Just to add - if you're currently receiving benefits through NYS Department of Labor, you're getting regular unemployment insurance which is the main program. Don't worry about applying anywhere else. The only time you'd need to look into other programs is if you were self-employed or gig worker, but even then those special programs ended years ago.

Thanks everyone for clearing this up! I was getting so anxious thinking I was missing out on some separate federal benefits program. It's reassuring to know that the payments I'm already receiving from NYS Department of Labor are the right ones and I don't need to file anywhere else. The pandemic era programs really did create a lot of confusion about what's "federal" vs "state" unemployment.

I just went through this exact same process about a month ago after being laid off from my job in Rochester. Definitely go with the online application through my.ny.gov - it's so much easier than trying to get through on the phone. One thing I'd recommend is creating your NY.gov account first before you actually start the unemployment application, because that part can take a few extra minutes and you don't want to lose your progress. Also, if you worked for multiple employers in the past 18 months, write down all the details beforehand - company names, addresses, supervisor names, exact employment dates, and reason for leaving each job. I made the mistake of starting the application without having all this info ready and had to stop halfway through to look things up. The system will time out if you take too long on any one page. Overall it took me about 35 minutes once I had everything organized, and I received my debit card in the mail about 10 days later. Make sure you opt for direct deposit though - it's much faster than waiting for the debit card to arrive.

Just wanted to add my recent experience - I filed my unemployment claim online about 3 weeks ago after getting laid off from my job in Albany. The my.ny.gov system worked really well, but I'd strongly suggest having your last 6 pay stubs ready if you can find them. They asked me for more detailed wage information that wasn't on just my most recent stub. Also, don't panic if your claim shows "pending" for the first few days - that seems to be normal while they verify your employment history. One other tip: when you're filling out the weekly certifications, be really specific about your job search activities. I just wrote "applied online" the first week and they flagged it for more details. Now I write down exactly which companies I applied to and what positions. The whole process has been pretty smooth overall, and the customer service chat feature on the website is actually helpful if you get stuck on anything.

Just wanted to share what worked for me after dealing with this nightmare for 3 days straight! I was getting the same OKTA verification loop where it would just hang forever. Turns out the issue was my VPN - once I disconnected it completely and restarted my browser, the verification went through immediately. Also make sure you're not using any ad blockers or privacy extensions that might be interfering with the authentication process. Hope this helps someone! 🙏

Had this exact same issue last week! What finally worked for me was logging out completely, clearing my browser cookies specifically for the NY unemployment site (not just cache), and then waiting about 30 minutes before trying again. Something about their session timing seems to get messed up. Also try accessing the site during off-peak hours like early morning - seems like their servers get overloaded during busy times. Don't give up, the system is buggy but it does eventually work! 💪

This is definitely a system error - you should only have one waiting week per benefit year! I had something similar happen to me last year. The key is to keep calling until you get someone who actually knows what they're doing. Document everything like Josef said and don't let them tell you it's normal because it's not. The system has been extra glitchy since they updated it. Hope you get it sorted out quickly!

I work at a benefits advocacy nonprofit and can confirm this is 100% a system error. NY law is clear - only ONE waiting week per benefit year, period. What's happening is the system isn't properly recognizing your previous benefit year when you restart claiming after a break. Here's my advice: when you call (definitely use that claimyr service if you can afford it), ask to speak specifically to a "claims examiner" not just a regular agent. Tell them you need a "waiting week waiver review" for duplicate waiting weeks in the same benefit year. Use those exact words - it'll get you to the right department faster. Also, check if your benefit year actually expired between your claims. If you filed in Sept 2022 and are claiming again in summer 2023, you might technically be in a new benefit year which WOULD require a new waiting week. But based on your timeline it sounds like you're still in the same benefit year so this is definitely their mistake. Keep us updated on how it goes! This has been happening to way too many people lately 😤

This is SO frustrating but unfortunately super common with NY unemployment. I went through the exact same thing last year when I moved from Syracuse to NYC. The address change basically puts your account under review for fraud prevention, but they don't tell you that! What finally worked for me was calling first thing at 8am sharp and selecting the "technical issues" option instead of the general line - seemed to have shorter wait times. Also make sure you have ALL your documents ready: lease agreement, utility bill with new address, photo ID, etc. In the meantime, definitely reach out to your local assembly member's office like others mentioned. They have direct contacts at DOL and can often get things moving faster. Don't give up - your backpay should come through once they verify everything. Hang in there! 💪

OMG yes!! This EXACT same thing happened to me when I moved from Westchester to Brooklyn in December. Address change triggered some kind of fraud review and my payments just... stopped. It's been 6 weeks now and I'm literally surviving on credit cards at this point. The most frustrating part is that I've been filing my weekly certifications like clockwork and they all show as "processed" but zero dollars hit my account. Called 20+ times and either get disconnected after hours on hold or told "your case is under review" with no timeline. I'm seeing a lot of people mention claimyr.com in this thread - has anyone actually used it successfully for address change issues specifically? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point because my landlord is NOT having it with late rent payments 😭 Also going to try contacting my assembly member tomorrow based on the suggestions here. This system is absolutely broken and it's wild that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get benefits we're entitled to. Thanks for posting this @Kennedy Morrison - at least I know I'm not alone in this nightmare!