NY unemployment benefits forfeited vs offset - confused about penalty differences

This sounds like a case of different types of penalties being applied. Let me explain the difference: FORFEITURE means you lose entire weeks of benefits (no payment at all) OFFSET means they reduce your weekly payment amount to recoup what you owe Based on your situation, it sounds like you had: 1. An initial penalty for incorrect reporting that was handled via offset (reduced payments) 2. A separate penalty that's being handled via forfeiture (complete loss of benefits for specific weeks) The $400 penalty mentioned in the second notice is likely the monetary value of the forfeiture penalty. They're letting you know that you've been assessed a penalty worth $400, which they're collecting by forfeiting your benefits for certain weeks. They are connected in that both stem from the same original reporting issue, but they're different types of penalties being collected differently.

i had something similar happen last yr. u DEFINITELY need to keep certifying even during forfeiture weeks!!! if u dont certify they might think ur not looking for work anymore and close ur whole claim. the system is super strict about this

You need to understand there are two separate penalty types in NY unemployment: 1) Forfeitures - complete loss of benefits for X number of weeks 2) Civil penalties - monetary amount you owe back to the system The first letter with expiration date 4/23/2025 is telling you how long your forfeiture penalty remains active. The second notice about owing $400 is a separate civil penalty. Both penalties can be applied simultaneously for the same violation. The monetary offset you experienced earlier was them collecting on the civil penalty portion, while now they're implementing the forfeiture portion by denying full weeks. The system distinguishes between these penalties because they serve different purposes - one is punitive (forfeitures) and one is repayment (civil penalties).

I went thru exacty the same thing in January!! The worst part is trying to get someone on the phone to explain anything! I spent HOURS redailing their number for days and just got the same automated message saying they were busy. Super frustrating when ur benefits are on the line and you cant even talk to a human to understand why!!

So to be clear, with forfeitures: 1. You MUST continue certifying every week even though you won't get paid during forfeiture weeks 2. Each week you certify during a forfeiture period counts as one week toward your penalty 3. Forfeitures expire on the date shown (in your case 4/23/2025) REGARDLESS of whether all penalty weeks have been served This means if you have 20 weeks of forfeitures but the expiration date comes first, you won't have to serve all 20 weeks. But if you miss certifying, those weeks don't count toward your penalty. So many people don't understand this and it causes huge problems! Keep certifying!

idk but same thing happened to me but for a different reason. i messed up and worked a side gig without reporting it properly. got hit with BOTH a $600 penalty AND 4 forfiture weeks!!! the system is designed to punish us twice for the same mistake. SUCH BS!!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone and got answers! For anyone dealing with forfeitures vs offsets: 1. The two penalties ARE connected - both from my original reporting mistake 2. I have 2 forfeiture weeks to serve (no payment at all those weeks) 3. After serving those weeks, I still have $120 in civil penalties that will be collected through offsets 4. The expiration date (4/23/2025) means any penalties not served by then disappear Their explanation was that first-time violations with smaller amounts typically just get offsets, but repeat issues or larger amounts trigger forfeitures plus civil penalties. Thank you all for your help - especially the tip about continuing to certify during forfeiture weeks. That was critical info!

how did you manage to get through to someone?? ive been trying for days!!

my cousin works for the state (not unemployment but diff department) and she told me that the forfeitures are considered the "penalty" part and the civil money payment is the "paying back what you shouldn't have received" part. that's why they hit you with both. one is punishment one is repayment. seems excessive but that's how they see it i guess

This is such a helpful thread! I'm going through something similar right now and this explanation really clarifies the difference between forfeitures and offsets. One thing I'd add for anyone reading this - when you're dealing with forfeitures, make sure to save screenshots of your certification confirmations each week. Even though you won't get paid during forfeiture weeks, you want documentation that you're still actively certifying and looking for work. I learned this the hard way when they questioned whether I had been properly maintaining my claim during a penalty period. Also, @Astrid Bergström - glad you got resolution! Your experience shows how important it is to actually speak with someone rather than trying to figure it out from the confusing notices they send.

As someone who's been dealing with NY unemployment for a while now, I want to emphasize something that might not be obvious from all the great advice already shared: the psychological impact of these penalties can be really overwhelming, especially when you're already stressed about being unemployed. What helped me get through a similar situation was understanding that these penalties, while frustrating, are generally time-limited and manageable if you stay on top of the process. The key things that made the biggest difference for me were: 1. Setting up a simple calendar reminder to certify every week, even during forfeiture periods 2. Keeping a basic log of what happened each week (certified, payment received/denied, etc.) 3. Not taking the system's complexity personally - it's confusing for everyone @Astrid Bergström - your situation sounds like it's heading in the right direction now that you have clarity on the timeline. Two forfeiture weeks plus a small remaining offset is definitely manageable compared to some of the horror stories I've heard. For anyone else reading this thread who's dealing with similar issues: don't give up on trying to reach someone for clarification. The automated system and notices are often insufficient, but once you get a human on the phone, they can usually explain exactly what's happening with your specific case.

Just wanted to jump in and say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently dealing with my first unemployment claim and was completely confused about some penalty notices I received. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been more informative than anything I could find on the official NYSDOL website. A few things that really stood out to me: 1. The distinction between forfeitures (complete loss of weeks) vs offsets (reduced payments) - I had no idea these were different types of penalties 2. The critical importance of continuing to certify even during forfeiture periods - this could have been a costly mistake for me 3. The tip about using Claimyr to actually reach someone - I've been trying the regular phone lines for weeks with no success @Astrid Bergström - thanks for sharing your update with the resolution details. It's reassuring to see that these situations can get sorted out once you finally get through to the right person. Your breakdown of 2 forfeiture weeks followed by small offsets gives me a clearer picture of what to expect with my own case. For anyone else reading this who's new to the system like me: save this thread! The collective knowledge here from people who've actually been through these situations is invaluable. The official documentation makes this stuff sound way more complicated than it needs to be.

This thread has been incredibly educational! I'm currently navigating my first unemployment claim and had no idea about the complexity of the penalty system until I started reading through everyone's experiences here. One thing I'm curious about - for those who have dealt with both forfeitures and offsets, how do you budget during these penalty periods? It seems like the unpredictability of not knowing exactly when penalties will hit or how long they'll last makes financial planning really challenging when you're already dealing with unemployment. Also, I noticed several people mentioned the importance of keeping documentation. Beyond screenshots of certifications, what other records have you found helpful to maintain? I want to make sure I'm covering all my bases from the start rather than scrambling to reconstruct information later like it sounds like some folks had to do. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this kind of real-world guidance is so much more valuable than trying to decipher the official notices and website information alone!

This is such a comprehensive thread! As someone who's relatively new to unemployment claims, I'm taking notes on all the practical advice shared here. One thing I'd add for newcomers like myself: don't assume that similar-sounding penalties work the same way. I initially thought all unemployment penalties were just "money you have to pay back," but this discussion really clarifies how forfeitures (losing entire weeks) are fundamentally different from offsets (reduced payments) and civil penalties (money owed back). The tip about continuing to certify during forfeiture periods seems crucial - I can easily see how someone might think "why bother certifying if I'm not getting paid anyway?" and accidentally mess up their entire claim status. @Astrid Bergström - thanks for posting the follow-up with your resolution! It's really helpful to see how these situations actually get resolved rather than just hearing about the problems. The fact that you ended up with just 2 forfeiture weeks plus a small offset makes the whole thing seem much more manageable than it probably felt when you were getting confusing notices with no explanation. For anyone else dealing with this: bookmark this thread! The collective experience shared here is worth its weight in gold when you're trying to navigate NYSDOL's confusing system.

This thread is a goldmine of information! I'm currently dealing with a similar forfeiture situation and was getting nowhere trying to understand the NYSDOL notices on my own. One question for those who've been through this process: when you're serving forfeiture weeks, does the system automatically move you to the next week, or do you have to do anything special besides just continuing to certify? I'm worried about accidentally doing something that might extend or complicate my penalty period. Also, for budgeting purposes - do forfeiture weeks always happen consecutively, or have any of you experienced situations where they were spread out over time? @Astrid Bergström mentioned hers would be consecutive, but I'm wondering if that's always the case or if it can vary depending on the type of violation. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that you can't find anywhere in the official documentation!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding the NY unemployment penalty system! I'm currently dealing with my first claim and received a confusing penalty notice that I couldn't make sense of until reading through everyone's experiences here. One thing that really stands out is how the NYSDOL system seems designed to be as unclear as possible. The notices they send are full of technical language but don't actually explain what's going to happen in practical terms. It's frankly ridiculous that people have to crowdsource information like this just to understand their own benefits. I wanted to ask - for those who've dealt with penalties, have you noticed any patterns in terms of timing? Like do they typically issue forfeitures at certain points in your claim, or does it seem random? I'm trying to prepare mentally and financially for what might be coming. Also, I'm curious about the appeal process that was mentioned. Even if someone misses the 30-day window, are there any other options for getting penalties reviewed or reduced? It seems harsh that one small reporting mistake (like @Astrid Bergström's one hour of work situation) can result in such complex double penalties. Thanks to everyone who's shared their stories - this kind of community support makes navigating these bureaucratic nightmares so much more manageable!

Reading through this entire thread as someone who just started dealing with NY unemployment has been incredibly eye-opening. The complexity of the penalty system is mind-boggling - I had no idea there were different types of penalties that could be applied simultaneously for the same violation. What strikes me most is how @Astrid Bergström's situation started with such a minor reporting error (marking one hour of work incorrectly) yet resulted in multiple penalty types. It really highlights how unforgiving the system can be, even for honest mistakes. The advice about continuing to certify during forfeiture periods seems absolutely critical - I can definitely see how someone might think "why bother if I'm not getting paid" and accidentally torpedo their entire claim. And the documentation tips throughout this thread are gold - screenshot everything, keep call logs, maintain a simple tracking spreadsheet. For anyone new to this like me: this thread should be required reading before filing your first claim. The collective wisdom here from people who've actually navigated these situations is infinitely more practical than anything on the official NYSDOL website. Bookmarking this for sure, and hoping I never need to reference it for penalty issues of my own! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this kind of community support makes dealing with these bureaucratic challenges so much more manageable.

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! As someone who's currently in week 3 of my first unemployment claim, I had no idea about the complexity of the penalty system until stumbling across this discussion. What really concerns me after reading everyone's experiences is how easy it seems to make innocent mistakes that can trigger these complex penalty combinations. @Astrid Bergström's situation with one hour of work being reported incorrectly is exactly the kind of thing I could see myself doing without realizing the potential consequences. I'm definitely implementing the documentation strategy everyone's mentioned - started taking screenshots of all my certifications and set up a simple spreadsheet to track everything. The advice about continuing to certify even during forfeiture periods could literally save someone's entire claim, so thank you to everyone who emphasized that point. One question for the group: are there any other common reporting scenarios that tend to trigger penalties that newcomers should be especially careful about? I want to make sure I'm being as accurate as possible from the start rather than learning these lessons the hard way like some folks have had to do. Also wanted to echo what others have said about the Claimyr service - I used it last week for a non-penalty question and got through in about 15 minutes. Definitely worth it to actually speak with a human who can explain things clearly rather than trying to decode the confusing official notices. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences here - this community knowledge is incredibly valuable!

This entire discussion has been incredibly educational for someone like me who's just starting to navigate the NY unemployment system! Reading through everyone's experiences really drives home how important it is to understand these penalty distinctions from the beginning. What I find most helpful is how @Astrid Bergström shared both the problem and the resolution - it shows that while these penalty situations can be confusing and stressful, they are ultimately manageable once you get the right information. The breakdown of 2 consecutive forfeiture weeks followed by small offsets gives a clear picture of what to actually expect. The tips throughout this thread about documentation, continuing to certify during forfeitures, and using services like Claimyr to reach actual humans are all going straight into my personal unemployment survival guide. I'm especially grateful for the detailed list of common reporting scenarios that trigger penalties - that kind of preventive guidance could save someone from going through this whole ordeal in the first place. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and advice. This thread should honestly be pinned as essential reading for anyone dealing with NY unemployment benefits. The community knowledge here is far more practical and accessible than anything I've found in official NYSDOL resources!

This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! As someone who just received my first confusing penalty notice from NYSDOL, reading through all these real-world examples has been so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official documentation. What really strikes me is how @Astrid Bergström's situation shows that even minor reporting mistakes can cascade into complex penalty combinations, but also that these situations can be resolved once you get proper clarification. The distinction between forfeitures (losing entire weeks) vs offsets (reduced payments) was completely new to me and explains so much about the confusing notices I've been receiving. I'm definitely taking everyone's advice about documentation seriously - already started screenshotting every certification and keeping a simple tracking spreadsheet. The tip about continuing to certify during forfeiture periods seems absolutely crucial and could have been a costly mistake if I hadn't learned about it here. One thing I'm curious about: for those who've dealt with penalties, did you find that being proactive about contacting NYSDOL (via Claimyr or persistent calling) helped resolve things faster, or is it sometimes better to just let the penalty process run its course if you understand what's happening? I'm trying to decide whether to invest time in getting through to someone or just focus on proper documentation and compliance going forward. Thanks again to this community - the collective wisdom here is invaluable for navigating NYSDOL's complex system!