


Ask the community...
The tax thing with unemployment is such BS. Like we're already struggling financially and then they want to tax the measly benefits too. I had to pay back like $600 when I did my taxes because I didn't know about the withholding option.
If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor to discuss your case, I had good luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They handle the calling and waiting for you, which saved me hours of being on hold. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was really helpful for getting clarification on my disqualification before I filed my appeal.
same thing happened to my friend except it turned out she accidentally said something wrong when she filed that made it sound like she quit voluntarily. The good news is that if you have proof you were laid off the appeal process usually works in your favor. just make sure you meet that 30 day deadline!
The unemployment system is SO broken. They deny legitimate claims all the time and then make you jump through hoops to prove you deserve benefits. Meanwhile bills keep piling up and families suffer. NYS Department of Labor doesn't care about the massive effects their mistakes have on real people's lives!!
Make sure you're documenting everything during this process - all the financial hardship, medical issues from stress, anything related to how this wrongful denial is affecting your life. If you win your appeal, you'll get back pay for all the weeks you should have been receiving benefits. Don't give up, wrongful denials get overturned all the time once you get a real person to review the case.
The NY system is just BROKEN. I waited 8 weeks last year and when I finally got through they told me I had been approved 3 weeks earlier but nobody bothered to update my account! The whole NYS Department of Labor system needs an overhaul.
NY does take longer but there are reasons. Higher cost of living means higher benefit amounts so they verify more carefully. Plus the sheer population - NYS Department of Labor handles way more claims than smaller states. It's frustrating but the thoroughness actually protects legitimate claimants from system abuse that could slow things down even more.
Chloe Davis
Wait, what's the base period thing? I've only been working for 8 months at my current job. Does that mean I wouldn't qualify if I got laid off tomorrow?
0 coins
NeonNebula
•The base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be January-December 2024. You need sufficient wages during that time period to qualify. If you've only worked 8 months, you might still qualify depending on when you started and how much you earned.
0 coins
AstroAlpha
also know that if you get any severance pay or vacation payout it might delay when your benefits start!! learned this the hard way
0 coins
Malik Thomas
•Oh wow I never thought about that. Good to know for planning purposes.
0 coins