Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live NYDOL agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the NYDOL
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the NYDOL drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
I'm going through this exact same situation right now and it's been so stressful! I have like 8 different jobs over the past 18 months including some gig work and a few places where I only lasted a couple weeks. Reading all these responses is really helpful - sounds like I need to just be thorough and honest about everything. The base period calculation is confusing but it seems like the safest approach is to list all jobs from the past 2 years and let them figure out what applies to my specific case. My biggest worry is that I can't remember exact start/end dates for some of the shorter jobs, but good to know I can note them as approximate. Has anyone dealt with reporting gig work like Uber or DoorDash? Do those count as "employment" that needs to be reported or are they considered self-employment?
Hey Miguel! I'm dealing with a similar messy work history situation so I totally get the stress. From what I've been reading here and researching, gig work like Uber and DoorDash is usually considered self-employment, not traditional employment. You'd typically report that income on a separate part of the application or it might affect your eligibility differently than W-2 jobs. I'd definitely include it though since they can see all income sources anyway. For the dates issue, it sounds like everyone agrees that noting "approximate" dates is totally fine - they understand people don't keep perfect records of every short-term job. The key thing seems to be showing you made a good faith effort to be complete and honest rather than leaving stuff out. Hang in there!
I'm in a very similar boat - multiple jobs over the past couple years with some gaps and I was really worried about how to handle the work history section. After reading through all these responses, it seems like the consensus is to err on the side of being thorough rather than leaving things out. The base period explanation makes sense but I think I'll just report everything from the past 2 years to be safe. What's really reassuring is hearing that job-hopping and varied work histories are common now - I was so worried they'd see my resume and think I was unreliable. For anyone else stressing about this, it sounds like the most important thing is being honest about your most recent job separation (which in your case was a layoff, so that should be fine). Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this thread has been super helpful for someone navigating this confusing process for the first time!
I'm so glad I found this thread! I was literally panicking about the same exact situation - I've had probably 5-6 jobs in the last two years including some really short stints and a few gaps where I was between jobs. Reading everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. The whole base period calculation thing was totally confusing me, but it sounds like the safest approach is exactly what you said - just report everything from the past 2 years and let them sort out what's relevant. I was also really worried about looking like a job hopper, but hearing that it's common nowadays makes me feel so much better. My most recent separation was also due to layoffs, so hopefully that works in my favor. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for helping navigate such a stressful process!
Join the conversation
Currently dealing with this exact nightmare too! 😭 Filed my claim in October 2024 and been stuck at $0.00 ever since. Got the same "we are continuing to work on your application" message for months now and just received another request for discharge paperwork last week. This thread is honestly a godsend - I was starting to think I was completely alone in this bureaucratic hell! All the success stories and specific advice are giving me actual hope for the first time in months. Planning to try @Mila Walker's strategy tomorrow morning: - Call at 7:30am on the dot - Ask specifically for a "claims specialist" - Have them verify what docs are actually in my file vs what I think I uploaded - Re-upload everything with crystal clear file names and get confirmation numbers The part about documents vanishing into their system explains why I keep getting requests for stuff I swear I already submitted multiple times. So frustrating but at least now I know it's not just me! Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and timelines. Seeing people eventually get $6k-8k in back pay after months of this gives me the motivation to keep fighting through it. We shouldn't have to become unemployment system experts just to get benefits we're entitled to, but here we are! Thanks for creating this thread OP - this community support is literally the only thing keeping me sane right now! 🙏💪
@Cole Roush you re'definitely not alone in this! 😭 I m'actually new to this community but have been lurking and reading everyone s'experiences - it s'crazy how we re'all dealing with the exact same broken system. Filed my claim back in September and also stuck at that dreaded $0.00 with the same continuing "to work on your application message." The advice from @Mila Walker about calling for a claims specialist is brilliant - never would have thought to ask for someone specific instead of just taking whoever picks up. Also that tip about documents disappearing into their system makes so much sense! I ve probably'uploaded my termination letter like 4 times wondering why they keep saying they don t have'it. Definitely gonna try the early morning calling strategy too. This thread is giving me hope that there s actually'a way through this nightmare and that the back pay will eventually come. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories - makes me feel less crazy for dealing with this mess! 🙏
Just wanted to add my experience since I'm seeing so many people in the exact same boat! Been stuck at $0 since filing in November 2024 and honestly thought I was going insane until I found this thread. Reading through all the success stories here is giving me actual hope - especially @Mila Walker's detailed breakdown of how she got $8,200 in back pay after 6 months! That claims specialist tip is pure gold 🏆 I'm definitely gonna try the early morning calling strategy (7:30am sharp) and ask specifically for someone who can see my actual file. The part about documents disappearing into their system explains SO much - I've uploaded my layoff paperwork like 5 times and they keep acting like they never got it. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become experts in navigating this broken system just to get benefits we earned, but at least we're not suffering through it alone. This community is seriously saving my mental health right now! For anyone else reading - don't give up! The advice in this thread actually works based on all the success stories. Gonna keep everyone posted on my progress. We got this! 💪🙏
Join the conversation
performance issues vs misconduct is a big difference though. if someone's just not good at their job that's not their fault really, they should get unemployment. if they're stealing or showing up drunk that's different
As someone who went through this recently, I can confirm what others are saying - you don't pay unemployment benefits directly to the employee. The NYS Department of Labor handles all payments from the trust fund that employers like you contribute to through payroll taxes. For performance issues (not misconduct), the employee will likely qualify for benefits, but this doesn't mean extra costs upfront for you. Your future UI tax rate could be affected if you have multiple claims, but that's calculated annually based on your overall claims history. Document everything well for your records, but performance terminations rarely disqualify someone from receiving benefits in NY.
This is really helpful clarification! So just to make sure I understand - the NYS Department of Labor uses the trust fund that all employers pay into, and then my future tax rate might go up based on how many claims are filed against my company overall? Is there a threshold where it really starts to impact your rates significantly?
Join the conversation
I'm 67 and went through this exact situation about 6 months ago after being unexpectedly laid off from my engineering job of 28 years. The whole process was definitely intimidating at first, but it worked out better than I expected. A few things I learned that might help: NYS Department of Labor was actually pretty reasonable to work with once I got through to them (took many attempts!). They reduced my unemployment by about 70% due to my pension, but I still received benefits for the full 26 weeks while job searching. One tip that really helped me - when you're gathering pension documentation, ask your former employer's benefits department for a "pension offset letter" specifically for unemployment purposes. Many HR departments have a template for this since it's a common request. Also, don't overlook the value of networking with former colleagues and industry contacts - at our age, connections often matter more than online applications. I eventually found a great part-time consulting role that lets me ease into retirement while still contributing my expertise. The reduced unemployment benefits definitely helped bridge the gap financially during those first few months of searching. Hang in there!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and especially for the tip about asking for a "pension offset letter" specifically for unemployment purposes! That's brilliant - having a template that HR departments already know how to prepare could save so much time and confusion. Your point about networking being more valuable than online applications at our age really resonates with me. I'm 64 and while the online job market feels overwhelming, I do have good relationships with former colleagues and industry contacts that I should be leveraging more. It's really encouraging to hear that you found a part-time consulting role that works for your transition into retirement - that sounds like an ideal situation that combines financial stability with flexibility. The fact that you received benefits for the full 26 weeks even with the 70% reduction gives me hope that this can really work as a bridge during the job search process. I'm feeling much more confident about moving forward with both my pension and unemployment claim after reading everyone's experiences here!
I'm 62 and currently working but keeping a close eye on this discussion since my industry has been volatile lately. This thread has been absolutely incredible - so much real-world practical advice that you just can't find anywhere else! One thing I wanted to add for future reference: I've been pre-emptively organizing all my employment and benefits paperwork into a "layoff preparation" folder after reading everyone's experiences here. This includes getting copies of my pension plan documents, 401k statements, and even drafting a request letter for that "pension offset letter" that Emma mentioned. For anyone else who might be in a similar situation of anticipating potential changes, I'd highly recommend getting organized now while you still have easy access to HR and payroll systems. The peace of mind of knowing exactly what documentation you'd need and having it ready to go is invaluable. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - you've turned what seemed like a nightmare scenario into something that feels manageable with proper preparation!
GalacticGladiator
I had issues getting through to KeyBank when I needed help with my unemployment card too. Ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent who could help coordinate with KeyBank. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling around.
0 coins
Ethan Brown
•How much does that service cost? I'm already broke waiting for my unemployment money lol
0 coins
GalacticGladiator
•It's worth checking out - they focus on getting you connected quickly rather than keeping you on hold forever. The time saved is usually worth it when you're dealing with urgent card issues.
0 coins
Yuki Yamamoto
The whole KeyBank system is a nightmare tbh. Why can't NYS Department of Labor just do direct deposit like normal jobs? This debit card thing is so outdated and causes nothing but problems when you lose it or it gets damaged.
0 coins
Carmen Ruiz
•You can actually switch to direct deposit! Just log into your my.ny.gov account and change your payment method in the NYS Department of Labor section.
0 coins