I'm having the exact same problem! Been trying to certify for partial benefits for the past week and keep getting that "break in claim" error. I work about 15-20 hours a week at a restaurant and this never happened before the system update. It's so frustrating because I really need those partial benefits to make ends meet. Has anyone found a reliable way to get through to an actual person on the phone? I've been trying for days but the hold times are impossible.

I'm experiencing this exact same issue! Been trying to certify my partial benefits for almost two weeks now and keep getting that "break in claim" error. I work about 16 hours a week at a local coffee shop and this never happened before their September update. It's really stressing me out because I depend on those partial benefits to cover rent. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like the only real solution is calling them to get it manually fixed, but the hold times are absolutely brutal. Has anyone had any luck getting through during specific times of day? I'm getting desperate here and might have to try that claimyr service people keep mentioning since I can't afford to miss another week of payments.

Just wanted to add that if you're unsure, document EVERYTHING. Keep a log of every job application, networking event, career fair, even informational interviews. I use a simple spreadsheet with dates, company names, and what type of contact it was. This way if there's ever a question about your work search activities, you have proof.

I'm dealing with this exact same confusion! I was laid off from a tech job in January and I've been second-guessing myself every week on which category to select. What's helped me is calling it a "general work search" situation since I'm looking for similar roles to what I had before. But honestly, the descriptions are so vague that I feel like I'm guessing half the time. The stress of potentially messing up my benefits over unclear wording is almost worse than being unemployed itself. Really wish they would just provide clearer examples for each category.

btw this is random but did anyone else notice they changed the certification website? took me forever to figure out the new system last weekend

I'm glad you were able to verify it was legitimate! This is such a common concern - I went through the same worry when I first started getting these texts. One tip I learned: you can also enable login notifications in your NY.gov account settings so you get alerts whenever someone (hopefully just you) accesses your account. It's an extra layer of security that gives me peace of mind, especially with all the scam attempts targeting unemployment recipients these days.

update us when u hear back!! i hope they fix it fast for u!

I went through something very similar in 2023! The same exact scenario - overpayment issue followed by a mysterious "job refusal" letter that made no sense. In my case, it turned out to be a data entry error where they accidentally linked someone else's job refusal to my claim number. What saved me was getting everything in writing. When I finally got through to an agent (took forever), I asked them to email me a summary of what they found and corrected in my file. That written confirmation became crucial when the same error popped up again a month later. Also, when you respond to the letter, be very specific about your job search activities during that time period. List the actual jobs you DID apply for around March 1st if any, to show you were actively seeking work, not refusing it. This helps demonstrate the letter is clearly wrong. Stay strong - these system errors are frustrating but they do get resolved eventually!

my friend used that claimyr thing the other person mentioned and said it worked. shes been telling everyone about it cause the regular phone line is impossible

Just checking back - were you able to get through to anyone? Did anything work for resolving your pending status?