honestly just file and see what happens. the worst they can say is no and youll know for sure instead of guessing

I went through this exact situation last year! With your $800/week income, you should definitely file. The process is actually pretty straightforward - you can do it all online through the NYS Department of Labor website. Just make sure you have your Social Security number, employment history for the past 18 months, and your most recent pay stub ready. One tip: file on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday if possible - those are typically less busy days and the system runs smoother. Also, even if your hours are just cut (not completely eliminated), you might still qualify for partial benefits if your reduced earnings are below your weekly benefit amount.

Just tried again after seeing these updates and it's working for me too! Was getting the same server connection errors all morning but just successfully logged in and certified. Thanks everyone for sharing the workarounds - definitely going to bookmark Eva's tips for next time this happens. The NY DOL really needs to invest in better infrastructure, these outages are way too frequent 😤

Ugh, I've been dealing with the same thing since yesterday! The site keeps timing out when I try to access my claim status. Really frustrating because I need to check if my payment went through. Has anyone noticed if the mobile app is working any better than the website? Sometimes that's been more reliable for me during these outages. Fingers crossed they get this sorted soon - missing certification deadlines because of their technical issues is such BS 😤

I just want to echo what others have said - this is 100% a scam. I'm a fraud investigator and we're seeing these fake DocuSign unemployment emails everywhere right now. The scammers are specifically targeting people who are already stressed about their benefits, knowing they're more likely to act quickly without thinking it through. Here's the key thing to remember: legitimate government agencies will NEVER ask you to re-verify information you already provided during your initial application. NY unemployment already has your SSN, address, employment history - everything they need. The best protection is to never click links in emails claiming to be from government agencies. Always go directly to the official website (labor.ny.gov for NY unemployment) and log into your account there. If there's a legitimate issue requiring your attention, it will show up in your secure message center. For anyone who might have already submitted information through one of these fake forms, act fast: freeze your credit with all three bureaus (it's free), change your passwords, monitor your accounts closely, and file reports with both the FTC and NYSDOL fraud department. The sooner you act, the better you can protect yourself from further damage. Stay safe everyone - these scammers are ruthless and they're not going away anytime soon.

I actually fell for one of these DocuSign scams about a month ago and it was a nightmare. The email looked completely legitimate - had all the right logos, formatting, even what appeared to be official case numbers. I was so stressed about my benefits being delayed that I didn't think twice before entering my SSN and other info. Within a week, someone tried to open credit cards in my name and I started getting calls from debt collectors about accounts I never opened. Had to spend hours on the phone with credit bureaus, banks, and filing police reports. The whole experience was absolutely terrifying. What really gets me is how they prey on people who are already in vulnerable financial situations. When you're unemployed and desperate for benefits, you're not thinking as clearly about potential scams - you just want to make sure nothing delays your payments. For anyone reading this: if you get ANY email asking for personal info (even if it looks official), just go directly to the labor.ny.gov website and log into your account. That's the only way to know for sure what's legitimate. I learned this lesson the hard way so hopefully others don't have to go through what I did. The fraud investigators I worked with told me these scams are becoming incredibly sophisticated and they're seeing hundreds of cases like mine every month. Stay vigilant out there!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what happened to me in a similar situation. My benefit year ended in May 2024 and I had about 50 days remaining. Like many others here, the system kept letting me certify for weeks after my benefit year ended. I made the mistake of continuing to certify for about a month thinking the system knew what it was doing. Big mistake! I eventually got an overpayment notice for $2,100 and had to set up a payment plan. The appeals process was a nightmare and took months. What I learned: The system has a known glitch where it doesn't immediately stop you from certifying when your benefit year ends. This is NOT the same as being eligible for an extension. Always file a new claim as soon as your benefit year ends, regardless of remaining balance. For Paolo and anyone else in this situation - stop certifying on the old claim immediately and file a new one. Document everything and keep records of when you filed the new claim. Don't make the same expensive mistake I did!

I'm in a very similar situation right now - my benefit year ended three weeks ago but I still had 45 days remaining on my claim. After reading everyone's experiences here, especially the overpayment stories from Connor and Aria, I'm definitely going to stop certifying immediately and file a new claim. This thread has been incredibly helpful! It's clear that the system glitch is a real issue that affects a lot of people, but the consequences of continuing to certify can be severe. Better to deal with a short processing delay than risk owing thousands back later. For those who successfully filed new claims after their benefit year ended - did you have any issues with the online application system, or did it go smoothly? I want to make sure I'm prepared for any potential technical difficulties when I file later today.

I'm in week 18 of my benefits and this thread has been absolutely eye-opening. Like so many others here, I had completely misunderstood how the system works and thought I could just reapply after 26 weeks. Finding out about the qualifying wages requirement now gives me 8 weeks to prepare, which feels like both a blessing and incredibly overwhelming. The amount of resources shared here is incredible - from SNAP and HEAP to library services, temp agencies, and community college job placement programs. I've been taking notes and creating my own action plan based on everyone's advice. It's frustrating that we have to become experts in navigating all these different assistance programs, but I'm grateful this community exists to share the knowledge. One thing I'm wondering about - has anyone had experience with workforce development programs through the state? I keep seeing mentions of training programs and I'm curious if any of them offer stipends or extended support during the training period. With 8 weeks left, I want to explore every possible option before my benefits end. The mental health impact of this whole situation is really getting to me. That weekly benefit has become such a psychological safety net, and knowing it's temporary but not having a job lined up yet is causing serious anxiety. But reading how supportive and resourceful this community is gives me hope that we can all find ways to navigate this transition. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences so openly. This thread has provided more practical help than months of trying to get information through official channels.

I'm in week 16 of my benefits and this thread has been an absolute lifesaver - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and resources. Reading through all the responses has been both educational and emotionally validating. Like so many others, I had no idea about the qualifying wages requirement and genuinely thought I could just file a new claim after exhausting my 26 weeks. Having 10 weeks left feels like both a lot of time and not nearly enough. I'm trying to balance continuing my job search with preparing for the possibility that I won't find work before my benefits end. This thread has given me a comprehensive roadmap of resources to explore, and I'm planning to start working through them systematically. I'm particularly interested in the workforce development programs and the 599 Training Program that have been mentioned. With enough time left, these seem like they could be viable options if I can get approved quickly enough. Has anyone successfully gotten into one of these programs, and if so, how long did the application and approval process take? The community college job placement services that @Zane Gray mentioned also sounds promising - I have a local SUNY campus nearby and I'm going to call them this week to see what they offer. This whole experience has really highlighted how inadequate our safety net is and how difficult it is to get clear information through official channels. But it's also shown me how powerful community support can be. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences - it's making a real difference for those of us still navigating this system.