NY unemployment denied me for 'false statement' about work search - need urgent help!

Yes, you absolutely can and SHOULD appeal this. You have 30 days from the date on your determination letter to file your appeal. Log into your NY.gov account, go to your unemployment dashboard, and look for the 'Appeal a Determination' option. Upload copies of ALL your work search records - emails confirming applications, screenshots of job site activity, contact information for places you applied, everything you have. The more documentation, the better your chances.

they probably just randomly selected ur account for review. happens all the time. make sure u document EVERYTHING from now on. take screenshots of every job u apply for, save confirmation emails, etc. the system is designed to trip people up.

This happened to me last month. The issue was that I didn't provide enough details in my work search records - they want specific contact names, full addresses, position titles, application methods, and follow-up information. If you're just listing "Applied to Amazon" or "Sent resume to company," that's probably what flagged your account. When you appeal, be extremely detailed about every single job search activity. Also, they sometimes do contact employers to verify, so make sure everything you list is 100% accurate.

The SAME EXACT THING happened to my neighbor!!! They're just trying to save money by denying people for tiny technicalities. It's DISGUSTING how they treat people who just need help. The whole system is rigged against regular people!!!

I work as an employment counselor, and I see this issue frequently. Here's what most people miss: NY unemployment requires you to document BOTH active and passive job search activities. Active means actually applying for jobs. Passive includes attending job fairs, networking events, skills workshops, or meeting with a career counselor. Many people only document the active part and forget the passive requirements. For your appeal, prepare a detailed statement explaining your job search process and any confusion about the requirements. And while you're dealing with this, I'd strongly recommend trying to reach a claims specialist by phone who can look at your specific case and tell you exactly what the issue was. That information will be crucial for your appeal.

After dealing with something similar (they said I didn't provide enough 'evidence' of my work search), I finally got through to someone after using Claimyr.com - it got me a callback from an actual agent within about an hour instead of spending days trying to get through. The video at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE shows how it works. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was missing from my work search records and guided me through the appeal process. Saved me so much stress and probably my benefits too.

I think everybody is overcomplicating this. Call their appeals department directly at 1-800-669-4442. That's a direct line that bypasses the regular queue. I got through in 10 minutes last time I had an issue. Just tell them you want to appeal, and they'll help you file all the paperwork.

One important thing nobody has mentioned: while you're appealing, CONTINUE to certify for benefits each week and continue your work search activities exactly as required. Document everything meticulously going forward. Even if your benefits are temporarily stopped during the appeal, if you win, they'll pay you retroactively for those weeks - but ONLY if you properly certified for them.

my cousin says avoid using the same exact phrases when documenting diff jobs cause the AI system flags it as suspicious if it looks like you copied and pasted the same info for different applications

Final piece of advice - in your appeal, be professional but also human. Explain your situation clearly, acknowledge any mistakes you might have made in record-keeping (without admitting to fraud, which you didn't commit), and emphasize that any errors were unintentional. Mention financial hardship if applicable. Appeals judges are looking for honesty and good faith efforts to comply with the rules. I've seen many initial denials overturned on appeal when the person shows they genuinely tried to follow the requirements.