Had my RESEA meeting about 2 weeks ago and honestly it was way less intimidating than I built it up to be in my head! The counselor was really professional and actually helpful. Here's what made it go smoothly for me: - Had all my work search activities in a simple Excel sheet (date, company, position, how I applied) - Made sure my resume was saved as a PDF on my desktop - Prepared to talk through about 5-6 recent job applications in detail - Had a list of questions ready about local job resources The whole thing took about 55 minutes and she actually connected me with a free career workshop I didn't know existed. She also gave me some solid feedback on my resume formatting that I'm still using. Just be honest about your job search efforts and have your records organized - they really are there to help you succeed, not catch you doing something wrong. The spreadsheet approach sounds like you're already well prepared! Best of luck tomorrow - you're going to do great! 🙌

I just had my RESEA meeting last week and wanted to add to all the great advice here! Like everyone said, it really wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. My counselor was actually super helpful and spent time reviewing my job search strategy. One thing I didn't see mentioned yet - they might ask about your availability for work (full-time vs part-time, shift preferences, etc.) so be ready to discuss that. Also, if you've been unemployed for a while, they may ask about any volunteer work or freelance activities you've been doing to stay active. The coolest part was that my counselor actually knew about job openings at specific local companies that weren't posted publicly yet! She gave me contact info for a few hiring managers in my field. I never expected that level of personalized help. Your spreadsheet sounds perfect - that's exactly what they want to see. Just make sure you can speak confidently about your recent applications and what types of roles you're targeting. The fact that you're only 3 weeks in actually works in your favor - they tend to be more focused on helping newer claimants rather than auditing them. You're going to do amazing tomorrow! This community support is so valuable - we're all rooting for you! 🤞

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and it's been incredibly stressful! My employer is contesting my unemployment claim saying I quit when I was clearly laid off due to company downsizing. Reading all these experiences gives me so much hope though. I've been gathering documentation like crazy - saved emails about budget cuts, my termination letter that mentions "workforce reduction," and even got a statement from my coworker who was also laid off the same day. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're trying to pay bills, but it sounds like persistence and good documentation really pays off. For anyone else going through this nightmare - we're not alone and it seems like the adjudicators do eventually see through these bogus employer contests. Keep filing those weekly claims and stay strong everyone!

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation - the uncertainty while waiting for adjudication is incredibly difficult when you're depending on those benefits. From what I've seen in similar cases, the NYS DOL adjudication process typically takes 3-8 weeks depending on the complexity and their current caseload. During this time, they'll likely send you a questionnaire or call you for a phone interview to get your detailed account of what happened. Since you mentioned it was a clear layoff due to downsizing, make sure you gather any documentation that supports this - company emails about restructuring, layoff notices, or even coworkers who can confirm they were also affected. The burden is actually on your employer to prove misconduct occurred, not on you to prove your innocence. Most importantly, keep filing your weekly claims even though you're not getting paid yet - if you win the adjudication you'll receive backpay for all those weeks, but only if you continued filing. I know the financial pressure is overwhelming, but stay strong and document everything you can remember about the circumstances leading to your separation.

same boat here, filed 8 days ago and nothing yet, starting to worry something is wrong

The waiting period is definitely nerve-wracking! I went through this same anxiety a few months ago. In addition to checking the correspondence section and payment history that others mentioned, also look for any requests for additional documentation in your account - sometimes they need wage verification or separation details that can hold up the process. The good news is that 10 days is still within the normal timeframe. Most approvals I've seen (including mine) came through between days 12-18. Keep doing your weekly certifications if those are available - that shows you're actively engaging with the system even while waiting for the determination.

I'm currently stuck with this exact same problem! Been locked out for 4 days now because I accidentally put my mother's middle name instead of her maiden name when I first set up my security questions. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were so many different approaches to try. I'm definitely going to start with the password reset method that @Mei Wong, @Luca Romano, and others have had success with since that seems to have the highest success rate. The tip about choosing phone verification over email is really valuable. If that doesn't work, I'll try calling the Teleclaim number (888-581-5812) during the 2-3 PM window that @AstroExplorer suggested. It's amazing how one small typo can cause such a huge mess, but reading everyone's success stories gives me hope I'll be able to get back to filing my weekly claims soon. Will definitely take screenshots once I get it fixed! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with these frustrating government systems.

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been locked out for 6 days because I accidentally entered my mom's middle maiden name (she was married twice) instead of her original maiden name when I first applied. The stress of missing weekly claims is so real! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the password reset workaround that @Mei Wong discovered or the Teleclaim number strategy that @AstroExplorer shared. I'm definitely going to try the password reset method first thing tomorrow morning during off-peak hours like @DeShawn Washington suggested, and make sure to choose phone verification. If that doesn't work, I'll call that Teleclaim number (888-581-5812) between 2-3 PM. It's ridiculous that one small error can cause such chaos, but reading all these success stories gives me hope I'll actually be able to file my claims again soon. Will definitely take screenshots once I get back in and update everyone on what works! Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community is saving my sanity right now!

This thread has been an absolute lifesaver! I've been stuck in the same frustrating cycle for about 2 months now - calling that 888-209-8124 number and getting immediately hung up on every single time. My unemployment benefits were suddenly cut off in January with absolutely no explanation, and I was starting to feel completely helpless. Reading through everyone's experiences and all these different strategies has given me the first real hope I've had in weeks. I had no idea about the mobile app callback feature with the separate queue, or that there was a priority callback system for people who've been trying for 30+ days, or that contacting state representatives could actually expedite things. Based on all the incredible advice shared here, I'm planning to: 1. Download the NY DOL mobile app tonight and use that callback request feature 2. Send a detailed secure message through my NY.gov account mentioning my 8+ week timeline 3. Call my assemblyman's office tomorrow morning instead of just sending emails 4. Start keeping detailed documentation of all my contact attempts 5. Try that Appeals Division number (518-402-0205) since my issue might involve an overpayment question The explanation about the system upgrade running through April finally makes sense of why everything has gotten exponentially worse since the beginning of the year. It's still incredibly frustrating, but at least knowing there's an actual reason helps. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share what worked for them - Isaiah, Paolo, Max, and all the others who posted success updates. This community support is exactly what people need when dealing with an impossible bureaucratic system. I'll definitely come back and share my own update once I make progress to help keep this amazing resource current!

I just wanted to jump in here as someone who's been following this thread closely while dealing with my own NYSDOL nightmare. I've been trying to reach someone for about 7 weeks now after my benefits were mysteriously cut off in February, and that 888-209-8124 number is absolutely useless - just hangs up immediately every time. This thread has been the most valuable resource I've found anywhere! I had no idea about so many of these strategies, especially the mobile app callback feature with the separate queue that Max discovered. I'm definitely going to try that tonight along with the secure messaging system mentioning my 7+ week timeline. What really gives me hope is seeing all the actual success stories here - Isaiah getting through with the scheduled callback, Paolo finding the 30+ day priority system, Max's mobile app discovery, and so many others who eventually got their issues resolved. It proves that persistence really does pay off even when the system feels completely broken. I'm planning to try multiple approaches simultaneously: mobile app callback, secure messaging with timeline details, contacting my state rep's office, and that Appeals Division number StarSurfer mentioned since I might have an overpayment component. Thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences and strategies here. This community support makes such a difference when you're dealing with impossible bureaucracy. I'll definitely post an update once I make progress to help keep this amazing resource current for others!