I went through this exact scenario in February. The key is to start a new claim rather than trying to reopen your old one. Your work from September to April definitely qualifies you for a new benefit year. What's frustrating is how impossible it is to get someone on the phone if you have questions. I tried for days before discovering Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an agent within 30 minutes. The agent confirmed that my new employment qualified me and helped make sure my application was processed correctly. Saved me tons of stress since I had a specific question about my variable income that wasn't covered in the FAQs.

One more thing to keep in mind: Your new weekly benefit amount will be based on your earnings during the base period used. Since your temp job may have paid differently than your previous job, your weekly benefit amount might be different from your previous claim. Also, when you file, the system will ask about all employment in the last 18 months, so have information about both your temp job and the job before that ready. Include accurate start and end dates and employer information for both.

One important thing to note: whether you file by phone or online, you still need to CERTIFY weekly by either method. A lot of people file their initial claim and think that's it, but you have to certify every week to actually get paid. You can certify by phone using their automated system at 1-888-581-5812 or through the website. Just wanted to mention this since it's a common issue for first-time filers.

Yes, they'll send you instructions after your claim is processed. In New York, you can certify starting Sunday for the previous week ending Saturday. You have until the following Saturday to certify, but I recommend doing it Sunday or Monday to get your payment as quickly as possible. You'll need to report any work/earnings for the week and confirm you were ready, willing and able to work. The process takes about 5 minutes once you get the hang of it.

It's claimyr.com - they basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available. Saved me from having to redial for days. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE. Much better than trying to get through on your own.

Final update: I finally got through to someone! The agent explained that because I had worked and earned enough since my last claim, I was eligible for a new claim even though my benefit year wasn't over. They had to manually override something in the system to let me file a new claim. My weekly benefit amount is higher now too because I was making more at my recent job. Thanks everyone for your help!

mine came thru just now! check your accounts

If you're still experiencing delays beyond today, it might be worth contacting them directly. This appears to be resolving for most people, but individual accounts can sometimes have unique issues that need attention. For future reference, payment delays often happen during the last week of the quarter due to system updates.

My situation is kind of different but related - I worked for two employers last year and when I filed for NY unemployment, they somehow calculated my benefits using BOTH jobs even though I only lost the full-time one. The part-time job wasn't enough hours to live on so I still qualified. I wonder if both employers had their rates affected? Anyway, just sharing because the system is more complicated than most people realize.

One important thing to note: while your employer doesn't pay 50% of your benefits directly, they DO receive notices about your claim and can contest it. If they believe you shouldn't qualify (if they claim you quit without good cause or were fired for misconduct), they can appeal your claim. That's why it's important to be truthful about your separation reason when you file. The employer can see THAT you filed, just not the exact weekly amount you receive.

One thing that helped me was filling out the callback request form on their website. They actually called me back within 2 days. This was back in February though, so not sure if they're still processing those requests efficiently now.

Update: Just got an email notification that my payment is being processed! Should hit my account by Monday. So relieved this nightmare is finally over. Thanks again everyone for the support and suggestions!

my cousin works for nysdol. says theres a HUGE backlog right now of reapplications. theyre like 3 weeks behind in processing. its not just you!!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at NYSDOL! Used that Claimyr service mentioned above and got connected in about 25 minutes after trying for over a week on my own with no luck. The agent told me my claim had a "verification hold" because I had worked for 3 different employers during my previous benefit year. They needed to manually review those wages even though I had reported everything correctly each week. The good news is she removed the hold right away, and my payments should process overnight! She also said I'll receive all the back payments for the weeks I certified. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.

Anyone else notice unemployment takes way longer to process in 2025 than it used to??? My brother got approved in like a week back in 2021. system gets worse every year smh

I just got my first payment today after being stuck in review for 6 weeks! Mine was also assigned to the Binghamton office. The thing that finally moved it along was sending a message through the secure messaging center specifically asking for a status update and mentioning I was having trouble paying bills. Got a call the next day and payment two days after that. Might be worth trying if you don't see movement in the next week.

UPDATE: Based on the advice here, I logged back into ID.me and discovered I hadn't completed the final authorization step to share my info with NYSDOL. After I did that, my account was approved within 48 hours! Thank you all for your help - especially the person who pointed out the missing step!

Oops! So sorry about that - I got confused between posts. Hoping you get yours resolved soon after completing that authorization step!

Did you try submitting a message through your online account? I know it's not as good as talking to someone, but sometimes they actually respond pretty quickly that way too.

For your specific situation with a claim pending for 3 weeks, I would recommend trying these three approaches simultaneously: 1. Call at precisely 8:00:00 AM using a landline if possible (more reliable connection) 2. Submit a detailed message through your online account specifying the 3-week delay 3. Contact your state assembly member's office - they have dedicated liaisons with NYSDOL who can often expedite claims that are stuck The third option is often overlooked but can be quite effective, especially for claims that have been pending beyond the standard processing window.