This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm dealing with a similar situation - my claim has been under "further investigation" for about 8 weeks now and I was starting to panic thinking I was doing something wrong. Reading everyone's strategies gives me so much hope. The fact that @Alice Pierce got a reference number and escalation just from using the right language and calling at the right time is huge! And @Melissa Lin's story about the automated fraud flag for having multiple W-2s is exactly the kind of bureaucratic nonsense that makes this whole system so maddening. I'm definitely going to try the 7:57am calling strategy tomorrow - it makes perfect sense that the reps would be less burned out early in the day. Also planning to download Form UF-5.2 and reach out to my state senator's office based on the success stories here. One quick question for those who have contacted their elected officials - did you call or email first? I want to make sure I approach this the right way to get the best response. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a helpful resource. It's awful that we all have to go through this, but at least we can help each other navigate the broken system!

I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am for this thread! I stumbled across it while desperately searching for solutions to my own unemployment nightmare. My claim has been stuck in "further investigation" for 6 weeks and I was starting to feel completely hopeless. Reading everyone's experiences and strategies has given me the first real hope I've had in months. The combination of practical tips (like the 7:57am calling trick and Form UF-5.2) with actual success stories shows that there really are ways to break through this bureaucratic wall. What strikes me most is how many of these delays seem to be caused by simple administrative issues that could be resolved quickly if anyone actually looked at the cases. @Melissa Lin's story about being flagged for "fraud" just for having two W-2s is infuriating but also shows how arbitrary these delays can be. I'm planning to implement a multi-pronged approach based on all the advice here: early morning calls asking specifically for claims examiners, submitting the UF-5.2 form, contacting both my assembly member and state senator, and being very specific about financial hardship language. Thank you all for turning what felt like an impossible situation into something with concrete action steps. I'll definitely update with my results and hopefully add another success story to help the next person who finds this thread!

I just went through this process last month and it was pretty straightforward! One thing I didn't see mentioned yet - make sure to save a copy of your bank's direct deposit form or at least write down your routing and account numbers before you start. The NY.gov system sometimes times out if you take too long to enter the info, and it's frustrating to have to start over. Also, I'd recommend making the change right after you certify for your weekly benefits rather than right before, just to avoid any potential timing issues. The system worked fine for me and the switch happened exactly when they said it would. Good luck with your new account!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I was in almost the exact same situation! I had my unemployment going to my ex's account after we broke up (awkward!) and needed to switch it to my new account. The online process through NY.gov worked perfectly - took about 10 minutes total once I had my routing and account numbers ready. One thing I'd add is to make sure you log out completely and log back in after making the change to double-check that it saved properly. I was paranoid about it not going through so I took screenshots of every step. The change took effect after exactly 2 payment cycles like they said it would. Also, don't forget to update your tax withholding preferences while you're in there if you have any set up - those settings are tied to your payment method and might reset when you change banks. Hope this helps!

This thread is pure gold! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. It's amazing how a simple "account not found" error can have so many different causes and solutions. The fact that NY doesn't clearly communicate their inactivity policy is really frustrating - like @Ella Russell mentioned, a simple warning email would save everyone so much stress. I love seeing how this community comes together to help each other navigate these bureaucratic nightmares. The step-by-step advice about calling tech support, having verification info ready, and the timing tips are all incredibly valuable. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world knowledge that makes all the difference when you're stuck and stressed about benefits!

I'm so relieved I found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - "no account found" error and I changed email providers about 8 months ago. I was literally about to create a new account until I read @Brian Downey's warning about duplicate SSNs causing delays. That would have been a disaster since I really need to get my claim filed this week. The inactivity deactivation explanation makes perfect sense - I haven't logged in since early 2023. Going to call that tech support number (800-833-3000) first thing tomorrow morning at 8 AM with all my verification info ready. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and saving me from making a huge mistake! This community is a lifesaver 🙏

Just checked my account again and it's back to normal! Shows my correct weeks remaining now. Try refreshing your accounts everyone!

This exact same thing happened to my sister last week! She panicked for hours thinking her benefits were cut off. Turns out it was just a display glitch on their end. The worst part is how hard it is to reach anyone by phone to get confirmation. I'm glad to see from the updates in this thread that it's getting resolved quickly this time. For anyone still worried - definitely take screenshots like others suggested, and try the incognito browser trick if your account is still showing the wrong info!

I'm experiencing the exact same issue today! Got that "You have been paid all benefits due you on this claim" message when I tried to certify this morning, and like everyone else here, I'm nowhere near exhausting my benefits - should have about 15 weeks remaining. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. The fact that so many people are reporting this identical message TODAY specifically really does suggest it's related to the system maintenance that @Leslie Parker mentioned rather than individual account issues. I'm particularly grateful for @Omar Farouk's professional insight about backend data mismatches and false positives from system updates. That explanation makes perfect sense and has really helped calm my anxiety about this situation. I'm going to follow everyone's advice and try certifying again tomorrow morning. If the issue persists beyond Wednesday, I'll definitely look into the Claimyr service that @Butch Sledgehammer recommended since calling NYSDOL directly seems nearly impossible based on everyone's experiences. Thanks to @Sara Unger for posting this and to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in dealing with this frustrating situation!

This is happening to me too! Just tried to certify about an hour ago and got the exact same message. I still have around 20 weeks left on my claim and haven't had any issues until today. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm feeling much more optimistic that this is just a system-wide glitch from the maintenance updates rather than individual account problems. The timing is way too suspicious with so many people getting this identical message on the same day. I'm going to take everyone's advice and try certifying again tomorrow morning. Really hoping @Omar Farouk is right about this being a false positive from backend system updates. If it's still not working by Wednesday, I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service since calling NYSDOL directly sounds like absolute torture based on what everyone's saying. Thanks @Sara Unger for posting this - you probably prevented a lot of us from having complete meltdowns! It's such a relief to know this is affecting multiple people today rather than just being some mysterious issue with my individual claim.