Just to add - make sure your employer didn't classify you as an independent contractor instead of an employee. If they did, you might have issues with your unemployment claim since contractors typically aren't eligible for regular UI benefits.

Good point about the contractor vs employee classification! @Dmitry, you mentioned your paystubs showed NY state taxes being deducted, which is a good sign that you were properly classified as an employee. If you were a contractor, you typically wouldn't have had state taxes automatically withheld. You can double-check by looking at whether you received a W-2 or 1099 form for tax purposes - W-2 means employee status and you should be good to file for UI benefits.

This is SO frustrating and unfortunately way too common with NY unemployment right now. I had a similar issue a few months back where my claims would show as "submitted" but then just disappear into the void with no payment processing. What ended up working for me was a combination of things: I kept detailed records of every certification (screenshots, confirmation numbers, dates), sent messages through the online portal every few days with updates, and eventually got through by calling right at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday. The rep told me there was some kind of "processing error" that required manual intervention - basically my account got stuck in limbo and needed a human to push it through. The key things that helped: - Document EVERYTHING with screenshots - Keep certifying weekly no matter what (this is super important) - Try calling right when they open at 8 AM - Send messages through your online account portal - Don't give up - your money is there, it's just stuck in their broken system It took about 3 weeks total to resolve but I got all my back payments at once. Hang in there, you're definitely not alone in this nightmare! The system is beyond broken but your benefits are still there waiting for you.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Filed my claim two weeks ago and it shows as "certified" in the system but absolutely zero trace of it in payment history. It's like it just vanished. I've been calling nonstop but can't get through to anyone. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful - sounds like this is a widespread system glitch that requires talking to an actual person to fix. Going to try the early morning calling strategy and maybe look into that Claimyr service if I get desperate enough. It's so frustrating that they can't even send a simple notification when there's an issue with your claim! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, at least now I know I'm not going crazy and this isn't just happening to me.

congrats!! how long did the whole appeal take from start to finish? im in the middle of appealing my disqualification right now and its been 6 weeks already

This gives me hope! I'm waiting for my appeal hearing date still. Did you have to provide a lot of documentation or was it mostly just your testimony? I'm worried I don't have enough evidence to prove my case.

thanks for asking this question, I was wondering the same thing about exhaustee status but was too embarrassed to ask

Don't feel embarrassed at all @Alice Coleman! This exhaustee status is confusing and poorly explained by NYS DOL. I'm in a similar boat - hit my 26 weeks recently and had no idea what came next. From reading everyone's responses here, it sounds like the key is figuring out if you earned enough wages during your benefit year to qualify for a new claim. I worked some gig jobs while collecting so I'm hoping that might be enough. Going to try filing a new application online this week. Really wish the state would send out clearer notifications about your options when you hit exhaustee status instead of leaving people to figure it out themselves.

The system is SO confusing! I thought I was going to get way more than I actually got. They calculate it weird with all these quarters and base periods. Why can't they just use your last few paystubs like normal people would expect??

Just went through this process myself recently. One thing to keep in mind is that the weekly benefit amount also depends on whether you have any part-time earnings while collecting unemployment. If you work part-time while on unemployment, they deduct a portion of those earnings from your weekly benefit, but you can still earn up to a certain amount without losing your full benefit. Also, don't forget that unemployment benefits are taxable income - you can have taxes withheld or you'll owe when you file your tax return. The NYS Department of Labor website has a benefit calculator tool that can give you a rough estimate based on your earnings history if you want to get a better idea before you actually need to file.