NY unemployment forfeited my payment but still says I owe a penalty - what gives?

That's so frustrating. I had something similar happen in February. My benefits got cut off completely with no explanation, and when I finally got through to someone, they said it was because of a prior issue from 2022 that I thought was resolved. The NY unemployment system is a mess with these penalties.

After trying for weeks to get through to someone, I finally used claimyr.com and got a callback with a real person within a couple hours! Seriously saved me. They got my account unlocked and back payments released that same day. It was the only way I could actually talk to a human at unemployment. Check out this video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

I think the main issue is that there are two different types of penalties. One is a monetary penalty (what you have to pay back) and one is a forfeit penalty (weeks you can't collect at all). Sounds like you first had a monetary penalty that reduced your payments, and now you hit a forfeit week penalty. That expiration date is suspicious though - maybe there's an old penalty from years ago showing up??

The system is DESIGNED to be confusing and difficult. They hoping you'll give up and not pursue what your owed. Don't let them win. Keep fighting and document EVERYTHING.

If the expiration date is from 2015, that's a major red flag. The system might be pulling up an old penalty or mixing your record with someone else's. You need to talk to someone ASAP before this gets worse.

Here's what you need to do to fix this situation: First, you're dealing with two separate penalties. A forfeit penalty means you lose entire weeks of benefits (they don't pay you at all), while a monetary penalty is where they reduce your payment amount. The old expiration date suggests there might be a system error or an old penalty being incorrectly applied to your account. This happens more often than they admit. To resolve this: 1. Document everything - save screenshots, print letters, and keep a log of all your attempts to contact them 2. Send a secure message through your online account specifically asking for clarification on WHY the forfeit penalty was applied and request a breakdown of any remaining penalties 3. Contact your state representative or senator's office - they often have direct lines to unemployment offices and can help expedite cases 4. If you need immediate help, I'd recommend using claimyr.com - they'll get you connected to an actual agent. I used it after 3 weeks of failing to get through, and had my similar issue resolved in one call 5. Request a formal appeal of the forfeit decision - you have the right to appeal any penalty Don't let the system wear you down - this is fixable with persistence! Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Ever since they updated the ny unemployment website last year everything's been a disaster. I swear they made it worse on purpose 🤦‍♀️

I think what happen is you have a new overpayment AND an old one from 2015 (based on that date). The system is now enforcing both. You need to talk to someone to untangle this mess.

You mite wanna file an appeal right away. Theres a time limit on them (I think 30 days). Even if you dont have all the info yet, file it now so u don't miss the deadline and lose your chance.

I had almost the exact same issue! It ended up being a system error on there end. After I finally got someone on the phone they fixed it and released all my back payments. Took about a month of calling tho 😑

Check if the penalty is actually from a different claim period. Sometimes old penalties from previous unemployment periods can come back and affect current claims. The system is terrible at communicating this clearly.

the way nysdol handles penalties is completetly broken. all u can do is keep calling until u get someone who knows what their doing (rare) or submit an appeal and wait forever for a hearing.

that expiration date is a huge red flag.... either their system is pulling some ancient record or its a straight up mistake. ive seen dates get messed up in the ny unemployment system before.

Has anyone ever received backpay after a forfeit penalty was wrongly applied? I'm worried even if I get this fixed they'll never give me the money they withheld.

You should check your payment history on the portal and see if there's any record of the previous penalty payments. Maybe they weren't actually applied to your penalty balance. The system is notoriously bad at showing this clearly.

dude the ny unemployment system is held together with duct tape and prayers. i swear they're running it on computers from 1995. not surprised at all that there's a random date from 2015 showing up 🤣

After wasting weeks trying to get this exact issue fixed, I finally used claimyr.com and it was a game changer. Got a callback with an actual agent who fixed my account in one call. It's the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid quickly. Before that I was literally ready to give up.

I hate to say this, but you need to prioritize getting a human on the phone. Everything else (messages, emails, letters) tends to go into a black hole. I know it's nearly impossible, but it's the only reliable solution.

There was a glitch in the system last month where old penalties were showing up randomly on accounts. Might be worth asking if that's what happened here.

This sounds like a classic NY unemployment system mess-up. The 2015 expiration date is definitely a red flag - that suggests either old data is incorrectly attached to your account or there's a system glitch. I went through something similar last year where they applied a penalty from a completely different claim period to my current benefits. It took forever to sort out, but they eventually fixed it and released all my back payments. A few things that might help: 1. Screenshot everything now - especially that weird 2015 date 2. Try sending a secure message through your online account asking specifically about the expiration date discrepancy 3. If you can't get through by phone, consider reaching out to your local assembly member's office - they often have direct contacts at DOL The fact that they're both forfeiting your payment AND saying you still owe money does sound like double-dipping. That's not how penalties usually work. Keep fighting this - it sounds like a legitimate system error that needs to be corrected. Good luck and don't give up! The system is designed to be frustrating but this is fixable.

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! My benefits got cut off with a "forfeit" status and I'm getting notices about penalties that don't make any sense timeline-wise. That 2015 expiration date is definitely suspicious - I'd bet money that's a system error mixing up old records. The NY unemployment system has been a complete disaster since their last update. What really gets me is how they can simultaneously refuse to pay you AND claim you owe them money. That logic makes zero sense. If they're taking your entire weekly benefit away, shouldn't that count toward whatever penalty they think you owe? I've been trying the callback services people mentioned here and honestly it's been worth it just to avoid the endless hold music. The whole system is designed to make you give up, but don't let them win. Document everything and keep pushing - these kinds of mix-ups usually get resolved once you can actually talk to a human who knows what they're doing. Hang in there and definitely try reaching out to your state rep's office if the regular channels keep failing you!

I feel your pain - this exact same thing happened to my sister last month! The system randomly applied some ancient penalty from years ago when she wasn't even collecting unemployment. It turned out to be a major glitch where old records were getting mixed up with current accounts. That 2015 date is definitely not normal - it screams system error to me. The fact that you're getting both a forfeit AND still owing money sounds like the system is applying multiple penalties incorrectly. My sister ended up having to be really persistent, but she eventually got through and they admitted it was a mistake on their end. They released all her back payments in one lump sum about a week later. The key was having all her documentation ready when she finally got someone on the phone. Don't give up - this sounds like a legitimate system error that they'll have to fix once someone actually looks at your account properly. The timing and that weird expiration date are too suspicious to be coincidental.

This is so frustrating but unfortunately very typical of the NY unemployment system right now. That 2015 expiration date is a dead giveaway that something is seriously wrong with your account - either old data got mixed up or there's a system glitch affecting multiple people. I've been following similar issues in this community and it seems like there was a major system update that went wrong, causing old penalties and random dates to appear on current accounts. The fact that you weren't even on unemployment in 2015 makes this pretty clearly a system error. The double penalty situation (forfeit + still owing money) doesn't make sense either. Normally if they forfeit your entire weekly payment, that should count toward any penalty balance, not be separate from it. Here's what I'd recommend based on what's worked for others: - Document everything immediately, especially that 2015 date before it potentially gets "fixed" and disappears - Try the secure messaging system first asking specifically about the date discrepancy - If that fails, the callback services people mentioned seem to be the most reliable way to actually reach a human - Consider contacting your state representative's office - they often have direct lines to DOL Don't let them wear you down - this sounds like a legitimate system error that they'll have to fix once someone actually reviews your case. Keep us posted on how it goes!