How to fill out NY unemployment penalty money order correctly to restore benefits?

To fill out the money order correctly for NY unemployment penalties: 1. Make it payable to "New York State Department of Labor" 2. Write your full name in the "From" section 3. Include your NY.gov ID or claim ID number in the memo line 4. Make sure the amount matches EXACTLY what's in your determination letter 5. Send it to: NYS Department of Labor PO Box 15130 Albany, NY 12212-5130 Make sure to keep the money order receipt stub! You might need it as proof of payment later.

Also make sure you send it CERTIFIED MAIL with tracking!!! I sent mine regular mail last year and they claimed they never got it. Had to send another one and lost 3 more weeks of benefits. The money order stub isn't enough proof for them!

make sure u CALL them after u send it. it can take 3-4 weeks to process if u dont call!! their system is so slow omg

I went through this EXACT same thing in January! The penalties are such BS - they hit you when you're already down. When you call, you'll be on hold FOREVER. I wasted 3 days trying to get through with no luck. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get past the phone maze. They connected me to an agent in under 20 minutes. There's a video on how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE After I talked to someone, they expedited processing my payment and my benefits restarted within 5 days instead of the "4-6 weeks" they initially quoted me.

Dont forget to write ur SSN on the money order too!!! If u dont they might not know who the payment is from!!!!

When you get the money order, take a photo of it AND the receipt before sending. I had to submit proof of payment 3 different times because they kept "losing" my documentation. The system is deliberately complicated to discourage people from collecting the benefits they deserve. Also, don't assume they'll process it quickly. They held my benefits for 2 months after receiving payment, claiming "processing delays." I had to contact my state representative to get any movement on my case.

wait i had this happen too last month!! i got a letter saying i had to pay $250. i sent the money order but i didnt write anything on the memo line. its been 3 weeks and my benefits still havent restarted. should i be worried????

One more thing: after you send the payment, continue certifying for benefits every week even though you won't receive payments yet. Once they process your penalty payment, they should release any backdated benefits for weeks you properly certified during the penalty period. If you don't certify, you won't get those weeks of benefits even after the penalty is paid.

btw my cousin said we can pay these penalties online now but when i checked i couldnt find where to do it. does anyone know if this is true?

UPDATE: I got a money order from the post office today and filled it out exactly like you all suggested. Sent it certified mail with return receipt and took photos of everything. Now I'm going to try calling to let them know it's coming. Will update again when I hear something. Thanks everyone for the help!

Just wanted to add - if you're getting the money order from a grocery store or gas station, double check that they actually have enough cash on hand for a $430 money order. I went to three different places last week before finding one that could do it. CVS and most grocery stores can usually handle larger amounts, but some smaller places have limits. Also bring cash obviously - they won't take cards for money orders. The fee is usually around $1-2 depending where you go.

One more tip that saved me a huge headache - when you're at the post office or wherever getting the money order, ask them to print it clearly or use block letters. My first money order got rejected because they couldn't read the handwriting and it looked like a different name. Had to get a new one and start the whole process over. Also, some places like Walmart have a $1000 daily limit per person for money orders, so if you need multiple orders for some reason, you might have to come back the next day or go somewhere else. The DOL is super picky about everything being perfect so take your time filling it out!