NY unemployment overpayment notice from last year - can't reach anyone to dispute $678
I seriously need help with an NY unemployment overpayment situation I can't resolve. In September 2024 when the $375 supplemental benefit ended, I stopped collecting unemployment completely. At that time, I was working part-time (under 28 hours) but my boss moved me to full-time in October knowing I was struggling financially. I had ZERO contact with unemployment until mid-November when I got a letter from DOL saying I owe $678 for supposedly collecting too much of the $375 supplement. But here's the thing - I checked my DOL online account right before opening the letter and there was NOTHING in my inbox about this (I took screenshots as proof). I also have emails confirming I was eligible for the supplement! I've been trying daily to contact unemployment since November with absolutely no luck. I've: - Called repeatedly in the mornings (still can't get through) - Requested 5+ hearings through the DOL website (screenshot all of these) - Tried every possible way to reach someone I refuse to pay for their mistake, especially with everything else I'm dealing with right now. Has anyone successfully disputed an overpayment or actually reached a real person? I'm desperate at this point.
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Amun-Ra Azra
This happened to me too! The key is documenting EVERYTHING. Keep those screenshots showing your inbox was empty and the emails confirming eligibility. For your hearing requests, did you get any confirmation numbers? If not, try faxing your appeal request to the Appeals Board at 518-402-6208 - I've had better luck with that than the online system. Also, double-check that they sent the notice to your correct address. If they used an old address, you can argue you never received proper notification within the appeal timeframe. Don't give up!
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Harold Oh
•Thanks for the response! I do have all the confirmation numbers from my hearing requests but haven't heard a thing back. I didn't know about the fax option - I'll definitely try that tomorrow. The address was correct on the letter, that's how I got it. It's just so frustrating that there's no way to actually talk to a human being about this.
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Summer Green
call them at exactly 8:00am when they open. keep calling back2back. thats how i finally got through after 3 weeks of trying
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Harold Oh
•I've tried that so many times! I set alarms for 7:55am and start dialing at exactly 8:00. Still get the same automated message about high call volume and then it hangs up. Did you do anything special to get through?
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Summer Green
•nope just got lucky i guess. took me like 43 calls in a row one morning
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Gael Robinson
You need to send a formal appeal letter that specifically cites Section 597.5 of the NY Labor Law regarding overpayment disputes. Include all your evidence (screenshots showing no notifications, emails confirming eligibility, etc.) and send it via certified mail to: NYS Department of Labor PO Box 15130 Albany, NY 12212-5130 The key is to formally dispute it in writing within 30 days of receiving the notice. Also, request a "repayment waiver due to no fault overpayment" if you believe you weren't at fault. In the meantime, you should also try calling your local state representative's office. They often have direct contacts at DOL who can help resolve these issues.
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Harold Oh
•Thank you for this detailed info! The notice arrived in November, so I'm worried I'm already past the 30-day window. Do you know if there's any way around that? I've been trying to contact them since I got the notice but couldn't get through. I'll definitely try my state rep - that's a great idea I hadn't thought of.
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Gael Robinson
•If you're beyond the 30 days, include in your letter that you've been attempting to contact DOL since receiving the notice (list specific dates you called). The law allows for "good cause" exceptions to the 30-day rule when you can show you made reasonable attempts to comply. Include copies of your hearing requests with confirmation numbers as evidence you've been trying to address this promptly.
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Edward McBride
I had LITERALLY the same thing happen but with $843!!! Been trying to call them forever and NOBODY ANSWERS!!!! The system is COMPLETELY BROKEN and they expect us to just pay for their mistakes?? I'm not paying a cent until I talk to someone. This is ridiculous!!! They just send random bills hoping people will panic and pay without questioning it. DON'T PAY IT!
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Harold Oh
•It's absolutely maddening. Have you found any way to reach them at all? I'm starting to think they're deliberately avoiding calls about these overpayment issues.
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Edward McBride
•NO!!! I've tried EVERYTHING! Called hundreds of times, sent emails, even tried messaging them on Twitter. NOTHING works. The whole system is designed to be impossible to navigate. I'm thinking about just showing up at their office in person at this point.
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Darcy Moore
I just went thru something kinda similar. My advice is don't stress too much. These notices get sent out automatically, sometimes by mistake. Did u check ur payment history to see if they actually think u got paid wrong? Also make sure u didn't accidentally certify for benefits after u went full time maybe?
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Harold Oh
•I checked my payment history and everything looks normal to me. I definitely stopped certifying once I went full-time - I was really careful about that because I didn't want any issues. That's why this overpayment notice came as such a shock.
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Dana Doyle
After 2 weeks of failing to get through to NYSDOL about a similar issue, I found this service called Claimyr that actually helped me reach an agent. It basically holds your place in line and calls you when it gets an agent. Saved me hours of frustration - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE and their website is claimyr.com When I finally got through, the agent was able to see that my overpayment notice was actually an error in their system. They put a note on my account and sent me confirmation that the debt was canceled. Worth trying if you can't get through the normal way.
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Harold Oh
•I've never heard of this service before. Did you have to provide a lot of personal information? I'm desperate at this point, so I'm definitely willing to try something new if it actually works.
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Dana Doyle
•You just give them your phone number so they can call you back when they get an agent. They don't need any of your unemployment info or anything like that. It was pretty straightforward - took about 40 minutes for them to get through when I used it.
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Liam Duke
i had a overpayment notice last year and i just ignored it lol nothing happened to me yet. probly not good advice but just sharing my experience
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Gael Robinson
•I strongly advise against ignoring overpayment notices. The DOL can and will eventually take collection actions, including tax refund interception, garnishing wages, or filing liens. They may not act immediately, but they have significant enforcement powers and a long memory for debts.
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Liam Duke
•oh shoot for real? might need to deal with that then. i thought they'd forget about it
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Amun-Ra Azra
One more thing I forgot to mention - if you're unable to reach them by phone, try emailing your situation to dol.sm.employer.services@labor.ny.gov with "URGENT OVERPAYMENT DISPUTE" in the subject line. While this email is technically for employers, I've found agents sometimes respond to urgent issues from this inbox when the main channels are overwhelmed. Include your claim ID in the email but don't include your full SSN. Also, if they're threatening to withhold future benefits or tax refunds, you can request a temporary hold on collection actions while you're attempting to dispute the overpayment. Many people don't know this is an option.
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Harold Oh
•Thank you! I'll try that email address today. They did mention in the letter that they could take my tax refund if I don't pay, which really worries me. I'll definitely request a hold while I'm trying to dispute this.
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Summer Green
it took me 2 HOURS to get thru yesterday just by hitting redial but finally got a nice lady who fixed my problem in 5 mins. so frustrating that its so hard just to talk to someone!!!!
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Harold Oh
•2 hours of redialing is intense! What time of day did you call? I'm willing to sit and redial for hours if that's what it takes.
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Summer Green
•started at like 2:15pm on wednesday. maybe they hv less calls in afternoon? not sure if it matters but i used my cell not landline
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Edward McBride
Has anyone tried requesting an internal audit of their claim? I've heard that sometimes helps get attention faster than the regular appeals process. Also, DON'T let them pressure you into a payment plan if you genuinely don't owe the money!!
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Gael Robinson
•Requesting an internal audit can be effective, but it needs to be done in writing with a specific citation of NY Labor Law Section 600.4 regarding claim review procedures. Without the proper citation, these requests often don't get routed correctly.
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Darcy Moore
btw do they send those overpayment notices through the online portal too or just mail? i check my portal like once a month so im worried i might miss something
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Harold Oh
•That's part of my frustration! They're supposed to send notices both ways, but I checked my online portal right before opening the physical mail and there was NOTHING there about an overpayment. The system is so inconsistent.
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Emma Davis
I'm dealing with a similar issue but for a different amount. After reading through all these responses, I wanted to share what I learned from my research. The NY DOL has been having major system issues lately that are causing incorrect overpayment notices to be generated automatically. A few additional things to try: 1. Contact your local Assembly member or State Senator's office - they often have caseworkers who specialize in DOL issues and can escalate your case 2. File a complaint with the NY State Attorney General's office online - they track patterns of agency problems 3. Document EVERYTHING with dates and times of your attempts to contact them Also, @Harold Oh, the fact that the notice didn't appear in your online portal but came by mail is actually really important evidence that their system has errors. Make sure to mention that in any formal dispute letter you send. Don't give up! The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and persistence often pays off with government agencies.
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Carmella Popescu
•This is incredibly helpful information, thank you @Emma Davis! I had no idea I could contact my Assembly member or file with the Attorney General's office - those are great ideas. You're absolutely right about the portal discrepancy being important evidence. I've been so focused on just trying to reach someone by phone that I didn't think about documenting the system errors themselves. I'm going to screenshot my portal again today to show it's still empty and include that with everything else when I send my formal dispute letter. Really appreciate you taking the time to research and share all this!
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Noah Irving
I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare - the NY unemployment system is absolutely broken right now. I'm dealing with something similar and it's incredibly frustrating. One thing that worked for me was calling the technical support line instead of the main number. Try 1-888-209-8124 - it's supposed to be for website issues but sometimes they can transfer you to someone who can actually help with account problems. The wait times are still brutal but I've had better luck getting through. Also, since you mentioned you have emails confirming your eligibility for the supplement, make sure you print those out and keep multiple copies. Those are going to be crucial evidence if you end up in a hearing. The fact that nothing showed up in your online portal when you checked is really suspicious and suggests their system generated this notice in error. Keep fighting this - don't let them bully you into paying for their mistake!
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