


Ask the community...
The work search requirement is what trips up a lot of people. NYS Department of Labor expects you to prove you're genuinely looking for work, not just collecting benefits. Keep detailed logs of every application, interview, and job fair you attend. They can audit your work search activities at any time.
ugh the NYS Department of Labor system is such a pain to deal with. I've been trying to get through to someone for weeks about my claim status and can never get past the busy signal. it's like they don't want people to actually get benefits
I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents by phone - they handle all the waiting and calling back until they connect you with someone. Check out claimyr.com, they even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration trying to reach someone about my adjudication.
Just wanted to add that if you meet the basic requirements, you should apply as soon as possible! There's a waiting week where you won't get paid, but the sooner you file your initial claim with NYS Department of Labor, the sooner your benefit year starts. Don't wait thinking you need to find a job first - that's not how it works.
This whole system is so confusing!! Why can't they just have clear guidelines posted somewhere? I'm in a similar boat and every person I talk to gives me different information. Some say you can't collect both, others say it depends on your specific disability status. It's incredibly frustrating trying to navigate this bureaucratic maze.
Just want to add that timing is really important here. If your wife decides to attempt work, she should notify Social Security immediately and keep detailed records of everything. When filing for unemployment, she'll need to be completely honest about her disability status during the application process. NYS Department of Labor will likely flag the case for review anyway.
this whole system is RIGGED against workers! Of course employers fight claims because it costs them money. Meanwhile we're the ones who need to eat and pay rent but they make us jump through hoops with NYS Department of Labor just to save a few bucks on their taxes
Just went through this myself. Your employer can contest your claim within 10 days if they think you weren't eligible (like if they claim you quit instead of being laid off). But if you were legitimately laid off due to lack of work, you should be fine. Keep any documentation about your layoff just in case.
Henry Delgado
Good luck getting through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about this. I've been trying to get clarification on part-time work rules for weeks and can never get through. The phone system is impossible and their website doesn't give clear examples for different situations.
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Henry Delgado
•Never heard of that but anything is better than the regular phone system. Did they charge you a lot?
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Olivia Kay
•It was reasonable and saved me hours of calling. Plus I got to talk to someone who actually knew the current rules instead of getting different answers from different people.
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Joshua Hellan
just dont report small amounts like under $100 nobody checks that stuff anyway
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Malia Ponder
•This is terrible advice. The NYS Department of Labor absolutely checks this and you can face serious penalties for unreported income of any amount. Please don't risk your benefits by not reporting earnings.
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