Wow, thank you for updating us with your success story! I'm still in the middle of this nightmare myself - been trying for over a week now. Hearing that Claimyr actually worked for you gives me hope. I was hesitant about using a third-party service, but at this point I'm willing to try anything. The fact that your employer didn't respond to their verification request is infuriating - why do WE have to jump through hoops because THEY can't be bothered to respond? Anyway, so happy you got it resolved and will definitely be trying Claimyr tomorrow!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same ordeal last year. The verification process is absolutely brutal, but don't give up! A few additional tips that helped me: 1) If you do get through to someone, ask them to email you a confirmation of what was discussed and any next steps - this saved me when my claim got "lost" again weeks later. 2) Keep detailed notes of every call attempt (time, what happened, any reference numbers) because they may ask about previous attempts. 3) If your employer is unresponsive to NYSDOL's verification requests, you can actually provide your own documentation as backup - pay stubs, W2s, even screenshots of your work schedule if you have them. The agents can often work with what you provide directly. Hang in there everyone - it's a broken system but persistence does pay off eventually!

Hey! Just wanted to chime in as someone who literally just went through this exact process last week. That approval email is your green light - you're all set to start certifying! A couple things that really helped me: - The labor.ny.gov website can be super slow on Sunday mornings, so I ended up using the phone system (888-581-5812) which was way faster - Make sure you answer all the certification questions honestly - they ask about any work you did, income earned, etc. Even if you worked just a few hours, report it - Keep track of your certification dates! I use my phone calendar to set weekly reminders The waiting week thing threw me off too but it's pretty straightforward - you certify for that first week but don't get paid for it. Think of it like a one-week "deductible" before your benefits kick in. One more thing - if you haven't already, definitely check that your address is correct in the system. My friend had issues because his mailing address was wrong and his determination letter got sent to the wrong place. You're in the home stretch now! The approval is the hardest part to get through 👍

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago! That approval email is basically your "you're done with the hard part" notification - you can absolutely start certifying this upcoming Sunday. A few things that really saved me headaches: 1. The online system at labor.ny.gov works best if you clear your browser cache first. I had so many issues until someone told me this trick. 2. When you certify, they'll ask if you looked for work that week. During my claim period you had to say yes and list 3 job search activities, but I heard they might have changed the requirements recently. Just answer honestly based on what you actually did. 3. About the tax withholding - definitely think about this carefully! I opted to have taxes taken out (10% federal, 2.5% state) and was glad I did come tax season. But if you need every penny right now, you can always opt out and deal with taxes later. 4. The determination letter they mentioned should have your weekly benefit amount. Mine took about a week to arrive in the mail, but you don't need to wait for it to start certifying. You're basically at the finish line now! The approval email means all the review stuff is done and you just need to do your weekly check-ins to get paid. Congrats on getting through the worst part! 🙌

I've been dealing with this nightmare for over a month now! Tried everything - calling at different times, using multiple phone numbers, even had my mom try calling from her landline. The "higher than normal call volume" message is such a joke at this point. I'm seriously considering that paid service @Paige Cantoni mentioned because I'm losing my mind here. Has anyone tried showing up in person at a local office? I know they prefer phone calls but I'm desperate. Also wondering if there's a specific time of day that works better - like maybe right after lunch when some people might have given up for the day? This whole system is broken and we're the ones suffering for it. 😡

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Been trying for almost 2 weeks and it's incredibly frustrating. I've been following some of the advice here - trying to call right at 8am, staying on hold even when it says long wait times, and being persistent. Yesterday I tried calling 28 times throughout the day with no luck. I'm seriously considering that paid service @Paige Cantoni mentioned because at this point my time and sanity are worth way more than $20. Has anyone noticed if certain days of the week are better than others? I was thinking maybe mid-week might be less busy than Mondays when everyone's trying to call after the weekend. This whole situation is just unacceptable - we shouldn't have to jump through hoops like this to access services we're entitled to!

Just to add - if your employer owes you back wages when they filed bankruptcy, that's a separate issue from unemployment. You might be able to file a claim with the bankruptcy court for unpaid wages, but that doesn't affect your UI eligibility at all. Two completely different things.

I'm in a similar situation - my company just announced they're filing Chapter 7 (complete liquidation) next month and we're all getting laid off. Reading through these responses is really helpful! Quick question for those who've been through this - did you need any special documentation from the company about the bankruptcy filing itself, or was the standard layoff notice sufficient for NYS DOL? I want to make sure I have everything ready when I file my claim.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped when I had questions about my claim that I couldn't get answered through the regular channels.

Just wanted to add that when you do file your claim, make sure to have all the details about your pension ready - like the monthly amount, start date, and which employer it's from. The online application will ask about any income you're receiving, and being upfront about the pension from the start helps avoid any delays or complications later. I've seen people get their claims held up because they didn't report it initially and then had to explain it later. Good luck with your application!