same boat here - got laid off and trying to figure out if i qualify. thanks for asking this question!

Since you started in March, you'll likely need to wait until you have enough quarters and wages built up to qualify. The base period they look at is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you filed today, they'd typically look at Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. Since you just started in March 2025, you might not have enough earnings history yet. However, if you don't qualify under the regular base period, they'll automatically check the alternative base period which uses the most recent 4 completed quarters - this could potentially help you if you had previous employment. Keep detailed records of all your wages and work history just in case!

Yes, absolutely! The payment history shows everything broken down by week - the exact date each payment was issued, the gross amount, any deductions (like taxes withheld), and the net amount deposited. It's really comprehensive. Just make sure when you're in the payment history section to select the full year range for 2023 (January 1 - December 31) so you don't miss any payments. The system sometimes defaults to just showing a few months at a time. You can export it all as a PDF which makes it easy to send to your accountant. One other tip - if you had any waiting weeks or benefit reductions during 2023, those will show up in the records too with explanations, which can be helpful for tax purposes.

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago when I needed my 2023 unemployment records for my tax return. The key thing that helped me was logging into my.ny.gov and going to the Unemployment Services section, then looking for "Benefit Payment History" - it's usually listed under a "View Benefits" or "Payment Information" tab. Once you're there, you'll see a date selector where you can choose the year 2023. The system will generate a detailed report showing all your weekly payments with dates, amounts, and any tax withholdings. You can then download it as a PDF which is perfect for your accountant. If the page seems to hang or load slowly, try refreshing or coming back during off-peak hours - the NY system can be overwhelmed during tax season. The records should have everything your accountant needs including the total annual amount that matches your 1099-G.

good for you for trying to better yourself! the job market sucks right now so might as well use the time to learn something new

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago and here's what I learned: You absolutely need to contact your local One-Stop Career Center BEFORE enrolling in any classes. They can help determine if you qualify for programs like WIOA or TAA that will actually pay for your training. I ended up getting approved for a web development bootcamp that was 100% covered, and I was able to continue receiving UI benefits throughout the program. The key is getting the proper approval first - don't just enroll and hope for the best. Each local office has slightly different procedures, so definitely go in person if you can rather than trying to navigate this over the phone.

I'm having the exact same problem! Been trying to file my claim for the past 3 days and keep getting booted out around the same spot where it asks about job separation details. Reading through all these comments has been super helpful though - I had no idea the timing mattered so much or that Safari could be causing issues. I've been trying during my lunch break every day (probably the worst time based on what everyone's saying here). Going to try tonight around 11pm using Chrome with everything cleared like others suggested. It's honestly crazy that we need to become tech experts just to file for unemployment, but I'm grateful for this community sharing all these workarounds. Fingers crossed the late night approach works! Will report back if I'm successful.

This is such a relief to find this thread! I've been banging my head against the wall for the past two days trying to get my unemployment claim submitted. Same exact issue - gets about halfway through and then just dumps me back to the beginning with no explanation whatsoever. I've been trying during regular business hours on Safari, so based on everyone's advice here I'm clearly doing everything wrong! Going to wait until after 10pm tonight and switch to Chrome. Also going to write down all my employment info first so I can speed through it if I get a good session. The fact that this is such a widespread problem and there's no official guidance from NYSDOL about it is pretty infuriating. Thank goodness for communities like this where we can actually help each other figure out the workarounds. Will definitely update if the nighttime Chrome approach works for me!

Just got approved for benefits yesterday and I'm in the exact same situation! Already switched to direct deposit after reading all these comments - seems like the smart move. It's so reassuring to see everyone's consistent 7-10 business day timeline for the Way2Go card. I was stressing about whether I should call and request a replacement, but sounds like I just need to be patient. Really helpful to understand that old payments will be on the card but new ones go straight to my bank account. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - makes this whole process way less confusing! 🙏

Just went through this same thing a couple months ago! My Way2Go card took exactly 8 business days to arrive. You're super smart switching to direct deposit right away - I waited way too long to do that and regretted it. Just to add to what others have said, make sure you activate the card as soon as it arrives even though you switched to direct deposit, because any payments that were already processed before your switch will be sitting on there. The online portal is really helpful for tracking which payments went where. Also, if you don't get it by day 10, definitely call - but based on everyone's timeline here, you should be good! The waiting is the worst part but you're handling it right 👍