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.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation - filed my claim 5 weeks ago and it's been stuck in processing ever since. What's really frustrating is that I called the customer service line and after waiting 3 hours on hold, the agent told me my claim looks "fine" but couldn't explain why no payments have been issued. They just said to keep filing weekly and it would "work itself out eventually." That's not very reassuring when you're behind on bills! I also noticed that some of my former coworkers who filed around the same time are already receiving payments, so it seems like there's no consistency in how long these things take. Has anyone found any patterns in what causes some claims to process faster than others?

I'm in week 7 of waiting and finally got some answers by contacting my state senator's office. Their constituent services team was able to reach out directly to NYS DOL on my behalf and discovered my claim was flagged for "potential employer dispute" even though my former employer never actually disputed it - apparently it was just an automatic flag based on the reason I selected for leaving. The senator's office got it escalated to a supervisor who cleared the flag within 48 hours, and I received all my back pay the following week. I'd definitely recommend reaching out to your local representatives if you've been waiting more than 6 weeks - they have direct lines to DOL that we don't have access to as regular citizens.

just remember that the site does maintenance every night from like 12-7am and sometimes features disappear during that time even though the site seems to be working still

OMG YES this happened to me too!! I was going absolutely insane thinking I was doing something wrong. Turns out there are like 3 different NY unemployment portals and if you're logged into the wrong one, the "file a claim" button just... doesn't exist. Super helpful design 🙄 I finally got it working by going directly to https://unemployment.labor.ny.gov and starting completely fresh instead of through the general NY.gov site. Also try different browsers - Safari was completely broken for me but worked fine in Chrome. The whole system is a nightmare but you're definitely not going crazy!

Make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims even while it's pending. If there was a delay in processing, you'll still get paid for those weeks once it's approved. Also double-check that you answered all the questions correctly on your initial application - sometimes a wrong answer can trigger a review.

Five weeks is definitely on the longer side, but unfortunately not unheard of during busy periods. I went through something similar last winter - my claim took about 6 weeks to process because there was a discrepancy with my employer's wage reporting that required manual review. The good news is once it gets approved, you should receive all your back payments for the weeks you've been certifying. In the meantime, try reaching out to your local career center - sometimes they have direct contacts at the Department of Labor who can help expedite stuck claims. Also check if your county has any emergency rental assistance programs while you're waiting. Hang in there!

As a fellow union member (teamster), I can confirm everything others have said - you're definitely eligible for regular unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. I've collected several times over the years during slow periods. One tip: when you file, make sure to have your last few pay stubs handy because they'll need your wage information to calculate your benefit amount. Also, if you're on any union hiring lists or waiting for callbacks, you can mention that in your job search activities. The key is to file as soon as possible after your last day of work to avoid any delays in getting your benefits started.

I'm in a similar situation as a union sheet metal worker and just want to add that you should also check if your local union hall has any job placement services or leads while you're collecting unemployment. Many locals maintain job boards or have relationships with contractors who might be hiring. It doesn't affect your unemployment benefits at all, but it can help you get back to work faster. Also, make sure to keep records of any union meetings you attend or job referrals you get from the hall - these can count toward your work search requirements with NYS Department of Labor.