Maya, you're absolutely making the right call by questioning this warehouse offer! I just went through unemployment myself earlier this year and had to navigate these same concerns about suitable work requirements. That $5/hour pay cut from $18 to $13 represents about a 28% reduction, which is way below the 80% threshold that NYS Department of Labor typically considers suitable in the early weeks of your claim. Combined with the fact that warehouse work has zero overlap with your retail management experience, this is a textbook case of unsuitable work. At 6 weeks into your claim, you're still well within the period where they expect you to be selective about offers that match your professional background and earning history. I kept detailed records when I declined similar mismatched offers and never had any issues with my benefits. Focus your search on retail supervisor or assistant manager roles where your management experience will actually be valued - you shouldn't have to take a huge step backwards just because it's the first offer that came along. Document this offer and your reasons for declining (major pay cut, no relevant warehouse experience, doesn't utilize your management skills) but don't stress about turning it down!

Maya, you're absolutely right to question this offer! As someone who just navigated this exact situation a few months ago, I can tell you with confidence that declining that warehouse job is completely justified under NYS Department of Labor guidelines. The $5/hour pay cut (from $18 to $13) represents a 28% reduction, which is well below the 80% threshold they typically use for suitable work in the early weeks of your claim. Plus, warehouse work has absolutely nothing to do with your retail management background - you'd be starting from scratch in a completely different field. At only 6 weeks into your claim, you're still in the prime period where NYS DOL expects you to hold out for work that actually matches your skills and salary history. I turned down three similar mismatched offers in my first two months and never heard a peep about it. My advice: document this offer and your reasons for declining (significant pay cut, no warehouse experience, doesn't utilize your management skills), then focus your search on retail supervisor or assistant manager positions where your experience will actually be valued. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for being strategic about your career - that's exactly what the system is designed to allow during this early period!

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you all for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences! I'm in almost the exact same situation as many of you. My benefits stopped about 3 weeks ago after I started a part-time remote customer service job. I've been calling obsessively with zero success, just getting that automated "high call volume" disconnect every single time. Connor's insider knowledge about the system flagging accounts for wage discrepancies makes perfect sense - I bet that's exactly what happened since I went from reporting zero income to suddenly having part-time wages. The 8:07am timing with the 1-4-2 sequence sounds like pure gold based on all the success stories here, especially StarSailor's update about actually getting through and resolving everything. I'm definitely going to try this method tomorrow morning. I've already prepared all my documentation - pay stubs, work schedule, hours breakdown by week - after reading everyone's advice. It's such a relief to know this is actually solvable and that there's a proven method that works. One quick question for those who successfully got through - did the rep ask for any specific details about your employer (like company name, EIN, etc.) or did they mainly focus on the income amounts and hours you'd been reporting? I want to make sure I have everything ready so I don't waste the opportunity if I actually reach someone. This thread has been a lifesaver - thank you all for creating such a valuable resource!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare - my benefits were suspended 2 weeks ago after I started working part-time at a coffee shop. I've called probably 60+ times and never gotten past that horrible "high call volume" automated message. It's beyond frustrating when you desperately need to speak to someone and the system seems designed to prevent it. Reading through everyone's experiences here, especially Connor's insider knowledge about the wage discrepancy flags, makes so much sense. I bet that's exactly what happened to me too since I went from zero reported income to suddenly having part-time wages. The 8:07am timing with the 1-4-2 sequence sounds incredibly promising - I love that multiple people have confirmed this actually works! I'm setting my alarm for 8:05am tomorrow to try this method. I've already gathered all my documentation based on everyone's advice: pay stubs, weekly work schedules, and my claim information. It gives me so much hope to see StarSailor's success story and know that this is actually solvable with the right approach. Thank you all for sharing such detailed and helpful information. This community support means everything when dealing with such a broken system. I'll definitely report back with results - fingers crossed the magic sequence works for me too!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - I know exactly how frustrating and scary it is when your benefits just stop with no explanation! I went through something very similar a few months ago where my payments randomly stopped and I couldn't get through to anyone for weeks. After reading through all these comments, I'm honestly impressed by how many people are vouching for Claimyr. I was super skeptical at first too because it sounds like one of those "too good to be true" services, but when you're facing eviction and bills are piling up, you kind of have to try everything. The consistency of positive feedback from so many different people here is pretty compelling. I'd also definitely recommend trying some of those off-peak calling strategies people mentioned - like Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons at random times instead of the usual peak hours when everyone else is calling. The system clearly can't handle the volume during normal business hours. Don't give up on getting what you're entitled to! I know the financial stress is overwhelming when you're down to your last few hundred dollars, but based on everyone's experiences here, persistence really does seem to pay off eventually. Your benefits are rightfully yours and you shouldn't have to suffer because the system is broken. Hang in there and please keep us updated on what ends up working for you - we're all rooting for you!

Wow, reading through all these comments is both reassuring and infuriating - I had no idea so many people were stuck in this same nightmare! I'm on day 12 of calling multiple times per day and getting absolutely nowhere. My payments stopped in mid-February with that dreaded "call to resolve" message and I'm starting to panic about my mortgage payment next week. I have to say, I came into this thread super skeptical about services like Claimyr because they sound exactly like those "one weird trick" scams that are everywhere online. But honestly, seeing SO many different people here vouching for it across all these comment threads is making me seriously reconsider. When you're facing financial ruin and the official system is completely broken, sometimes you have to try unconventional solutions. I'm definitely going to give it a shot tomorrow morning, along with those oddly specific timing strategies people mentioned (Tuesday 2:47pm sounds weirdly random but I'll try anything at this point!). It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third party just to access benefits we've already qualified for, but if it means finally reaching an actual human being after nearly two weeks of automated torture, it might be the best $30 I ever spend. The stress of not knowing when your income will resume while watching bills pile up is genuinely affecting my mental health. Thank you everyone for sharing real solutions and experiences - this community is keeping me sane right now!

Just wait it out, the system will update eventually. I wouldn't stress too much about the exact amount until your claim is approved anyway.

Hey Marilyn! I went through this same confusion when I filed my claim a few months ago. The calculation Louisa mentioned is correct, but just to add some context - if you were making $18/hour and worked full-time for those 8 months, your benefit amount will likely be somewhere between $200-300 per week depending on your exact earnings pattern. The "pending" status is normal and should update within 1-2 weeks once they verify your employment history with your restaurant. In the meantime, you can try logging into your NY.gov account periodically to check for updates. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're trying to budget, but hang in there!

I just went through this exact same nightmare last month! The NY unemployment system is absolutely brutal with these mother's name verification issues. After weeks of frustration, I finally figured out my problem - I had used a completely different format back in 2020 than what I was trying now. Here's what worked for me: I found an old confirmation email from when I first applied that showed I had entered my mom's name as "Patricia A. Johnson" (with the middle initial), but I had been trying to enter just "Patricia Johnson" when updating my direct deposit. The system wanted that EXACT match including the middle initial! My advice: definitely dig through your old emails first - search for anything from "nys.gov" or with "unemployment" in the subject line. Also try these variations systematically: - Maiden vs married name - With/without middle name or initial - Full legal name vs any nicknames you might have used - Check for extra spaces or typos - Try different spellings if applicable (Catherine vs Katherine, etc.) Use the desktop website instead of mobile - it seems to handle the formatting better. And don't worry about getting locked out, I tried probably 15+ variations over several days with no issues. This problem is definitely solvable! Once you find that exact match, everything will work perfectly. The system is ridiculously picky but at least it's consistent. Good luck! 🤞

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! The NY unemployment system keeps rejecting my mother's name when I try to update my direct deposit info. After reading through all these helpful responses, I realize I've been approaching this all wrong - just randomly trying different variations instead of being systematic about it. I think my problem might be 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 going to search through my old emails tonight to see if I can find any confirmation messages from when I first filed my claim. The tips about checking for middle initials, extra spaces, and even punctuation are so helpful - I never would have thought the system would be that picky about exact formatting after all these years! Also definitely switching to desktop instead of mobile since multiple people mentioned that works better. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to play detective just to update our banking information, but I'm feeling way more hopeful now that I have a real game plan. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'll come back and update if I figure out what my specific formatting issue was. 🤞