NY unemployment keeps giving contradictory information about my claim after severance ended

Same nightmare over here. Been going in circles since March. One lady tells me I qualify, next guy says I don't, then someone else says my case needs 'special review' whatever that means. The portal is useless - might as well be shouting into a black hole. Honestly at this point I think its their strategy to exhaust us so we just give up trying to get what we're owed.

After going through the same frustrating loop for weeks, I finally got someone on the phone who actually helped! I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that called for me and got me connected with a real agent. Once I talked to them, my claim got fixed in 20 minutes and I got all my backpay two days later. Best decision I made - talking to an actual human got my issue resolved immediately. Check out their explainer video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

You absolutely need to document EVERYTHING. Record the date, time, name of representative, and what they told you every single time you speak with them. I had a similar issue and they kept denying what previous reps told me until I read my notes back to them with all the details. Then suddenly they "found" my claim info. They rely on us not keeping track.

This exact thing happened to me! After my severance ended they were supposed to reactivate my claim, but every time I called they gave different answers. What worked for me was contacting my state assembly person. Emailed their office, got a response in 2 days, and they helped push it through. Worth trying!

The unemployment system is a complete dumpster fire rn. They're still using computer systems from like the 1980s and the different departments don't communicate with each other at all. My advice - call exactly at 8:00am when they open, hit option 2, then 1, then wait and an agent will usually pick up within 20 min. Thats the trick I found that works.

Hey I work for a different state unemployment office (not NY) so I can't speak to specific policies but here's what you need to know about severance and unemployment claims: When you receive severance, most states will delay your benefits until that payment period ends. However, once that period ends, you should be eligible for benefits from that point forward as long as you're certifying weekly. It sounds like NY created a new claim for you that starts after your severance ended (April). If one agent confirmed this but another denied it, it's possible the second agent just couldn't see it in the system they were using. Your best bet is to: 1. Keep certifying for benefits every week even while this gets sorted out 2. Request to speak with a tier 2 specialist or a supervisor 3. Ask specifically for them to check both claim numbers in their system 4. If the portal messaging isn't working, try reaching them through their social media accounts If none of that works, many people have had success with claimyr.com to actually reach a live agent who can help. The hold times right now are insane at most unemployment offices.

I swear they do this on purpose to save money. If they make it confusing and frustrating enough, they know some percentage of people will just give up. Stay persistent OP!

did u try the callback feature on their website? i used that last week and they actually called me back the next day and fixed my issue.

I literaly just got off the phone with them for the exact same issue!!!! So it turns out there's a weird glitch with claims that start during severance periods. The first claim gets like deactivated in their system but still shows on our end. What fixed it for me was having the agent manually enter my certifications for that month. Ask specifically for this when you call!!! Took 5 calls but finally got someone who knew what to do.

try reaching out to your local state representatives office. my brother had a similar issue that was going on for months, no one at unemployment could fix it. He emailed his assemblyman and they have staff specifically for dealing with unemployment issues. Got fixed in 10 days.

have u tried going to an actual office in person? sometimes face to face is better than phone tag

Stop calling and start emailing them! Create a paper trail. When you call there's no record of the conversation but emails are documented. Send email, wait 3 days, forward the same email asking for an update. Rinse and repeat. Eventually they have to address it because you have proof you've been trying to resolve it.

the whole ny unemployment system is designed to be confusing on purpose, change my mind 🤡

sounds to me like there's a gap in your certifications. even if they made a new claim for you, you still have to certify for each week you're claiming. did you certify for all those weeks in April?

Random but I was at my absolute breaking point with NY unemployment (similar situation - kept getting different answers) until I found a way to skip the hold time using claimyr.com. Sounds like you need to talk to a specialist who can actually see both of your claims in the system, not just the regular frontline people. Good luck!

I had something similar w/ them owing me for February. What finally worked: call exactly at 7:58am (right before they open), navigate the menu slowly so you hit the final option right as the clock strikes 8:00. I got through to a senior agent who fixed everything in 10 min.