Make sure you're keeping detailed records of all your job search activities. Even if regular benefits end, having good documentation might help if any new programs become available. Also, some people don't realize they might qualify for other assistance programs through the state.

I'm in a similar situation and just found out that you can check your exact benefit year end date by logging into your NY.gov account and looking under "Payment History" - it shows when your claim was established and the benefit year end date. Mine runs out next month too and I'm stressed about it. From what I've read, there aren't any federal extensions right now like there were during COVID, so we're pretty much on our own after 26 weeks unless the unemployment rate spikes dramatically.

anybody else notice the system always seems to "crash" on sunday mornings when everyone tryna certify? 🙄

Hey Javier! I went through the exact same thing last year - missed a week and panicked thinking I lost that money forever. Don't worry, you CAN get it back but you absolutely need to speak to someone on the phone. Here's what worked for me: Call right at 8am when they open - that's when you have the best shot at getting through. If that doesn't work, try calling around 3-4pm when it's less busy. I know it's frustrating but keep at it! When you do get through, just be honest about forgetting to certify. They deal with this all the time and can backdate it. Make sure you have your claim number ready and remember what you were doing for work search that week. The waiting sucks but that payment is still yours - they just need to manually process it. You got this! 💪

The NYS Department of Labor system is so unnecessarily complicated with this stuff. You'd think taking a job would be straightforward but no, they have to make it confusing with all these formulas and requirements. At least you found out before starting work instead of after - I've seen people get overpayment notices because they didn't report earnings correctly.

Congrats on getting the job offer! Just want to add that you should also keep track of your hours worked each week, not just earnings. NYS Department of Labor considers you "partially unemployed" if you work less than 4 days in a week OR earn less than your weekly benefit amount. The key is being completely honest on your weekly certification - report every penny you earn and every hour you work. Also, make sure your part-time employer knows you're collecting benefits so they can provide any documentation you might need if questions come up later.

I went through this same situation a few months ago and it's definitely stressful when you see "exhausted" with no warning. One thing that helped me was logging into the NY.gov portal and checking under "Payment History" - it shows exactly how much of your benefit amount you've used up versus what was originally approved. Also, if you do get a determination letter in the mail, read it carefully because it will tell you the specific reason (monetary exhaustion vs benefit year end) and what options you might have. In my case, I had to wait and work for a few months before I could file a new claim, but at least I knew where I stood.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and it's so stressful! Mine just switched to "exhausted" status yesterday and I had no idea what it meant. Reading through all these responses is really helpful - it sounds like I need to check my payment history to see if I hit my monetary limit or if it's something else. Has anyone here had luck getting extensions when regular benefits run out? I'm worried about what I'm going to do if there aren't any other options available.

Since you've been waiting so long, make sure you're documenting everything. Keep a log of all your call attempts (dates/times), take screenshots of your pending claim status, and save any communications. If there's eventually a favorable resolution, you should be entitled to all backdated payments, but having documentation helps if there's any dispute about how long you've been trying to resolve this. Also, when you do finally reach someone, get their employee ID or first name and last initial for your records.

Just checking back - any progress with your claim? Did you try any of the suggested methods to reach a representative?