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The whole ny unemployment system is DESIGNED to be user-unfriendly. They make it so hard to reach humans that people just give up and don't collect benefits they're entitled to. It's infuriating but true.
I feel your pain! Made a similar mistake last year where I accidentally said I was available for part-time work only instead of full-time. Here's what finally worked for me: I called the main number (800-833-3000) at exactly 8:00am on a Tuesday and got through after about 90 minutes on hold. The key was calling RIGHT when they opened and being super persistent. Also, keep detailed notes of every call attempt - date, time, how long you waited, what happened. If you still can't get through after a week, contact your local state assembly member's office. They have staff specifically for helping with unemployment issues and can escalate your case. Don't panic about fraud accusations - they know their phone system causes these mistakes and as long as you're actively trying to fix it, you should be fine. Keep certifying your weekly benefits correctly while you work on fixing this!
Has anyone tried the phone app for ID.me? I couldn't get the website to work AT ALL but somehow the app walked me through everything much easier. Just a thought if ur stuck.
I went through this EXACT same situation last month - no email, payments stopped, and that confusing ID.me website that just shows shopping deals! Here's what finally worked for me: 1. Go directly to https://hosted-pages.id.me/nysdol-unemployment (NOT the regular ID.me site) 2. If you already created an account on the regular site, you can use the same login 3. You'll need your driver's license, social security card, and phone for selfie verification 4. The whole process took me about 30 minutes, but then I had to wait for a video chat with a "trusted referee" which added another hour 5. After completion, it took exactly 4 business days for my payments to resume with full backpay Pro tip: Do it during weekday mornings if possible - the video chat wait times are much shorter then. And make sure you're in good lighting with a solid internet connection or they'll make you start over (learned that the hard way). The system is absolutely terrible at communicating what you need to do, but once you get through the verification, everything goes back to normal. Hang in there!
After the mail carrier delivered my neighbor's KeyBank card to ME by mistake, I'm convinced half the missing cards are just delivered to the wrong address. Check with neighbors and your building's mail area if you're in an apartment.
I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - filed in early February, got approved, chose the debit card option and it's been 3.5 weeks with nothing. Called KeyBank twice and got the same useless "it's been mailed" response. What's really frustrating is that I can see my payments sitting there as "processed" on the unemployment website but I can't access any of it. At this point I'm starting to think these cards are getting lost in the mail or delivered to wrong addresses. Going to try calling unemployment directly tomorrow but from what I'm reading here, sounds like I might need to look into that claimyr service to actually get through to a human. This whole system is such a mess when people are already stressed about money.
I'm in almost the exact same boat! Filed around the same time, approved, card option, and now going on week 4 with nothing. It's so stressful seeing those payments just sitting there while bills are piling up. I've been reading through all these responses and it sounds like calling unemployment directly is the way to go, but everyone says it's impossible to get through. Might have to try that claimyr thing too if regular calling doesn't work. Keep me posted on what happens when you call tomorrow - I'm planning to do the same!
just agreeing with others here - retirement = no unemployment benefits, that's been the rule forever
Have you considered looking into COBRA health insurance continuation and maybe doing some part-time consulting work instead of full retirement? That way you could potentially bridge the gap until social security without needing unemployment benefits. Also, depending on your age, you might want to check if you qualify for any early retirement programs through your current employer that could provide some income continuity.
Miguel Alvarez
Just to add - make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even after getting this determination. Sometimes people think they don't need to continue with their regular claim process but you absolutely do!
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Yuki Sato
I've been through this exact situation and completely understand the confusion! "Not adversely affected" is definitely good news - it means whatever they reviewed about your claim didn't hurt your eligibility or benefits. I had the same panic when I first saw that language on my determination letter. Keep doing what you're doing with your weekly certifications and you should be all set. The Department of Labor really needs to use clearer language in these letters!
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Sara Unger
•Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It really helps to hear from someone who went through the same thing. You're absolutely right about the language being confusing - they should just say "your claim is still valid" or something clear like that instead of using legal jargon that makes us panic. I feel so much better knowing this is normal and that I just need to keep certifying weekly.
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