I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to NY unemployment problems. Just wanted to say thank you to everyone sharing their experiences and strategies here - this thread is incredibly valuable for those of us stuck in this broken system. I've been dealing with my own unemployment nightmare for 2 months now (not quite as long as some of you, but long enough to understand the frustration). Reading through all these suggestions has given me a clear action plan: 1. Try the 8:01am calling strategy with a landline 2. Contact my state representative's office 3. File a complaint with the DOL Advocate Office 4. Keep detailed documentation of everything What really struck me is how many different approaches people have had to try before something worked. It's clear there's no single solution - you really do need to attack this from multiple angles simultaneously. To the original poster - 4 months is absolutely unacceptable, but don't lose hope. Based on what I'm reading here, your persistence WILL pay off eventually. The fact that you have months of documented call attempts is actually valuable evidence when you finally get through. Thanks again to everyone sharing their hard-won knowledge. Hoping we all get resolution soon!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare! Been locked out of ID.me since February and that 8124 line is absolutely impossible. Reading through everyone's strategies here is both encouraging and heartbreaking - it's crazy that we all have to become experts in gaming a broken system just to get our own benefits. I'm going to try combining several approaches this week: the 8:01am calling trick with my mom's old landline, contacting my assembly person's office, and filing that DOL Advocate complaint. The fact that so many people eventually got through gives me hope, even though 4+ months is completely unacceptable. One thing I wanted to add - I've been keeping screenshots of the busy message screen each time I call, in addition to phone logs. Figured visual documentation might help when I finally get through to prove I've been trying consistently. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and strategies. It helps to know we're not alone in this frustrating battle, even though none of us should have to go through it in the first place!

The system is so confusing with all these overlapping rules. I think as long as you're honest about everything and report all your income you should be fine. Just document everything in case they ask questions later.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago. The key thing is getting proper medical documentation from your doctor stating what type of work you can perform with your limitations. NYS DOL will want to see that you're genuinely able to work within certain restrictions, not just that you want to try working. I'd also recommend keeping detailed records of your job search efforts focused specifically on positions that match your physical capabilities - this helps prove you're "available for work" within your limitations. The process took about 3 weeks for them to review my case, but I was eventually approved for both benefits simultaneously.

I'm in a similar situation - been collecting for about 16 weeks now and getting anxious about the time limit. What I found helpful was logging into my NY.gov account and looking at the "Payment History" section. It actually shows you how many weeks you've claimed so far, which helps you do the math on how many you have left. Also, I started keeping a spreadsheet tracking my weekly claims just so I have a clear picture of where I stand. The job market is definitely tough right now, but at least knowing exactly where you are in the 26-week timeline helps with planning. Has anyone had luck with temp agencies or contract work to bridge the gap while still looking for permanent positions?

Yes, you can work part-time or do temp work while collecting unemployment in NY and still receive partial benefits! The key is reporting all your earnings when you file your weekly claim. NYS uses a formula where they subtract a portion of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. As long as you earn less than your weekly benefit rate plus $50, you'll still get some unemployment benefits. Just make sure to report every penny you earn - even one day of temp work - or you could face penalties. I did some freelance work during my claim period and it actually helped stretch my benefits longer since I was getting partial payments instead of using up full weeks. The important thing is to keep looking for permanent full-time work and document those job search activities too.

I'm in the exact same situation right now! My regular UI benefits just ran out two days ago showing zero effective days remaining, but my benefit year doesn't end until November. I was panicking thinking something was wrong with my claim, but this thread has been such a relief to find. Like everyone else, I had no clue that "zero effective days" just means you've exhausted your 26 weeks of regular benefits - the NYSDOL website makes it sound like some kind of error or problem with your account. I was seriously considering stopping my weekly certifications because it seemed pointless, but now I completely understand why continuing is so important for maintaining claim status. The success stories here from people who got extensions or qualified for training programs because they kept certifying are really encouraging. I'm definitely going to look into the 599 Training program since I've been wanting to learn web development anyway. One thing that's been bugging me - when I certified yesterday for the first time with zero days, the whole process felt exactly the same but obviously no payment was issued. Is this normal? I got the confirmation email like usual, but it's weird going through all the motions knowing there's nothing coming. I guess I just need to get used to it for the next several months until my benefit year ends. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is seriously a lifesaver when the official resources are so confusing!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just hit zero effective days remaining this week but my benefit year doesn't end until January. I was completely freaking out when I first saw that message - thought I'd somehow messed up my entire claim. The NYSDOL website is absolutely horrible at explaining what this actually means. This thread has been such a lifesaver! I had no idea that "zero effective days" just means you've used up your 26 weeks of regular UI benefits, not that there's some kind of error. I was literally about to stop certifying because it seemed completely pointless, but reading everyone's experiences here has made it crystal clear that continuing is crucial for maintaining claim status. The stories from people who actually got extensions or qualified for programs like the 599 Training because they kept certifying are really giving me hope. I've been considering taking some cybersecurity certification courses, so I'm definitely going to look into whether those might qualify for the training program. It's honestly frustrating that we have to rely on community forums like this to understand basic information that should be clearly explained on the official NYSDOL website. But I'm so grateful everyone here took the time to share their experiences - you've probably saved me from making a huge mistake by stopping my certifications. Going to keep certifying every single week no matter what, even though it feels weird knowing there's no payment coming. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories and advice!

also make sure you're filing your weekly claims even if your status shows active - thats how you actually get paid each week

Weekly claims can be filed starting Sunday for the previous week. So if you're eligible this week, you'd file your first weekly claim this coming Sunday. Make sure you have your job search activities documented since you'll need to report those when you file.