever do arise. The anxiety about hypothetical scenarios is often much worse than any actual outcome, especially when your intentions were honest.

I can really understand the sleepless nights you're probably having over this - I went through something very similar when I started worrying about my 2020 unemployment claim about a year ago. The "what if" scenarios can absolutely consume your thoughts, but what helped me was learning that the vast majority of cases like yours - where someone was genuinely confused about reporting requirements rather than intentionally trying to defraud the system - are handled very differently than deliberate fraud cases. The confusion between gross and net earnings reporting was incredibly widespread during that period. I remember reading multiple forum discussions where people were asking the exact same questions you probably had back then. The system was overwhelmed, many people were navigating unemployment for the first time, and the guidance honestly wasn't as clear as it should have been. From what I've learned, while NYS Department of Labor technically has the authority to audit older claims, they typically focus their limited resources on more recent cases or ones with obvious patterns of fraud. The fact that several years have passed without any contact is actually somewhat reassuring - if there had been glaring issues with your claim, they likely would have flagged it much sooner. Try to be kind to yourself about this. You were dealing with job loss stress while trying to figure out a complex system with confusing requirements. That context matters, and your genuine concern about having done things correctly actually demonstrates the good faith intent that's so important in these situations.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! My claim has been under fact finding for about 3 weeks and like you, I haven't received any notification about what they need. I've been calling every morning but can't get through. One thing I learned from a friend who went through this is that sometimes the fact finding gets triggered automatically by their system when there's a minor data mismatch - could be something as simple as your employer reporting a slightly different last work date than what you put on your application. The frustrating part is they don't tell you what specifically triggered it. I'm planning to try that proactive document submission approach that Evan mentioned - seems like it can't hurt to get ahead of whatever they might be looking for.

I feel your frustration - the uncertainty is almost worse than knowing there's actually a problem. I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago where my claim got flagged for fact finding with no explanation. In my case, it turned out my previous employer had reported conflicting information about my separation date to the state, but I didn't find this out until I finally got through to a rep after weeks of calling. What helped me was keeping a detailed log of all my attempts to contact them (dates, times, how long I waited on hold) and also documenting my original employment situation with dates and details. When I finally did speak to someone, having all that information ready made the conversation much more productive. The whole process took about 5 weeks total, but once they had the clarification they needed, my back payments were released pretty quickly. Hang in there - it's incredibly stressful but most fact finding issues do get resolved eventually.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Just tried to update my direct deposit info last week and got the same "mother's name is incorrect" error. It's so frustrating because I know I'm entering it correctly... or at least I thought I was! After reading through all these responses, I'm realizing I probably need to think back to exactly how I entered her name when I first applied in 2021. I might have used her maiden name then, or maybe I included her middle initial and forgot about it. The tip about searching through old emails for confirmation messages is brilliant - I'm definitely going to do that tonight. And I had no idea the system would be so picky about things like extra spaces or punctuation! Who knew a hyphen could cause so much trouble? Going to try the systematic approach everyone's mentioned: check old emails first, then test different variations methodically instead of just randomly guessing. Also switching to desktop since so many people said that works better than mobile. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! This thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the DOL website. It's oddly reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this bureaucratic nightmare. I'll definitely update if I figure out what my formatting issue is! 🤞

I'm going through this exact same frustrating issue! The NY unemployment system rejected my mother's name when I tried to update my direct deposit yesterday. Reading through all these responses has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea so many people were dealing with this same problem! Based on everyone's experiences here, I think my issue is probably that I used my mom's maiden name when I originally applied in 2020, but I've been entering her married name when trying to update. I'm definitely going to search through my old emails tonight to find those confirmation messages from when I first filed. The tips about checking for middle initials, extra spaces, and punctuation are so helpful - it's crazy that the system is THAT picky about exact formatting after all these years! I'm also going to switch to the desktop website since multiple people mentioned it works better than mobile. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to play detective just to update our banking info, but seeing all these success stories gives me hope. Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions! This thread has been way more helpful than anything on the official DOL site. I'll definitely update once I crack the code - we're all in this bureaucratic nightmare together! 🙏

I've been on NY unemployment for about 4 weeks and have been doing Coursera courses in web development (my field), but I was being really casual about it - just watching videos here and there for maybe 20-30 minutes at a time. After reading through this entire thread, I realize I need to completely change my approach! The level of documentation everyone is describing is way more thorough than what I've been doing. I've basically just been writing "online training" in my work search log without any details. Based on all the advice here, I need to start: - Spending at least 1 hour per session when I count it as an activity - Keeping detailed records of course names, modules completed, and time spent - Taking screenshots of progress and saving certificates - Connecting each course to specific job applications - Actually completing full modules instead of just sampling content The audit stories are really eye-opening - I definitely don't want to risk having to pay back benefits because of poor documentation. It sounds like the DOL is getting more strict about this stuff. One thing I'm curious about: for those doing technical courses like programming, do you document the actual coding projects you complete as part of the coursework? I've been working through some JavaScript courses that have hands-on coding exercises, and I'm wondering if I should be saving those as additional proof of engagement. Thanks to everyone who shared such detailed experiences - this thread has been a wake-up call that I need to take the work search requirements much more seriously!

Absolutely document those coding projects! As someone who's been through a DOL audit, I can tell you that having actual code samples and completed programming exercises as evidence of your coursework engagement is incredibly valuable. When the auditor reviewed my work search activities, they were really impressed that I could show tangible deliverables from my online courses, not just certificates. For JavaScript courses specifically, I'd recommend: - Screenshot your completed code exercises with timestamps - Save copies of any projects you build (even simple ones) - Document what specific programming concepts you learned in each session - Note how the skills relate to job requirements you're seeing (like "completed DOM manipulation exercises relevant to front-end developer roles") The fact that you're recognizing the need to be more thorough now is great - better to adjust your approach early than face issues later. I was pretty casual about documentation my first month too, but tightening up my record-keeping really paid off when I got audited. One more tip for web development courses: if you're building any portfolio projects as part of the coursework, definitely mention those in cover letters. I got several interview callbacks after highlighting recent projects I'd completed during my Coursera training. Employers love seeing that you're actively coding and building things, not just passively watching tutorials. Your plan to spend at least an hour per session and complete full modules is spot on based on everything discussed in this thread. Good luck with the job search!