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Restaurant workers always get confused about this because of how tips work. Just remember - if money went in your pocket for work you did that week, it counts as gross earnings. Cash tips, credit card tips, tip pools, everything. And yeah definitely include training pay for the week you actually did the training, not when you got the check.
ugh this is exactly why I hate doing my weekly claims. so much anxiety about getting it wrong and then having to deal with overpayment notices later. at least you got through adjudication - mine's been pending for 6 weeks now
Six weeks?? That's horrible. Mine took about 4 weeks and I was going crazy. Have you tried calling them?
@Sofia Price I ve'been dealing with NYS DOL for months now and phone calls rarely work - you ll'be on hold forever. Have you tried contacting your local legislator s'office? Sometimes they can help push things through when claims get stuck in adjudication limbo. Also document everything in case you need to appeal later. The waiting is brutal but don t'give up!
just file asap!!! the sooner you file the sooner you start getting paid. i waited like 2 weeks thinking i might find another job quick and that was stupid because you cant get benefits for those weeks you waited
Welcome to the unemployment world, Jackson! I went through this same thing last year when my restaurant closed down. One thing I wish someone had told me upfront - make sure you have ALL your employment info ready when you apply. They'll need your last employer's address, your supervisor's name, exact dates of employment, and reason for separation. Also, if you worked multiple jobs in the past 18 months, you'll need info for ALL of them since they calculate your benefit amount based on your total earnings during what they call your "base period." The NYS Department of Labor website has a benefit calculator you can use to estimate what you might receive before you even apply.
EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THIS NEEDS TO REPORT IT TO THE STATE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE!!! If enough of us report this predatory practice, they'll be forced to investigate. I filed a complaint last week and received confirmation they're looking into these "systematic errors" - which I think is just their excuse for trying to squeeze extra money out of desperate people. The more complaints they get, the more pressure there will be to fix it and potentially refund those bogus interest charges to people who paid them out of fear.
This is good advice. You can file a complaint with the Office of the New York State Comptroller online through their website. Choose the "Government Agency Complaint" option and specifically mention the automated collection system errors and interest charges applied to accounts with active payment plans. Include all relevant dates, confirmation numbers, and documentation.
This is absolutely infuriating! I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - got a payment plan set up in February and have been making every single payment on time, then BAM! Last week I get this threatening letter demanding full payment by a date that had already passed when I received it. The interest they're trying to charge is more than my original monthly payment amount! What really gets me is that when I originally called to set up the payment plan, the agent assured me this would resolve everything and there would be no additional fees as long as I kept up with payments. Now they're acting like the payment plan never existed and trying to collect interest that was never disclosed. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service and use the specific language about "Payment Plan Validation Review" - thank you to everyone who shared those tips! This whole situation feels like they're deliberately trying to confuse and intimidate people into paying money they may not even owe. How is this legal?
I'm so sorry you're going through this too! It's absolutely not legal for them to change the terms of a payment agreement without proper notice, especially adding interest that was never disclosed upfront. When you call, definitely document everything - get the agent's name, reference number, and ask them to send written confirmation of whatever they tell you. Also, if you have any emails or letters from when you originally set up the payment plan, gather those before calling. The fact that they're doing this to so many people makes it clear this is a systematic problem with their new system, not individual cases. Stay strong and don't let them bully you into paying extra fees that shouldn't exist!
Just keep filing those weekly claims like the other person said. That's the most important thing - don't skip any weeks or you'll lose those payments even when you do get approved.
I filed my claim about 3 weeks ago and just got my first payment yesterday, so hang in there! The waiting is definitely stressful especially when you're behind on bills. Make sure you're doing your weekly certifications religiously - that was the biggest thing that helped me get everything backdated once it was approved. Also check your online account daily for any messages or requests for additional info, because responding quickly to those can prevent delays. Since you mentioned it was a straightforward layoff, you should hopefully avoid the adjudication process that can really drag things out.
That's really encouraging to hear! Thanks for sharing your timeline. I've been doing my weekly certifications and checking my account daily like you suggested. It's just nerve-wracking when bills are due and you don't know when the money will actually come through. Glad to hear the backdating worked out for you once it was approved - that gives me some hope that I won't lose those weeks while waiting.
Freya Christensen
I went through this exact same thing 2 months ago! The NY unemployment portal is notorious for not sending confirmation emails after document uploads. Here's what I did that actually worked: 1. Log back into your account and look for a "Document History" or "Submitted Documents" section - sometimes the uploads show there even without email confirmation 2. If you can't find proof they received them, definitely mail physical copies via certified mail as backup 3. Try calling early morning (like 8:01 AM sharp) - that's when I had the best luck getting through 4. Keep detailed records of everything - dates you uploaded, what documents, screenshots if possible The whole system is a mess right now but don't panic. Most people's documents do eventually get processed, it just takes forever and they're terrible at communicating. The fact that you were able to upload through the official link from their email is a good sign. Hang in there! 💪
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StarStrider
•This is super helpful, thank you! I'm going to try looking for that Document History section right now. I didn't even know that existed. And yeah, I'm definitely going to send certified mail copies just to be safe. Better to be overly cautious than miss out on benefits because of their broken system.
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Connor Murphy
Just went through this nightmare last week! The NY unemployment portal is absolutely terrible at confirmations. Here's what saved me: I logged back in and found my uploaded docs under "My Account" > "Document Center" - they were there even though I never got an email. If you can't find them there, definitely send certified mail copies ASAP. I also recommend taking screenshots of your upload confirmation pages going forward (learned that the hard way). The system is completely broken but your docs are probably in there somewhere. Don't wait too long to follow up though - I've heard horror stories of people waiting months. You got this! 🤞
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