Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I was really stressing about this. Just to clarify - when I file my initial claim, should I mention the military retirement pay in the "other income" section, or is there a specific place where it asks about retirement/pension income? I want to make sure I'm being completely transparent from the start so there are no surprises down the road.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! I'm also a veteran receiving military retirement pay and was laid off from my civilian job. Just to add to what others have said - when I filed my initial claim online, there was definitely a separate section specifically for pension/retirement income. I reported my military retirement pay there and it had zero impact on my weekly benefit amount. The NYS Department of Labor treats it as non-deductible income since it's from past military service, not current employment. I've been collecting both my retirement pay and UI benefits without any issues. The key is just being upfront about it from the beginning like you're planning to do. You should be all set!

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Quit my job in December for what seemed like an amazing opportunity, then got laid off in May when the company had "financial difficulties." Just got my denial letter yesterday and I'm honestly freaking out a bit. Reading through all these responses is making me feel so much better though. It sounds like focusing on the layoff from the most recent job is key, and that appeals actually work! Quick question for those who've been through this - when you're filling out the paperwork, do you mention the previous job you quit at all, or just focus entirely on the most recent employment? I don't want to accidentally hurt my case by bringing up the voluntary quit again. Also seeing a lot of mentions about Claimyr here - has anyone else used it successfully? The $20 seems worth it if it actually gets me through to a human being instead of sitting on hold for hours. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories - it's really helping me feel less alone in this process! 🙏

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and finally got approved after an appeal! Left my old job for what seemed like a great opportunity, then got laid off 2 months later when they "restructured." Here's what I learned from the process: • Your most recent separation is what matters most - focus on the layoff, not the quit • Get any documentation you can from your recent employer about the layoff (email, letter, anything official) • When filling out paperwork, be honest about the timeline but emphasize you were working continuously until the involuntary separation • Don't panic if you get denied initially - the appeal process actually works if you present your case clearly The whole thing took about 2 months to resolve through appeals, but I got back pay for everything. It's stressful but totally worth fighting for. The key is showing that you had legitimate work history and were separated through no fault of your own from your most recent position. Hang in there - I know it feels overwhelming but you've got a solid case based on what you've described! 💪

Just wanted to add my experience to help others going through this. I had the same pending issue for about 10 days after my approval letter. What worked for me was checking my account settings thoroughly - turns out my bank had updated my account number recently and I forgot to update it in the system. Once I fixed that, payment came through in 2 days with all the back weeks included. Also seconding what others said about calling early morning (around 7:45am worked best for me) - way less busy than later in the day. Don't stress too much, the money will come as long as you keep certifying and your info is correct! 💪

Going through this exact same thing right now! Got my approval letter 5 days ago but still showing pending on payments. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - sounds like this is super common and just takes time for the system to catch up. Definitely going to try calling early morning like people suggested and make sure all my bank info is updated. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories, makes me feel way less stressed about it! Will keep certifying weekly for sure 🤞

Just want to add that some places will accept your weekly claim confirmation emails as proof too, especially for temporary things like rent assistance. But for anything official or long-term, definitely get the verification letter from NYS Department of Labor like others mentioned.

ugh the whole verification process is such a pain!!! why cant they just make it easier to prove youre unemployed when youre already dealing with enough stress from not having a job

I'm sorry you're going through this stress. I haven't been audited myself yet, but from what I've read, the most important thing is to gather all your documentation now - save emails, screenshots of job applications, any correspondence with employers, even rejection letters if you have them. The NYS DOL wants to see that you made genuine efforts to find work, not just went through the motions. Keep detailed records of dates, company names, positions applied for, and how you applied (online, in person, etc.). If you do end up owing money back, don't ignore it - they have ways to collect including tax refund intercepts. But like others said, you have appeal rights and they do work with people on payment plans.

I went through a similar audit situation about 6 months ago and can share what worked for me. First, don't try to reconstruct old documentation that you don't actually have - that can look suspicious if dates or details don't match up perfectly. Instead, focus on what you CAN prove. Check your email for any confirmation emails from job sites, look at your browser history if you still have it, and see if any of the companies you applied to sent automated responses. For the determination letter, read it very carefully - they usually specify exactly which entries they're questioning and why. Sometimes it's as simple as needing more detail (like adding a contact person's name) rather than the application being invalid. The appeal process is definitely worth pursuing if you believe you were following the requirements correctly. I ended up winning my appeal by providing additional context about my job search strategy and demonstrating that I was genuinely looking for suitable work within my field.