my sister had this happen and she just started doing doordash and instacart till she could find another regular job. not ideal but at least some money coming in

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I managed to get through to NYSDOL this morning (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - totally worth it). The agent confirmed I don't have enough wages in my base period for regular UI. She suggested applying for Safety Net Assistance through the NY Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance instead. Starting the application today and also applying for some quick gig work to bring in something while I job hunt. Will update if I run into more issues with the application!

Has anyone had any success with the mobile app? I heard they released a new NY unemployment app in February but haven't tried it myself.

UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone else struggling with this, here's what worked: I used the Chrome incognito mode suggestion at 6:30am, but the key thing was using my phone's cellular data instead of my home wifi. Somehow that combination let me complete the entire application without any errors. Now I'm just hoping it actually processes correctly. Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions! This community is amazing.

Thanks everyone for the advice! She's going to try calling tomorrow morning when they first open. I told her to be prepared for a long wait but to be persistent. I'll let you know how it goes if anyone's curious.

UPDATE: She couldn't get through this morning after trying for 2 hours. She's going to try the Claimyr service tomorrow. I'll update again when we know something!

my cousin said he got a tax break on unemployment last year but maybe he was talking about something else???

Thanks everyone for clearing this up! I'm definitely going to adjust my expectations for my tax return. I had about 4 months of unemployment last year and had the 10% withholding, but I'll set aside some extra money just in case that wasn't enough. Really appreciate all the information!

The 9/5 date is probably your BYE (Benefit Year End) date. The system is confusing AF. Your benefits technically don't "disappear" when you don't certify, but your claim becomes inactive. HOWEVER - and this is important - if 9/5 is your BYE date, then yes, any unclaimed benefits will be gone after that date regardless of why you didn't claim them. The NYSDOL doesn't care about your family emergency unless it falls under very specific criteria like documented medical issues WITH paperwork. I learned this the hard way. You need to call them ASAP to reactivate your claim before 9/5. Don't try to do it online - the website will just tell you to call anyway. Maybe try early morning or late afternoon when call volume might be lower.

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I tried calling this morning but couldn't get through after 50+ attempts. I managed to start the reactivation process online, and it's asking me to explain my unavailability. I'm documenting everything about the family emergency and will try calling again tomorrow. Really appreciate all your suggestions!

If your backpay doesn't arrive within the specified timeframe, don't panic immediately. The NYS Department of Labor has a standard resolution timeframe, but occasionally there can be short delays, especially at month-end or during periods of high claim volume. It's reasonable to follow up if it exceeds the 2-week timeframe by more than 3 business days. When the backpay is processed, you'll receive an email notification to check your account. This typically happens before the funds appear in your bank account.

Did they tell you which specific weeks were approved for backpay? I'm worried because my situation involves some weeks where I worked part-time and I'm not sure if they'll calculate it correctly. Should I call them again to make sure they have the right information about my work hours for those weeks? I'm so stressed about them potentially overpaying me and then asking for it back later.

After you get this resolved (which will happen!), make sure to request interest on your delayed payments. Under NY Labor Law Section 598.4, they're required to pay interest on benefits delayed more than 30 days due to administrative error. Most people don't know to ask for this, but you're entitled to it!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at NYSDOL this morning! Used the Claimyr service that was recommended and got a callback in about an hour. The agent confirmed it was exactly that "waiting week suspension flag" that was mentioned. She said my account got stuck in some kind of review loop. She processed a manual override while I was on the phone, and said I should see all my back payments within 2-3 business days! She also said they'd include interest since it was their error. Thank you all for the help and advice!!

Update: We finally got through to someone at NYSDOL! We used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above, and it actually worked - got a callback within about 45 minutes. The first agent couldn't help but transferred us to a Tier 2 specialist. They confirmed it was a system error during their quarterly data processing. Apparently, because my partner's benefit year was ending in less than 30 days, the system incorrectly flagged it for early closure. The specialist restored access to the claim and all the information is back in the system now. She said he'll be able to certify normally next week and will still get all 24 days he's entitled to. Thank you everyone for your help and advice - especially about not filing a new claim, which would have made things worse!

thx for updating! good to know about not filing new claim, i wouldve probably done that and messed everything up lol

make sure u follow up every week after u send the letter. call them and ask for status update. if u dont bug them they will just ignore it trust me

Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! I'm going to write the letter today and include all the documentation I have about the technical issues I experienced. Will definitely send it certified mail and follow up regularly. Will update when I hear back from them!

Good luck! Hope you get yours resolved soon too!

CONGRATS! At least SOMEONE is getting paid! Still waiting on mine... called again yesterday and now they're telling me it could be ANOTHER 30 days. This is complete BS!!!