NYS Department of Labor weekly benefit amount showing $0 - why does my unemployment claim say zero dollars?

I checked and there's nothing showing under issues or adjudication. My claim status just says active but the weekly benefit is still $0. Should I call them?

Oh that makes sense. I did work for a small company that was pretty disorganized. How long did it take them to fix your benefit amount after you submitted the documents?

About 10 days after I faxed everything in. Make sure to keep copies of what you send them.

I had luck using claimyr.com to get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. They have a service that calls for you and connects you when someone picks up. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.

Which question specifically? I thought I answered everything correctly but maybe I missed something.

@Julian Paolo which specific question was it? I m'wondering if I might have made the same mistake. Was it about being available for work or something else? Want to make sure I m'answering everything right on my weekly certifications.

I feel you on the frustration but usually there's a legitimate reason for the $0 amount. Could be missing wage info, an issue that needs review, or even just a processing delay.

@LordCommander this is really helpful advice! I just checked my payment history and I do see some weeks marked as "held" which I didn't notice before. I'm going to gather my pay stubs and separation paperwork to submit. Do you know if there's a specific fax number or online portal that works best for submitting these documents to NYS Department of Labor?

@Hunter Brighton You can upload documents directly through your my.ny.gov account under the Upload "Documents section," or fax them to 518-457-9378. I d'recommend doing both just to be safe - upload online for faster processing and fax as backup. Make sure to include your SSN and claim confirmation number on every page. The online upload usually processes faster than fax in my experience.

@Paolo Longo Wow, that s'something I never would have thought to check! How did you figure out that the SSN was wrong? Did the Department of Labor tell you that when you called, or did you have to piece it together yourself? I m'wondering if I should double-check with my former employer to make sure they have my correct Social Security number on file.

@Paolo Longo That s'crazy that a simple SSN typo could mess everything up! I m'dealing with the same $0 benefit issue and this gives me hope there might be a fixable explanation. Did you have to wait in line at the local office for a long time, or were you able to schedule an appointment? I m'trying to figure out the best way to get this resolved without spending all day waiting around.

@Paolo Longo This is exactly what I needed to hear! I ve'been so frustrated with the $0 showing up and never thought about a wage reporting error. Quick question - when you went to the local office, did they fix it on the spot or did you still have to wait for the system to update? I m'debating whether to try calling first or just go straight to an office visit since calling seems impossible these days.

@Paolo Longo That s'really helpful to know about the SSN mismatch issue! I m'wondering - when you visited the local office, did they have access to see exactly what wages were reported under the wrong SSN? I m'curious if they could show you on their screen what your employer had submitted versus what should have been there. Also, did you need to bring anything besides your Social Security card and W-2? I want to make sure I have everything I need before making the trip to the office.

@Paolo Longo This is incredibly helpful! I never would have thought about an SSN mismatch causing the $0 benefit amount. Did you have to bring any other documentation besides your Social Security card and W-2 when you visited the local office? I want to make sure I m'fully prepared before making the trip. Also, do you remember which local office you went to and if they were able to see the wage mismatch immediately in their system?

@Paolo Longo This is such valuable information! I ve'been stuck with the same $0 weekly benefit issue and getting nowhere with phone calls. When you went to the local office, were you able to walk in or did you need an appointment? Also, I m'curious - once they fixed the SSN issue, did your benefit amount get calculated correctly right away, or did it take additional time for the system to process everything? I m'trying to set realistic expectations for how long this might take to resolve.

@Paolo Longo This is so helpful! I m'having the exact same $0 benefit issue and this SSN mismatch possibility never occurred to me. When you discovered the error, was it something the DOL staff could see immediately in their system when you showed them your documents? I m'wondering if I should call my old employer first to verify they have my correct SSN on file, or if it s'better to just go straight to the local office with my paperwork. Also, did you need to bring anything else besides your Social Security card and W-2 - like pay stubs or your separation notice?

@Paolo Longo This is super helpful! I ve'been dealing with the same $0 weekly benefit issue and calling NYS Department of Labor has been a nightmare. When you went to the local office, did they require you to make an appointment first or could you just walk in? Also, I m'curious - after they corrected the SSN error, did you have to do anything else to trigger the system to recalculate your benefits, or did it happen automatically? I want to make sure I understand the full process before I make the trip to resolve this.

@Gianna Scott I m'in a similar situation! Just filed a few weeks ago and dealing with the same $0 weekly benefit frustration. From reading all these comments, it sounds like there are several possible causes - missing wage information, SSN mismatches, or pending issues that aren t'always visible in the online system. I m'planning to gather all my documentation W-2s, (pay stubs, separation notice and) try both uploading through my.ny.gov and visiting a local office. The SSN mismatch issue that @Paolo Longo mentioned really opened my eyes - I never would have thought of that! Let me know if you have any luck resolving it, and I ll do'the same.

@Gianna Scott I just went through this exact same situation last month! My $0 benefit amount was caused by my employer not reporting my wages correctly to NYS DOL. What finally worked for me was uploading my last 4 pay stubs and my W-2 through the my.ny.gov portal, then also faxing copies to 518-457-9378 as backup. It took about 2 weeks for them to process everything and update my weekly benefit amount. Once they did, I got all the back payments I was owed. Definitely recommend trying the document upload first before waiting in line at a local office - it s'much faster if it s'just a wage verification issue.

@Gianna Scott I had the same exact issue a couple months ago! What ended up working for me was calling my former employer first to verify they had my correct SSN and employment dates on file. Turns out they had made an error in their quarterly wage report to the state. Once they submitted a corrected report, my benefits were updated within about 10 days and I received all the back pay. It might be worth checking with your employer before going through all the document uploading - sometimes the issue is on their end rather than missing paperwork on your side.

@Gianna Scott I m'dealing with this same nightmare right now! Been waiting 4 weeks with $0 benefits despite being approved. After reading through all these responses, I m'planning to try a multi-pronged approach: first uploading all my wage documents through my.ny.gov, then faxing copies as backup, and if that doesn t'work I ll'visit a local office. The SSN mismatch issue @Paolo Longo mentioned is scary - I never thought a simple data entry error could cause this mess. Really hoping the system isn t as'backed up as it was earlier this year. Will definitely update if I make any progress!

@Gianna Scott I just resolved this exact issue last week! My $0 benefit was due to a combination of missing wage verification and an answered question on my weekly certification. First, I uploaded my W-2 and last 6 pay stubs through my.ny.gov make (sure to include your SSN on every page .)Then I realized I had incorrectly answered no "to" being available for full-time work when I meant to say yes "-" that was automatically flagging my certifications. Once I corrected that answer on my next weekly filing and the wage docs were processed took (about 8 days ,)my benefit amount updated and I got all back payments. Check your certification answers carefully - sometimes it s'something simple like that causing the hold-up!

@Gianna Scott I m'going through the exact same frustration! Been waiting almost a month now with $0 showing despite qualifying wages. After reading all these helpful responses, I think the key is being systematic about it. I m'going to start by double-checking my weekly certification answers to make sure I didn t'accidentally trigger a hold, then upload all my wage documents W-2, (pay stubs, separation notice through) my.ny.gov with my SSN clearly marked on each page. If that doesn t'work within 2 weeks, I ll'try the local office route. The variety of causes people have mentioned here SSN (mismatches, employer reporting errors, certification mistakes really) shows how many different things can go wrong. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it s'way more helpful than the generic info on the NYS DOL website!

@Gianna Scott I went through this exact same situation about 6 weeks ago! My $0 weekly benefit turned out to be caused by my previous employer filing my wages under an incorrect business tax ID number. What finally resolved it was visiting the local NYS DOL office in person with my Social Security card, W-2, and last 8 pay stubs. The staff member was able to look up the wage records in real-time and immediately spotted the mismatch. They corrected it on the spot and my benefit amount was updated within 3 business days, plus I received all the retroactive payments I was owed. I d'definitely recommend the in-person visit if the document upload route doesn t'work - sometimes these database issues can only be fixed by someone with direct system access. Good luck!

@Gianna Scott I just went through this same issue and finally got it resolved! My problem was that I had moved recently and my address change wasn t'properly updated in their system, which somehow interfered with the wage matching process. What worked for me was calling the automated phone line 888-209-8124 (and) updating my address through the prompts, then uploading my W-2 and recent pay stubs through my.ny.gov. Within about a week, my benefit amount was calculated correctly and I received all the back payments. It s'worth double-checking that all your basic info address, (phone, etc. is) current in their system before diving into the more complex troubleshooting. Sometimes it s'the simple things that cause these headaches!