How to check my NY unemployment forfeit penalty balance - need to know total amount

You need to go to your online account portal and look for the 'Overpayment and Penalties' section. It should be under the 'Payment History' tab. There should be a line item that says 'Forfeit Day Penalty Balance' or something similar. The remaining amount should be listed there. If you can't find it, you might need to request a formal statement of your balance by submitting a secure message through the portal.

the ny unemployment website is USELESS for this!! i had the same problem last year. you wont find it online trust me. you HAVE to talk to someone on the phone. good luck with that tho lol

The forfeit penalty information isn't clearly displayed on the regular account pages. You need to request a formal statement by sending a message through the secure messaging center. Go to your account, click on 'Messages', then 'Compose New', and select 'Overpayment/Forfeit Days' as the subject. Explicitly ask for your current forfeit penalty balance. They should respond within 5-7 business days with the information. Alternatively, if you received a determination letter originally, it should have included information about how many forfeit days were assessed. Each forfeit day equals your daily benefit rate, so you can calculate the total amount owed by multiplying those numbers.

I recently went thru this whole nightmare. The messaging center takes forever to get a response. I wasted 3 weeks waiting. The only thing that worked was getting through to a live agent who could pull up my file and tell me exactly how much I had left to pay. I finally got thru using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that connects you to an agent without the hours of waiting. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent was able to tell me my exact balance, when my forfeit period ends, and how my previous payments had been applied. Totally worth it after weeks of frustration.

another option is to check ur mail for the most recent statment they send u updates like every 3 months i think? mine shows how many forfeit days left and how much $$ that equals. if u lost it u can request a duplicate be mailed to u.

This whole forfeit day system is absolutely ridiculous!! Why make it so complicated to find out what you owe? They sure didn't have any trouble finding me when they decided I owed them money in the first place. The system is DESIGNED to be confusing so people give up and overpay. I ended up having to get a supervisor on the phone after WEEKS of trying because nobody else could tell me the correct amount.

@OP - I forgot to mention that when you do connect with an agent (however you manage to reach one), ask them to email you a statement of your remaining balance. That way you have documentation in writing. Some agents will just tell you verbally, but having it in writing is important in case there are any disputes later.

My brother had this same issue last month and he ended up going to the local DOL office in person. Said it was way faster than trying to do it online or by phone. They printed out his balance statement right there. Might be worth a try if you have one nearby.

I wanted to update with some information I just verified. As of 2025, NY unemployment has actually added a new way to check forfeit day balances. If you have the NY.gov ID app on your phone, go to the Documentation section and look for 'Monetary Determinations'. Recent forfeit balance information should be available in the latest determination document. This feature was added in January but isn't widely known yet.

Update: I finally got the information! I tried the NY.gov app suggestion first but my documents weren't updated there. Then I used Claimyr to get through to an agent this morning. The agent was able to tell me my exact forfeit day balance (18 days remaining, which equals $972), and they emailed me a statement for my records. Thank you all for your help!

Glad to hear you got it sorted out! This thread is super helpful for anyone else dealing with this nightmare. The fact that you had to jump through so many hoops just to find out what you owe is really telling about how broken the system is. At least now you have that written statement - definitely keep that safe! For anyone else reading this who's still stuck, it sounds like the Claimyr service might be the most reliable option if the secure messaging doesn't work out.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same frustrating experience about 6 months ago. The lack of transparency in the NY unemployment system is honestly maddening - you'd think basic account balance information would be easily accessible, but nope! I ended up having success with a combination approach: I sent the secure message like Lena suggested AND kept trying to call. The secure message took about 10 days to get a response, but when they did reply, they included a detailed breakdown of my remaining forfeit days and payment history. One tip I'd add - when you do get through to someone (whether by phone or secure message), ask them to explain how your previous payments were applied. In my case, I discovered they had been applying payments in a weird order that didn't make sense to me, so getting that clarification helped me understand exactly where I stood. So glad you got it resolved Anderson! Your experience will definitely help others who are dealing with this same nightmare.

This thread is incredibly valuable! I've been dealing with NY unemployment for the first time and had no idea how complicated it could be just to get basic account information. Reading through everyone's struggles and solutions really highlights how user-unfriendly the system is. Anderson, I'm so glad you finally got your balance information sorted out! It's crazy that it took multiple attempts through different channels, but at least you found a solution that worked. The fact that you got it in writing is smart - definitely keep that documentation safe. For anyone else who might be reading this thread in the future: it sounds like the key takeaways are 1) try the secure messaging system first, 2) if that doesn't work or takes too long, consider using Claimyr to connect with an agent, and 3) always ask for written documentation of your balance and payment history. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that you can't find on the official website!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - I have a forfeit penalty but can't figure out the exact balance remaining. After reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the system really is designed to be confusing. Based on what I've learned here, I'm going to try the secure messaging approach first since that seems to have worked for several people, even if it takes a while to get a response. If that doesn't work within a reasonable timeframe, I'll consider using Claimyr to get connected to an agent. One question for those who have successfully gotten their balance information - when you received the written statement, did it include a breakdown of how payments were applied and when your forfeit period is scheduled to end? That additional detail would be really helpful for planning purposes. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. This is exactly the kind of community support that makes dealing with these bureaucratic nightmares a little more bearable!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread! I've been lurking in this community for a while but never posted before. I'm currently dealing with my own forfeit penalty situation and was feeling completely overwhelmed by how confusing the NYSDOL system is. Reading through all your experiences and solutions has been incredibly reassuring - it's not just me who finds this process unnecessarily complicated! I especially appreciate how everyone shared specific step-by-step approaches and was honest about what worked and what didn't. Anderson, congratulations on finally getting your balance sorted out! Your persistence really paid off. And to everyone else who shared their tips and experiences - this thread is going to help so many people who are dealing with the same frustrating situation. The fact that we have to rely on each other to figure out basic account information really says something about how broken the system is, but at least we have this community support. I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging approach first based on the advice here, and I'll make sure to ask for written documentation. Thanks again everyone!

I'm new to this community but wanted to add my experience since this thread has been so helpful! I actually found another way that worked for me recently. If you have access to your original determination letter (or can request a copy), it usually shows the total forfeit days assessed. Then you can check your payment history in the online portal to see how many days you've already paid off. Each forfeit day equals your weekly benefit rate divided by 5 (since there are 5 workdays in a week). So if you had 30 forfeit days and your weekly benefit was $300, each day is $60. If you've paid $600 so far, you'd have 20 days remaining at $60 each = $1,200 left to pay. This method helped me avoid the phone/messaging runaround entirely. Of course, having it confirmed in writing is still the gold standard like everyone mentioned, but this at least gives you a ballpark figure for budgeting purposes while you're waiting to connect with an agent.

Just joining this conversation as someone who recently dealt with a forfeit penalty situation myself. This thread is incredibly helpful - I wish I had found it months ago when I was struggling with the same issues! I ended up having success with a hybrid approach: I started with the secure messaging system (took about 8 days to get a response), and while waiting for that, I also tried calling early in the morning around 8:15 AM right when they opened. Sometimes you can get through faster at that time before the phone lines get completely jammed. One thing I learned that might help others - if you do get through to an agent, ask them to walk you through exactly how the forfeit penalty system works for your specific case. I discovered that my penalty had interest being added, which I had no idea about! The agent explained that after a certain period, they start charging additional fees if payments aren't made regularly. Also, keep detailed records of every interaction you have with NYSDOL - dates, times, agent names, what was discussed. This saved me when there was a discrepancy in my account later. The system definitely has its problems, but persistence and documentation really do help you navigate it successfully.

This thread has been an absolute goldmine of information! I'm dealing with a forfeit penalty situation right now and was completely lost on how to find my balance. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both reassuring (I'm not the only one struggling with this!) and incredibly helpful. I love how this community has basically created a comprehensive guide through everyone's shared experiences. Between the secure messaging approach, the Claimyr service, the math calculation method using determination letters, and the early morning calling strategy, there are so many practical options to try. Ana Rusula's point about potential interest charges is especially eye-opening - I had no idea that could be a factor! That definitely changes how I need to approach my own situation. I'm planning to start with the secure messaging route since that seems to work for many people, but it's great to know there are backup options if that doesn't pan out. Will definitely ask for written documentation and keep detailed records of everything. Thanks to everyone for being so generous with sharing your real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes dealing with bureaucratic nightmares manageable!

This entire thread has been incredibly valuable! I'm currently navigating my first unemployment forfeit penalty situation and was completely overwhelmed by how difficult it is to get basic account information from NYSDOL. Reading through everyone's real experiences and solutions has given me so much hope and practical direction. I'm particularly impressed by how the community has essentially crowdsourced a comprehensive guide with multiple approaches: secure messaging, Claimyr service, manual calculation using determination letters, strategic calling times, and even the newer NY.gov app option. The fact that Anderson had to try several methods just to find out what he owes really highlights how broken the system is, but at least we have each other's knowledge to rely on. Ana Rusula's warning about potential interest charges was especially eye-opening - that's definitely not something they make clear upfront! I'm planning to start with the secure messaging approach and will make sure to ask about any additional fees when I do connect with someone. Thanks to everyone for being so generous with sharing your experiences and keeping this thread updated. This is community support at its finest - turning a frustrating bureaucratic maze into a manageable process through shared knowledge!

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently dealing with my first unemployment situation and had no idea that forfeit penalties could be so complicated to track. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and reassuring - it's clear that the system's complexity isn't just user error on my part! The collaborative approach here is amazing. Between all the different strategies shared - secure messaging, Claimyr, manual calculations, strategic calling times, and even potential hidden fees to watch out for - this thread has become like a comprehensive survival guide that I'll definitely be bookmarking. Anderson, congrats on finally getting your balance sorted out! Your persistence really shows that there ARE solutions, even when the system seems designed to frustrate you. And to everyone else who shared their real-world experiences - this kind of practical knowledge is invaluable and way more useful than anything on the official NYSDOL website. I'm planning to start with the secure messaging approach based on the success stories here, but it's reassuring to know there are multiple backup options if needed. Thanks to everyone for creating such a supportive and informative discussion!