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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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I'm currently in almost this exact same situation! Just accepted an offer last week but my start date isn't until February 28th. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - I was honestly second-guessing myself about whether to keep filing claims. It sounds like the key is complete transparency on the weekly certifications about accepting the offer and including the start date. I've been doing that consistently and keeping my offer letter saved just in case they need documentation. The way everyone explains the "still unemployed until you actually start working" concept really makes it clear that we're entitled to benefits during this gap period. It's such a relief to see so many people who went through similar timelines without any issues. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this thread has been a huge help in understanding that this is totally normal and we're not doing anything wrong by claiming benefits until we actually begin earning paychecks again!
I'm in a very similar situation too! Just accepted a job offer this week with a start date of February 20th, and I was really anxious about whether continuing to file weekly claims was the right thing to do. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - it's clear that as long as we're completely transparent about accepting the offer and include our start dates on the certifications, we should be fine. I've been following the same approach as everyone else - answering honestly about the future employment and keeping my offer letter ready just in case. It's amazing how much this thread has helped ease my worries about potentially doing something wrong. The point about still being genuinely unemployed until we actually start working really puts everything in perspective. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories - it's so helpful to know we're all in the same boat and handling it the right way!
Carmen Lopez
I'm in this exact same situation right now - just accepted a job offer yesterday with a start date of February 12th! Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. I was really stressed about whether I should continue filing my weekly claims or not. It's clear from all the success stories shared here that transparency is absolutely key - I've been making sure to answer honestly about accepting the job offer and including my February 12th start date on every weekly certification. The way everyone explains it really makes sense - we're still technically unemployed and available for work until we actually start earning paychecks again. I'm definitely keeping my offer letter saved and taking screenshots of my weekly filings just to be safe. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - it's such a relief to know this is completely normal and that so many people have gone through similar situations without any issues!
I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in almost the exact same situation - accepted a job offer this week with a start date of February 14th and was really anxious about whether to keep filing claims. Reading everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief. It sounds like we're all taking the same approach - being completely transparent on weekly certifications about accepting the offer and including our start dates. I've been doing exactly that and keeping my offer letter ready just in case. The way everyone explains being "still unemployed until actually working" really clarifies everything. It's amazing how much peace of mind these real experiences provide compared to trying to figure out the rules on your own. Thanks for adding your story to help others - good luck with your new position starting February 12th!
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Thanks for all the helpful info everyone! I'm definitely going to set up automatic withholding to avoid a nasty surprise at tax time. For anyone else wondering about the math - at $504/week that's about $26,208 if you collect for a full year. Using a standard tax calculator and assuming you're single with no other major deductions, you're probably looking at around 12-22% federal tax rate plus NY state taxes. So Mateo's 25% rule seems pretty reasonable. Better safe than sorry!
That's really helpful math, thanks for breaking it down! Just to add - if you're planning to collect unemployment for less than a full year, you can obviously adjust that calculation. Also worth noting that if you had taxes withheld from your regular job earlier in the year, that might reduce what you owe on the unemployment benefits. The IRS treats it all as one big income pool, so your total tax liability depends on your combined income from all sources. Definitely agree with the 25% rule though - I've been setting aside 30% just to be extra safe!
Paloma Clark
Just wanted to share my experience - I've been collecting NYS unemployment for about 6 months now and initially didn't have any taxes withheld. Big mistake! When I finally did the math halfway through, I realized I was going to owe around $3,000 at tax time. I immediately called (well, tried to call) NYS Department of Labor to set up withholding but like others mentioned, getting through was nearly impossible. I ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned and was able to get my withholding set up within a few days. Now I have 10% federal and the 2.5% state automatically taken out. It's definitely worth the peace of mind, even if it means smaller weekly payments. Don't wait like I did - set it up from the beginning if you can!
Thanks for sharing your experience Paloma! This is exactly what I was worried about - owing thousands at tax time. I'm definitely going to try to set up withholding ASAP. Quick question though - when you say you have 10% federal withheld, is that 10% of your total benefit amount or 10% of what your estimated tax liability would be? I want to make sure I'm withholding enough but not too much. Also really appreciate the Claimyr recommendation - seems like that's the only way to actually reach someone at NYS Department of Labor these days!
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Summer Green
I completely understand your concern about your former employer - it shows you're a considerate person. But here's the thing: you didn't choose to get laid off, and unemployment benefits exist precisely for this situation. Your employer has been paying into the unemployment insurance fund as part of doing business, just like they pay for workers' comp or other insurance. When you file a claim, they don't get a direct bill - instead, it may slightly affect their experience rating for future tax calculations. Think of it this way: if your house burned down, you wouldn't hesitate to file an insurance claim because it might affect the insurance company's profits, right? This is similar - you and your employer have been paying premiums (through payroll taxes) for this exact coverage. File your claim and focus on finding your next opportunity.
The house insurance analogy really clicked for me! I've been thinking about this all wrong - treating it like I'd be personally costing my old boss money when really it's just how the system works. You're absolutely right that I didn't choose to get laid off, and I shouldn't feel guilty about using a benefit that we all paid into. I'm going to file tomorrow morning. Thanks for putting it in perspective that actually makes sense.
Evelyn Kim
@Sean, I work in HR and can confirm what others have said - employers pay unemployment taxes as part of their regular payroll obligations, not per claim. Your former employer's experience rating might be slightly affected over time, but one claim from a legitimate layoff won't cause them financial hardship. In fact, if they laid you off due to lack of work, they were already anticipating potential unemployment costs as part of their workforce reduction decision. Don't let misplaced guilt prevent you from accessing benefits you've earned. The system exists specifically to help workers like you transition between jobs through no fault of your own.
Carmen Vega
•@Evelyn, that's really helpful to hear from someone who works in HR! I keep second-guessing myself even though everyone here is saying the same thing. When you mention that employers anticipate unemployment costs when they make layoff decisions - does that mean they actually budget for this kind of thing ahead of time? I guess I was imagining my old boss getting some surprise bill and being upset about it, but it sounds like it's more routine than I thought.
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Ugh, I'm so sorry you're going through this! I just created an account because your post perfectly describes the hell I've been living for the past 3 weeks. Same exact situation - filled everything out online, got that stupid verification message, and now I'm trapped in phone system purgatory. I've literally called over 150 times and keep getting either busy signals or those infuriating disconnects after sitting on hold forever. Reading through all these comments is actually giving me hope though! I had no idea about contacting your assemblyperson - definitely trying that tomorrow morning. The claimyr thing sounds interesting too after seeing so many people vouch for it. Never heard of a service like that but honestly at this point I'm desperate enough to try anything. It's absolutely insane that we have to become detectives just to access benefits we've literally paid into our entire working lives. The system feels intentionally broken to make us give up. But don't let them win! From what everyone's saying, once you get through to a real person the verification takes like 5 minutes. We just have to crack this ridiculous phone system first. Hang in there and definitely try multiple approaches at once. This community has been so helpful - let's beat this thing! 🤞
StarSeeker
•Welcome to the club nobody wants to be in! 😅 150+ calls sounds about right - I think I'm somewhere around that number too. It's honestly criminal how broken this system is when people are depending on these benefits for basic survival. I'm definitely going to try that assemblyperson approach after seeing so many success stories in this thread. The fact that they have direct DOL contacts and can actually escalate cases seems like our best bet. Also going to set my alarm for 7:55am to try that early morning calling trick. At this point I'm willing to try literally anything to avoid another week of this torture! Thanks for the solidarity - it really helps knowing I'm not going crazy and that other people are dealing with this exact same nightmare. Let's both try these strategies and hopefully we can finally escape unemployment phone system hell! 🤞
Just wanted to jump in and say I'm going through the EXACT same nightmare right now! Started my claim 3 weeks ago and got that dreaded "call to verify" message. I've been calling religiously every day - sometimes 30+ times - and it's either busy signals or I sit on hold for an hour just to get disconnected. It's absolutely maddening and I'm starting to lose hope. But reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really encouraging! I had no idea you could contact your state assemblyperson for unemployment issues - that's brilliant and I'm definitely trying that first thing tomorrow. The early morning calling strategy also makes sense since everyone's probably trying to call at the same time. The claimyr service that multiple people mentioned sounds legit based on all these independent success stories. I'm usually skeptical of third-party services but the fact that they're just automating the hold process rather than claiming special connections makes it seem trustworthy. At this point I'm desperate enough to try anything! Thanks to everyone for sharing what actually worked - it's so reassuring to know the verification itself is quick once you get through. This broken system is designed to make us give up but we can't let them win! Sending solidarity to everyone dealing with this mess 🤞
Diego Chavez
•I'm right there with you! Just joined this community because I'm dealing with the exact same verification nightmare. Been calling for 2+ weeks now and it's driving me absolutely insane. The fact that so many people are going through this shows how completely broken the system is right now. I'm definitely going to try contacting my assemblyperson tomorrow after seeing all these success stories - had no idea they could help with unemployment issues! Also planning to set my alarm for 7:55am to try that early calling trick. The claimyr thing is starting to sound more and more appealing too after seeing so many people independently vouch for it. It's just wild that we need to get this creative to access our own benefits! Thanks for sharing your experience - helps to know I'm not alone in this madness. Let's all keep fighting and hopefully we can crack this system together! 💪
Brianna Schmidt
This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - just filed a new claim after being on unemployment about 8 months ago. Based on everyone's advice here, it sounds like the key is to not just assume your info is saved, but to actually log in and verify everything is correct AND activated for the new claim. That confirmation step seems to be what trips people up the most. I'm definitely going to follow those detailed steps someone posted and take screenshots like another person suggested. Better safe than sorry when it comes to getting paid on time!
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Lucas Bey
•This thread has been a lifesaver! I'm also filing a new claim after being off unemployment for about 6 months. The advice about verifying AND activating the payment info is so important - I would have just assumed it was all set since my bank details were still there. Going to follow those step-by-step instructions and definitely take screenshots of everything. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who finds the system confusing!
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QuantumQuest
This whole conversation has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in the exact same boat as the original poster - just filed a new claim yesterday after my seasonal job ended, and I was wondering about the direct deposit situation. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that even though the system might save your banking info, you absolutely need to log in and verify/activate it for each new claim. That confirmation step seems to be the critical piece that many people (myself included) would probably miss. I'm definitely going to follow those detailed steps and take screenshots of everything once I confirm my payment method. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is a lifesaver for navigating the confusing NY DOL system!
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Malik Robinson
•Exactly! I'm also new to this and was really confused about whether I needed to resubmit everything. This thread has been incredibly educational - it's so helpful to hear from people who have actually been through this process multiple times. The fact that the system saves your info but you still need to manually confirm/activate it for each new claim seems like a design flaw, but at least now I know what to look for. I'm going to bookmark this conversation so I can reference those step-by-step instructions when I log in later today. Thanks everyone for being so generous with sharing your knowledge!
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