NY unemployment denied claiming I didn't earn enough despite sending pay stubs

This happened to me back in January. They miscalculated my base period earnings by over $4,000 because one of my employers reported my wages incorrectly. Make sure you're sending all your pay stubs organized by quarter, with a cover letter explaining exactly what the correct calculation should be. The Request for Reconsideration is the right form, but you should also specifically ask for a "wage investigation" when you talk to the supervisor. They can initiate that while your reconsideration is pending.

yeah thats normal for them tbh. they messed up my numbers too last yr

I can totally relate to your frustration! NYSDOL's wage calculation system is seriously flawed. It took me FIVE attempts to get them to acknowledge my correct earnings last winter. What worked for me was using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual claims specialist instead of the frontline reps who couldn't help. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE After connecting with a senior specialist, I explained my situation and mentioned I had all my documentation ready to email. They created a special case file and escalated it to the wage investigation unit. Got it resolved within 10 days after fighting for almost 2 months on my own.

I feel your pain!!! My arthritis is acting up too with all this typing and scanning documents to send them. Have you tried applying for disability while waiting for unemployment to get fixed??

Hi there, I want to clarify a few important points about base period wage disputes: 1. The NYSDOL uses wage reports submitted by employers quarterly, so if your employer made reporting errors, this needs to be corrected through the wage investigation process. 2. For 2025, you need at least $2,975 in one calendar quarter, and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter. So if your highest quarter was exactly $2,975, you'd need at least $4,462.50 total across your base period. 3. Make sure you're looking at the correct base period. For claims filed in 2025, the standard base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. Alternatively, the alternate base period uses the last 4 completed calendar quarters. 4. The Request for Reconsideration form (TC-403HA) must be submitted within 30 days of the monetary determination notice. I recommend sending your documentation via certified mail or the secure upload system on your online account, so you have proof of submission.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED TO DENY PEOPLE!!! I had almost the EXACT same issue last month - they claimed I didn't make enough even though I sent PROOF I did. They're hoping people just give up and go away!! Don't let them win!

This sounds really stressful! I'm so sorry you're going through this. Did the supervisor ever call you back? I've been thinking about applying for NY unemployment but hearing stories like this makes me nervous...

Quick update question - have you received a formal Monetary Determination letter that shows the breakdown of your wages by quarter? That document is critical for disputing their calculation.

try calling right when they open at 8am thats wat worked 4 me

Just checking in - any progress with your claim? Were you able to reach anyone?

This is such a common issue with NYSDOL and it's incredibly frustrating! I went through something similar last year where they had completely wrong wage information. A few things that helped me: 1. When you speak with the wage investigation unit, ask them to send you a copy of the wage records they have on file from each employer - sometimes you can see exactly what's missing or incorrect. 2. If you worked for multiple employers during your base period, make sure ALL of them properly reported your wages. I found out one of my part-time jobs never submitted their quarterly reports. 3. Document every phone call - date, time, who you spoke with, and what they said. This helped when I had to escalate further up the chain. The good news is that once they actually investigate, it usually gets resolved pretty quickly. The wage investigation process is much more thorough than just having a regular rep look at your uploaded documents. Hang in there!