One more thing to consider - check if your county has any COVID relief funds still available. Some NY counties received extended funding and haven't used it all up. You'd need to call your specific county social services department to ask. Also, if you paid into an optional 1099 disability insurance plan through a private insurer (not the state program), you should contact them immediately. Some private disability plans do cover illness including COVID.

For Albany County specifically, contact the Department of Social Services at (518) 447-7300. They've had some targeted emergency assistance programs for situations like yours. As for next steps, I'd recommend: 1. Call the NYS unemployment office for clarification (using the Claimyr service someone mentioned might help you get through faster) 2. Contact Albany DSS about emergency funds 3. Look into whether you can apply for SNAP benefits (food stamps) temporarily while you recover 4. Check if you qualify for an emergency rental assistance program if housing costs are a concern Don't give up - there are resources available, even if traditional unemployment isn't an option!

my brother had same problem last month and he went in person to the career center and they helped him!! not sure if theres one near u but maybe worth a shot??

UPDATE: Finally got through!!! Used the payment trace number that someone suggested here, called at 8:01am, and got a real person after only 12 minutes on hold. My issue was that there was an "identity verification flag" on my account that no one told me about. They needed me to upload my ID again (even though I did this when I first applied). The agent removed the hold and said my payments should resume within 3 business days. THANK YOU everyone for your help and suggestions!!

After reading through this thread, I want to clarify something important: When your benefit year ends, your claim ends - this is standard procedure and has been part of UI for decades. The notices being sent now are not unusual, though the timing (only one week notice) is problematic. What IS different now compared to previous years is that there are fewer extended benefit programs available. For those who've exhausted regular UI and haven't found work, this creates a significant hardship that wasn't as common in recent years when more safety nets were in place. For immediate help, 211 is a resource hotline that can connect you to local emergency assistance programs.

After you've addressed your immediate needs through the emergency programs others have suggested, I strongly recommend connecting with your local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) office. They offer job training, resume assistance, and sometimes can help with direct placement into positions that match your skills. Sometimes they have grants for people in your exact situation.

this happend to me back in january. my payment was late but only that 1 week. turned out they were doing fraud reviews on random accounts. never had to do anything and money came 4 days late

UPDATE: Her payment just came through about an hour ago! Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance. Seems like it was just the system delay after all.

UPDATE: I called using the Claimyr service that someone suggested, and got through to a real person at the unemployment office. They explained that my Return Transcript doesn't show refund info, and I need the Account Transcript. They also checked my account and confirmed I DO have a refund coming - $743! It should be deposited next week. Thanks everyone for your help!

for next year just know that the online transcripts from the ny unemployment website are way easier to read than the mailed ones. save yourself the headache