NYS Department of Labor benefits for federal employees - who pays for unemployment claims?

Federal employees are covered under the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. While you file through NYS Department of Labor like any other claim, the federal government reimburses the state for 100% of the benefits paid to federal workers. So technically the feds pay but you go through the same NYS Department of Labor process as everyone else.

yeah my dad worked for the postal service and when he got unemployment it was the same process thru ny state but the money came from federal budget somehow

The key thing to remember is that your benefit amount is still calculated based on your federal wages using the same NYS Department of Labor formula. You'll need your SF-8 or SF-50 forms from your federal agency to verify your earnings when you file. The adjudication process might take a bit longer since NYS Department of Labor has to coordinate with federal records.

I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my federal employment verification. Kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier when I needed to clarify my federal wage documentation.

The whole system is ridiculous honestly. Why should federal employees have to jump through extra hoops just because our paychecks came from a different source? NYS Department of Labor should streamline this process instead of making us provide all these additional federal documents.

Just to add - if you worked for multiple employers including federal and state/private, make sure NYS Department of Labor knows about ALL your employment in the base period. The federal wages still count toward your total benefit calculation even though they're reimbursed differently.