wait so if extended benefits arent available you just get nothing?? that seems really unfair, people are still unemployed even if the state's unemployment rate goes down. this whole system is backwards

You might also want to check if you qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) or any other federal programs, though most of those have ended. Another option is to look into job training programs through the NYS Department of Labor - some of them provide stipends while you're learning new skills. The One-Stop Career Centers can help connect you with these resources. Also consider gig work or part-time employment to bridge the gap - you can sometimes still collect partial unemployment benefits if your earnings are low enough. It's tough but there are usually some options even when regular benefits run out.

Glad you got it resolved! For anyone else reading this thread in the future: there's a difference between resetting your NY.gov ID (which controls access to all NY state services) and resetting your PIN (which is specific to unemployment claims). Make sure you know which one you need help with before calling.

Great advice about keeping track of different government logins! I use a password manager now after getting locked out of multiple accounts last year. One tip I learned the hard way - if you're dealing with both federal (IRS) and state (unemployment) stuff at the same time, open them in different browsers or use incognito mode. It helps prevent the confusion that @NebulaNinja experienced. Also bookmark the specific login pages so you don't accidentally end up on the wrong site!

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from NYS Department of Labor about how wages affect your claim, I had good luck using Claimyr to actually talk to someone. They helped me get through to an agent when I had questions about my benefit calculation. Check out claimyr.com - there's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way easier than trying to call the regular number.

This whole system is so needlessly complicated!! Why can't they just have ONE wage limit instead of making employers deal with federal AND state limits? No wonder payroll departments are always screwing things up.

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through something similar last year. Had the $0.00 showing for about 6 weeks and was losing my mind. Turns out my previous employer never responded to the wage verification request - that's what was holding everything up. Once I called and they expedited the employer contact, everything got resolved within 2 weeks and I got all my backpay. Definitely keep certifying every week no matter what because you'll get paid retroactively once it's sorted out. Also try calling first thing Monday morning at 8am sharp - that's when I finally got through without waiting hours. Don't give up! 🙏

Ugh, I'm in the exact same boat as you @Ravi Patel - filed my claim back in November too and still getting that same "we're working on your application" runaround. It's beyond frustrating when you're trying to pay bills and they just leave you hanging with zero communication. I've tried calling probably 100+ times and either get busy signals or sit on hold for hours just to get disconnected. Reading through everyone's comments here is honestly making me feel less alone in this mess. Definitely going to try that Monday 8am calling strategy @Amina Sy mentioned and might cave and use that claimyr service too. At this point $20 seems like nothing compared to the stress of not knowing what's going on with my claim. Keep your head up - sounds like we're all in this together! 💪

Great to hear you got through and worked out a repayment plan! Just wanted to add one more tip for anyone else dealing with this - once your benefits restart, keep detailed records of every payment and deduction. NYSDOL's system sometimes has glitches where they'll apply the wrong deduction percentage or double-deduct in some cases. I had a friend who had a 25% repayment plan but they were taking 50% for three weeks before she noticed and called to correct it. They did fix it and refunded the difference, but it took another two weeks to get the adjustment. So just keep an eye on your deposit amounts to make sure they match what you agreed to! Also, you should receive a written confirmation of your repayment plan terms in the mail within 7-10 days. If you don't get it, call back and request it - you'll want that documentation just in case.

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through something very similar last month. My benefits were suspended for 6 weeks due to an overpayment issue that I had no idea about. The most frustrating part was that they never sent me any notice explaining what was happening - I only found out when I called after missing two payments. Here's what I learned: The overpayment hold is like a freeze on your entire account until you take action. Even if you're eligible for benefits during those weeks, they won't process ANY payments until the overpayment is addressed. In my case, I had to set up a repayment plan for 40% of my weekly benefit amount. The good news is that once I got the plan set up, they released all my backpay within 4 business days. They applied the 40% deduction to each week retroactively, so I still got 60% of what I was owed for those 6 weeks. It wasn't the full amount, but it was enough to catch up on bills. One tip that really helped me: When you call, ask them to email you a summary of your conversation and the repayment plan details. Having that in writing saved me when there was confusion about the terms later. Also, if the first agent seems unhelpful, politely ask to speak with a supervisor - I got much better service that way. Hang in there - it's a frustrating process but it does get resolved eventually!