Any updates on NY unemployment overpayment waivers? Submitted in August but no response yet
I'm dealing with these frustrating overpayment notices from ny unemployment. Back in April, they suddenly claimed I received duplicate payments during the third quarter of last year. They sent me a bill for $3,480 saying I need to pay it all back. I submitted a waiver request through the portal in August (about 4 months ago) and haven't heard anything back at all. I know the system is jammed but this is getting ridiculous. Three of my former colleagues from the restaurant where we all got laid off already received forgiveness letters - one got approved last month and two in October. Starting to worry my application got lost in the system or something. Has anyone else been waiting this long? Or should I be doing something else to follow up?
54 comments
Issac Nightingale
Yep, still waiting on mine too. Submitted in July for a $2,890 overpayment they claim happened last year. No response, no updates, nothing. Called like 30 times but can never get through to an actual person. The automated system just tells me my case is "under review" whatever that means. Its been 5 months now... how long does a "review" take?? 🤬
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Romeo Barrett
•Same boat. 6 months of "under review" here. The system is completly broken
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Serene Snow
•Did you try messaging them through the portal? I did that twice but never got any response either
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Issac Nightingale
•tried messaging like 5 times. complete silence. its like shouting into a void 🙄
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Marina Hendrix
After weeks of trying to get someone on the phone about my overpayment issue, I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to a live agent. Honestly it was the best decision I made - they got me a callback with a real person who actually helped resolve my waiver application. My overpayment of $4100 was forgiven last week! Check out this video if you wanna see how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Justin Trejo
•This sounds like an ad. Does this actually work or are you just promoting something?
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Marina Hendrix
•Not an ad lol, just sharing what worked for me after months of frustration. Talking to an actual human at unemployment made all the difference. My waiver was sitting there for months until I got through to someone who could actually look at my case.
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Alana Willis
•yeah right, another 'miracle solution'... what's the catch? 🙄
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Marina Hendrix
•No catch - it just helps you skip the hold times. I was skeptical too but after trying for weeks to get through myself I was desperate. Talking to a live agent got my waiver processed in days after it sat for months.
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Serene Snow
•I might have to try this. Nothing else seems to be working and I'm tired of waiting.
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Tyler Murphy
I got my waiver approved last week after submitting in June. Took almost 6 months! Never received any communications during the wait - the letter just showed up in my mailbox saying I was approved for forgiveness. Keep checking your mail and don't lose hope. The system is slow but eventually they get to everyone.
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Sara Unger
Listen up people - you NEED to be super proactive with these overpayment waivers. I waited 5 months hearing nothing, then I: 1) Called every single day for a week straight (early morning works better) 2) Sent a formal letter through certified mail requesting status update 3) Contacted my state assembly person's office who has a dedicated unemployment liaison Two weeks after doing all this, my waiver was suddenly approved. Coincidence? I think not. Don't just sit and wait - they'll never get to you. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in this broken system. If you absolutely cannot get through on the phone no matter what you try, I've heard good things about claimyr.com from multiple people here who used it to finally reach an agent. Worth checking out if you're desperate.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•The assembly person tip is solid. My sister got her issue resolved in 2 weeks after contacting her local rep.
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Freya Ross
•Tried calling every day for THREE WEEKS. Never got through. This system is designed to make us give up 😡
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Serene Snow
•Thanks for the detailed advice! Which number did you call that actually worked?
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Sara Unger
•I used the main 888 number but called at exactly 7:58am right before they open. Sometimes got through, sometimes not, but persistence eventually paid off.
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Leslie Parker
My waiver was denied after 4 months of waiting 😠Now I'm appealing but have no idea how long that will take. They want me to repay $5,600 that I simply don't have! The worst part is the overpayment wasn't even my fault - they made the error!
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Sergio Neal
•That's awful! Did they give any reason for the denial?
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Leslie Parker
•Some BS about me "not providing sufficient evidence that repayment would cause financial hardship" even though I sent them my bank statements showing I'm barely staying afloat!
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Savanna Franklin
•You should request a hearing ASAP! I had a similar situation and won my appeal. Make sure to gather ALL documentation.
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Serene Snow
•This is what I'm afraid of... did you have anyone help you with your waiver application?
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Leslie Parker
•No, I did it myself which was probably my mistake. Looking back I should have gotten help from someone who knows the system better.
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Juan Moreno
NYSDOL is the absolute WORST. Been dealing with them for over a year on various issues. For this specific waiver situation, I've heard they're processing them in batches based on submission date. If your coworkers submitted around the same time as you but got responses, you might want to call and make sure your waiver was actually received and entered into their system correctly.
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Amy Fleming
•Can confirm they do batch processing. My friend and I submitted same day, both got letters on exactly the same day 3 months later.
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Serene Snow
•That's good to know, thanks. I'll definitely try to call and confirm they have my application.
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Alice Pierce
just found out my waiver was approved last week but I never got notified! I randomly logged into my account and saw the overpayment balance was gone. check ur account!!
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Serene Snow
•Just checked mine - still shows the full balance due 😩 But thanks for the tip, I'll keep checking regularly!
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Esteban Tate
•Where in the account does it show this? I can't find any info about my waiver status anywhere in the portal
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Alice Pierce
•go to payment history and look at the balance. if its forgiven it will show $0 where the overpayment used to be
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Ivanna St. Pierre
not to be that person but I submitted my waiver in October and got approved 3 weeks later... maybe resubmit? sounds like yours might have gotten lost
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Elin Robinson
•Three weeks?! That's insane. Must be nice to be one of the chosen ones 🙄
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Atticus Domingo
•I resubmitted after waiting 4 months and it worked! Got approved 2 weeks after my second submission.
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Serene Snow
•Did you do anything different on your second submission or just the exact same info?
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Atticus Domingo
•Added more documentation about financial hardship and was more detailed in my explanation. Also called after submitting to confirm they received it.
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Beth Ford
After nearly 7 months of waiting and getting nowhere with my waiver, I finally broke down and used claimyr.com to get through to a human on the phone. The agent I spoke with told me my waiver had never been properly entered into their system despite the confirmation email I received! She fixed it on the spot and my waiver was approved 2 weeks later. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to cut through the bureaucracy. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast - wish I'd done it months earlier.
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Morita Montoya
•wait hold up - does this actually work or is it just the usual BS?
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Beth Ford
•It worked for me! After months of frustration, I was able to talk to someone who could actually see what was happening with my case. Found out my waiver was essentially sitting in limbo.
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Kingston Bellamy
•I've seen several people recommend this service. Might have to try it myself since I've been waiting since June with no updates.
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Joy Olmedo
I had to repay all $4,200 of my overpayment because I missed the waiver deadline 😠Don't be like me - keep on top of this stuff! The letters they send look like junk mail sometimes so I didn't even realize what it was until too late.
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Isaiah Cross
•That sucks! Were you able to set up a payment plan at least?
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Joy Olmedo
•Yeah, I'm paying $100/month for the next 3.5 years 🙃 Could be worse I guess.
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Kiara Greene
Fun fact: They're legally required to process waiver requests within 90 days, but obviously that's not happening for most people. You can file a complaint with the Department of Labor's Inspector General if it's been longer than that.
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Serene Snow
•Really? I had no idea there was a timeframe they have to follow. Do you have any info on how to file that complaint?
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Kiara Greene
•https://www.oig.dol.gov/hotline.htm - you can file a complaint here. Make sure to include all your documentation and timeline.
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Evelyn Kelly
•I filed a complaint after waiting 5 months and miraculously got approved a week later. Coincidence? I think not.
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Paloma Clark
Anyone else notice the overpayment amounts are often wrong? They claimed I owed $2,970 but when I finally got to speak to someone, they admitted their calculation was incorrect and it was actually only $1,200. Always question their math!
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Heather Tyson
•YES! They said I owed $6,300 but after I challenged it, it got reduced to $3,900. They're making errors left and right.
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Serene Snow
•How did you challenge the calculation? Did you have to provide specific evidence?
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Paloma Clark
•I went through all my payment records with a fine-tooth comb and made a spreadsheet showing exactly what I received vs what they claim I received. Had to talk to 3 different agents before finding one who would actually review it properly.
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Raul Neal
I finally got through to someone at unemployment yesterday using Claimyr (claimyr.com) after months of trying everything else. The agent told me they're extremely backlogged with waiver requests but they ARE processing them. She looked up my waiver (submitted in July) and told me it was approved but the letter hadn't been sent out yet! It's the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid quickly. If you're waiting, definitely try to speak with an agent directly - sometimes your waiver is actually processed but the notification system fails.
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Jenna Sloan
•not falling for another unemployment 'hack'... these never work
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Raul Neal
•Not a hack - just a service that calls for you and gets you a callback when they reach an agent. I was skeptical too but nothing else was working for me.
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Christian Burns
•So I was about to throw my phone after 3 hours on hold when my friend told me about this service. Used it yesterday and actually spoke to someone who helped me. Still in shock that it worked after months of trying.
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Sasha Reese
•can confirm this works. used it last week and got my overpayment issue resolved in one call after months of getting nowhere
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