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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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Just went through this exact same thing two weeks ago! Here's what finally worked for me: I called the tech support line 833-910-2469 right at 8am on a Tuesday and got through in about 45 minutes. The key is to press 0 immediately when you hear the automated menu to skip straight to a human agent. Have all your info ready - SSN, DOB, old phone number, and your claim confirmation number if you have it. The agent was super helpful and updated my phone number in like 10 minutes. Also asked them to add my email as a backup contact method which I didn't even know was possible! Pro tip: write down the agent's name and get a confirmation number for the change in case you need to reference it later. Good luck! 🍀
This is super helpful, thank you! Just to clarify - when you say press 0 immediately, do you mean as soon as you hear any automated voice or wait for them to give you menu options first? I always get confused about the timing with these phone systems 😅 Also that's awesome they could add email as backup - definitely gonna ask for that too!
@b4670b530c67 I had the same question about timing! From my experience calling these types of systems, you usually want to wait for the first greeting to finish (they'll say something like "thank you for calling NY DOL" or whatever) and then press 0 before they start listing menu options. If you press it too early sometimes the system doesn't register it. Also super smart about getting the agent's name and confirmation number - I learned that lesson the hard way when I had to explain my whole situation again to a different person later! Thanks for the detailed breakdown 👍
Just wanted to jump in and say this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - switched phones last week and completely forgot about updating my unemployment account until I got locked out trying to certify today 🤦♀️ Going to try calling that tech support number 833-910-2469 first thing tomorrow morning and will definitely press 0 right after the greeting like everyone suggested. Also really appreciate the tip about asking for email backup - never knew that was an option! Will report back with how it goes. Fingers crossed I can get this sorted quickly because I really can't afford to miss my certification this week. Thanks everyone for sharing all these different strategies! 🙏
Hope it works out for you! That tech support line seems to be the magic number based on everyone's experiences here. Just make sure you have everything ready before you call - SSN, DOB, old phone number, etc. And definitely don't give up if you don't get through on the first try! I'm in a similar situation (just changed my number last month) so I'll probably be calling tomorrow too. Let us know how it goes! 🤞
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This thread has been such an incredible resource! @Natasha Romanova, I'm so thrilled you got your benefits restored and that backpay - what a rollercoaster that must have been! Your experience really highlights how broken and misleading the NY unemployment system can be. I'm actually going through something similar right now where my benefits just stopped two weeks ago with no explanation. The "benefits exhausted" message is showing even though I know I haven't used all my weeks. Reading through everyone's stories here has given me so much hope and practical guidance. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service based on all the positive feedback. The insider knowledge from @Ravi Kapoor about how these administrative flags work was eye-opening - who would have thought that one missed certification or incorrectly answered question could freeze everything? For anyone else dealing with this, I think the key takeaways from this thread are: 1. Don't trust the "benefits exhausted" message at face value 2. Keep detailed records of everything (job searches, certifications, etc.) 3. Be persistent - the system seems designed to make people give up 4. Consider services like Claimyr if you can't get through on your own 5. Ask specifically about retroactive payments when you do reach someone Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. This community support makes such a difference when you're feeling lost in these government systems!
@Daryl Bright Your summary of key takeaways is spot-on! As someone who just went through this exact nightmare, I can t'stress enough how important point #3 is about being persistent. The system really does seem designed to discourage people from following up when they hit these confusing roadblocks. One thing I d'add to your excellent list: when you do get through to an agent, don t'be afraid to ask them to explain in detail what caused the flag and how to avoid similar issues in future certifications. In my case, learning exactly how I had answered that one question wrong helped me understand how sensitive the system is to even minor mistakes. Also, @Natasha Romanova s success'story shows how crucial it is to have all your documentation ready before calling. Having those 48 job applications and 6 interviews documented probably helped demonstrate that she was genuinely looking for work during the time her benefits were frozen. Good luck with your situation! Based on everything shared in this thread, it sounds like you re taking'all the right steps. Don t give'up - that backpay could make a huge difference when you get it sorted out!
This thread is absolutely incredible - what an amazing journey from crisis to resolution! @Natasha Romanova, I'm so relieved you got everything sorted out and are receiving that backpay. Your experience perfectly illustrates how misleading these automated system messages can be. As someone new to navigating unemployment benefits, I had no idea that "benefits exhausted" could actually mean there's just an administrative flag that needs clearing rather than truly having used all available weeks. The fact that one incorrectly answered certification question could freeze everything with such a confusing error message is honestly shocking. What strikes me most is how this thread demonstrates the power of community support and persistence. Without the encouragement and practical advice from everyone here - especially the insider knowledge from people like @Ravi Kapoor and the real success stories with services like Claimyr - you might have given up thinking you weren't eligible for anything more. Your detailed documentation of job searches (48 applications, 6 interviews) probably played a huge role in getting everything resolved quickly once you reached the right person. It's a great reminder for anyone else dealing with similar issues to keep meticulous records of their job hunting activities. Thanks for updating us with the resolution - this thread is going to be invaluable for anyone else who finds themselves staring at that misleading "benefits exhausted" message when they know they haven't used all their weeks!
@Camila Castillo You ve'really captured the essence of what makes this thread so valuable! As someone who s'been following unemployment discussions across different communities, it s'amazing to see how @Natasha Romanova s story'went from what seemed like a dead end to a complete resolution with backpay. What really gets me is how that benefits exhausted "message is" so misleading - it makes people think they ve hit'a hard limit when it s often'just a technical flag that can be cleared. The NY system really needs better user experience design to prevent this kind of confusion. I m also'impressed by how everyone rallied with practical solutions. The Claimyr service recommendations, @Ravi Kapoor s insider knowledge'about missed certifications, and even suggestions for alternative resources like assemblyperson offices - it s like having'a whole support network of people who ve been through'the trenches. For anyone else reading this who might be dealing with similar issues, this thread is proof that persistence really does pay off. Don t let confusing'error messages or impossible phone wait times convince you to give up on benefits you re entitled to.'Sometimes you just need the right approach and a little community support to break through the bureaucratic maze!
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I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed my claim 8 days ago and still seeing "under review" status. It's really nerve-wracking when you're already dealing with job loss stress. From what I've been reading online, it seems like the NYS Department of Labor is just really backed up right now. I've been tempted to call but heard the wait times are brutal. At least we're not alone in this! Hoping both our claims get processed soon.
Same boat here! It's definitely stressful when you're already worried about finances and then have to wait in uncertainty. I keep refreshing my.ny.gov hoping something will change. At least knowing other people are experiencing similar timelines helps - makes me feel like it's probably just normal processing delays rather than an issue with my specific application. Fingers crossed we both hear something positive soon!
I'm actually a case worker who used to work with unemployment claims (different state though), and I can tell you that 10 days is pretty typical for the initial review phase. The NYS system has to verify your employment history, cross-reference wage records, and sometimes wait for employer responses. Since you filed due to company downsizing, that's actually one of the more straightforward scenarios - no fault determinations or complex separation issues to investigate. The good news is that once it's approved, you should receive back pay for all the weeks you've been waiting. Just keep certifying weekly if that option becomes available, even while it's under review.
That's really helpful to hear from someone with actual experience in the system! The back pay aspect is something I was wondering about - good to know that's how it works. I haven't seen any weekly certification options yet in my portal, but I'll keep an eye out for that. It's reassuring to know that company downsizing cases are typically more straightforward. Thanks for sharing your professional insight!
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I'm currently on unemployment and was actually just researching this exact question yesterday! After reading through all these experiences, I feel so much more confident about the situation. I've been hesitant to touch my 401k for a medical emergency, but it's clear from everyone's consistent experiences that NYS Department of Labor treats retirement distributions completely separately from wages. What really helped me understand it was realizing that the weekly certification questions are very specific - they ask about work performed and wages earned, not about retirement account activity. I'm planning to move forward with my withdrawal now, and I'll definitely follow the advice about setting aside money for taxes. This thread has been incredibly valuable for someone new to navigating unemployment benefits - thanks to Miguel for asking the question and everyone for sharing their real experiences!
I'm so glad this thread has been helpful for you too! As someone who was also completely new to unemployment benefits just a few months ago, I remember feeling so anxious about every financial decision and whether it might somehow jeopardize my claim. The consistent experiences everyone has shared here really demonstrate that NYS Department of Labor has a very clear and focused approach - they care about employment income, not retirement distributions. It's such a relief to see how many people have successfully navigated this exact situation without any issues. The advice about tax planning is really smart too - I learned that lesson the hard way! I hope your medical situation gets resolved quickly and that you're able to get back to work soon. This community has been such a lifeline for understanding how these systems actually work in practice.
I went through this exact situation about 4 months ago when I needed emergency funds for a family crisis while on NYS unemployment. I was terrified about potentially losing my benefits, but after withdrawing $6,000 from my 401k, my weekly unemployment payments continued without any interruption whatsoever. The key insight that helped me was understanding that NYS Department of Labor is laser-focused on wages from employment - they're not monitoring your entire financial life. The weekly certification questions are very clear about what they want to know: did you work, did you earn wages, are you available for work, etc. Retirement account withdrawals simply don't fall into any of those categories because they're distributions of money you already earned and contributed in the past, not new income from current employment. I kept detailed records of everything just to be safe, but I never had to report the withdrawal anywhere in the unemployment system. Just make sure you continue meeting all the regular requirements like job searches and weekly certifications. And definitely set aside about 25-30% for taxes and potential early withdrawal penalties - that was the only real consequence I faced. Hope this helps ease your worries about getting your car fixed!
Javier Mendoza
Just be really careful about this. I know someone who got in trouble for not reporting DoorDash earnings properly and had to pay back benefits plus penalties. The NYS Department of Labor has access to a lot of income data and they WILL find out if you don't report gig work. Better to be overly cautious than deal with an overpayment investigation later.
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Yara Haddad
•That's exactly what I'm worried about! Do they automatically see DoorDash income or only if they audit you?
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Keisha Robinson
•The NYS Department of Labor has access to various income databases and can cross-reference 1099 income during routine claim reviews. It's not worth the risk - always report all gig work earnings honestly and completely.
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Quinn Herbert
I've been doing DoorDash while on unemployment in NY for about 3 months now. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep really detailed records of when you work vs when you get paid. DoorDash sometimes has payment delays or splits earnings across multiple deposits, but you always report based on the week you actually did the deliveries. I use a simple spreadsheet to track my daily earnings and hours worked so I can accurately fill out my weekly certifications. Also heads up - during busy weeks I sometimes hit the point where my DoorDash earnings reduce my unemployment check significantly, but it's still worth it overall for the extra income. Just make sure you're still meeting your job search requirements since that's still the main condition for collecting benefits.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•This is really helpful advice about keeping detailed records! I'm just starting to think about doing DoorDash and hadn't considered the timing issue between when you work vs when you get paid. Do you use any specific app or just a basic spreadsheet to track your deliveries? Also wondering - when you say you sometimes hit the point where earnings reduce your unemployment check significantly, is there a threshold where it's not worth doing the gig work anymore that week?
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