Need reference who can verify unemployment activities and means of support - NYS Department of Labor requirement
I'm filling out my NYS Department of Labor weekly claim and it's asking for the name of someone who can verify my unemployment activities and means of support. This is the first time I've seen this question and I'm not sure what they're looking for exactly. Do they want a previous employer? A family member? Someone who knows about my job search activities? I don't want to put down the wrong person and mess up my claim. Has anyone else gotten this question before?
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Ethan Moore
This usually comes up when NYS Department of Labor needs to verify your eligibility or job search activities. You can provide a previous employer who can confirm your work history, a professional reference who knows about your job search efforts, or someone who can verify your current living situation if you're receiving support. Make sure it's someone who will actually answer if they call.
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Aisha Ali
•Thanks! Should it be someone local or does it matter? My former supervisor moved to another state but she'd definitely vouch for me.
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Yuki Nakamura
I had this happen during adjudication last year. They wanted someone who could verify I was actively looking for work. I put down my career counselor from the One-Stop center and it worked out fine. Just make sure whoever you list knows you might be contacted.
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Aisha Ali
•That's a good idea about the career counselor. I've been working with someone at the American Job Center so maybe I'll use them.
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StarSurfer
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to clarify this, I found a service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get through to an actual agent when I had questions about my claim requirements. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call on my own.
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Carmen Reyes
•How much does something like that cost though? I'm already tight on money waiting for my benefits.
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StarSurfer
•It was worth it for me to get answers quickly rather than stress about whether I was doing everything right.
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Andre Moreau
honestly just put down anyone who knows you're unemployed and looking for work... they probably won't even call unless there's an issue with your claim
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Zoe Christodoulou
•That's not good advice. You should always be honest on these forms. NYS Department of Labor takes verification seriously and false information can disqualify your entire claim.
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Jamal Thompson
I put my landlord when I got this question because he knew I was unemployed and job hunting. Never heard anything back from NYS Department of Labor so I guess it was fine.
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