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After five months of waiting, I finally got my unemployment insurance from the state of New York. Let me tell you what I tried during these five months & what it took for this one out of work, not totally incompetent labor & employment lawyer to get unemployment $$$$
I applied at the very beginning of March, going thru an Inception-like maze of virtual windows swearing my honesty. Then no word for 3 weeks. A letter arrived asking for paystubs. At the height of the pandemic, I went to the post office. I also faxed them via a sketchy website
No word for another month. I emailed my reps in Albany. No response from the senator. Someone in the assemblywoman's office responded, from a personal email. I dug a bit & gambled on it being an actual staffer & sent some personal ID info. The staffer said they filed a complaint
Another two weeks of no response. I certify every week, no new status on the website. Finally another letter -- asking for my tax returns & W2s. I have to call an employer I had in DC & bother them for info, which they give me. I send it all in via fax & certified mail once more
No response for another month. I DM the NY Department of Labor on Twitter. I'm told I'll get a call back. No call back. I tweet at them. Two reporters see it & call me for comment. Two stories come out. No response still https://www.yahoo.com/news/unemployment-benefits-ending-americans-182609346.html
Meanwhile, I've called them hundreds of times & lines are always busy. I write down the options I have to press to make it faster, something like 10 different prompts. I call in the mornings & late in the day hoping for a slow period. No dice. Just the same waste of time.
I send messages via the online portal explaining my case. Someone replies & says my DC job needs to call them. An old boss tries but can't get through. Despite being told not to send docs thru the portal, I do it anyway since I haven't heard whether they got my letters or faxes
A week later, I take a chance & write to a Facebook group & ask how to get through the phone line. Someone says press "2222" after being asked for my pin. I try it, I'm put on hold for the first time. Two hours later, I'm talking to a very nice rep. Hallelujah 
She says all the docs I sent via mail & fax 4 months ago are in a room waiting to be scanned w/ millions of others' info, but my message w/ attachment got assigned to an "adjuster" to calculate my benefits. The docs I wasn't supposed to send online. I'm to hear in 10 biz days
Another week goes by * before I try calling again, I actually get a call from someone at DOL. They confirm my information & say my previous employer never responded to the DOL. She just removes that block on the computer & says in two days I'll get nearly 5 months of UI payments
The money arrives. I can't believe it. Thank goodness my wife has a good government unionized job that has kept us fed & housed & with great insurance, but the prospect of sending our kid back to daycare so I can freelance & job search w/o any extra income scares me.
What did I try in these five months & what worked?
1) Filing a claim & following instructions
2) Help from elected officials
3) Contacting DOL via phone, text, online
4) Talking to reporters
5) Hacking the phone tree & sending my personal info online at random
1) Filing a claim & following instructions
2) Help from elected officials
3) Contacting DOL via phone, text, online
4) Talking to reporters
5) Hacking the phone tree & sending my personal info online at random
The unemployment system is designed to deny people support. It treats us like criminals for it. It doesn't need to be like this. Was all that documentation needed in the front end while PPP loans were being given out? No. I experienced a 1/100 of the despair others, but it's real
The answer isn't that gov't doesn't work--it's been designed so that we'll hate it. We need to build a safety net, starting with immediate relief. Cancel rent, $2000/month, job protections, free medical care to get through the months & years of fallout. We deserve nothing less
