I went through this exact situation last year - my benefits ran out after 26 weeks and I was panicking. Here's what I learned: NY doesn't have any extensions right now, so once you hit 26 weeks, that's it unless you qualify for a new claim (which requires working again and earning 10x your weekly benefit rate). What saved me was applying for multiple assistance programs BEFORE my benefits ended. I got approved for SNAP, emergency rental assistance, and utility help through HEAP. Also look into the 599 Training Program that someone mentioned - it's legit and could extend benefits while she retrains. For the job search, tell her to cast a wider net. I ended up finding work through networking on LinkedIn rather than job boards. Marketing skills translate well to account management, customer success, and business development roles. The temp agencies suggestion is solid too - I got my current permanent job through a temp placement. Don't give up hope - the market is tough but there are options to bridge the gap!

Just wanted to add another resource that helped me when I was in a similar situation - the American Job Centers (One-Stop Career Centers) in NY offer free services that a lot of people don't know about. They have career counselors who can help with resume writing, interview prep, and they sometimes have job fairs with local employers. Some locations also offer short-term training programs that might help your cousin pivot into adjacent fields while she's job hunting. You can find locations on careeronestop.org. The staff there are usually pretty knowledgeable about local assistance programs too, so they might be able to point her toward resources others haven't mentioned yet.

I'm in almost the exact same situation! I lost my main job in January and have a small online tutoring business that brings in maybe $100-300 some months, but often nothing for weeks at a time. When I first filed my UI claim, I was so nervous about mentioning the business because I wasn't sure how NYS Department of Labor would handle it. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like the key is just being completely transparent and accurately reporting all income, even when it's $0. I've been doing my weekly claims for about 3 months now and haven't had any issues so far. The tutoring work is completely flexible and definitely doesn't interfere with my job search or availability for full-time work. It's such a relief to see so many people successfully managing similar situations by being upfront about their small businesses. This community is amazing for sharing real experiences that you just can't find in the official documentation. Thanks everyone for being so open about your situations - it really helps reduce the anxiety of navigating this system!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just started my UI claim last week after losing my job and I have a small craft business that I run on Etsy. Like everyone here, it makes very little - maybe $50-200 some months, often nothing at all. I was really worried about mentioning it when I filed because I thought they might automatically deny me, but reading all these experiences has convinced me that being honest was the right choice. It's incredible how similar all our situations are - small side businesses with minimal, inconsistent income that clearly don't interfere with our ability to work full-time. The anxiety about doing something wrong is so real, especially when it's hard to get clear guidance from NYS Department of Labor directly. But seeing so many successful stories here of people who've been transparent about their businesses and are collecting benefits without issues is really reassuring. I'm going to keep reporting everything accurately on my weekly claims and stay focused on my job search. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is providing the real-world guidance that's impossible to find anywhere else!

I'm also dealing with the same waiting anxiety! My payment showed "released" 2 days ago and I keep refreshing my bank app every few hours. Reading through all these experiences has been so helpful - sounds like 2-3 business days is pretty standard, and first payments often take longer. I'm with HSBC and this is my first unemployment payment ever, so I had no idea what timeline to expect. The tip about calling your bank to check for pending deposits is genius - never would have thought of that! It's such a relief to see so many people saying the money always comes through eventually, just takes patience with the banking system. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and experiences!

I've been collecting NY unemployment for about 7 months now and I'm with Webster Bank. My payments are really consistent - always exactly 2 business days after showing "released" on the DOL website. The first payment took 4 business days though, which had me pretty stressed at the time! One thing I learned that might help others - if you log into your bank account online, sometimes you can see the deposit listed under "pending transactions" or "recent activity" even before it shows up in your available balance. This saved me so much anxiety because I could see it was actually there, just not available yet. Also, Webster Bank's customer service can see pending ACH deposits on their end if you call and ask specifically about unemployment payments. For anyone still waiting, especially on their first payment, try not to stress too much! The state system is slow but reliable. Once it says "released" the money is definitely coming - it's just a matter of the banking processing time. Good luck everyone!

dont overthink it just file and be honest about everything. the worst that happens is they tell u to wait a week or two

I went through this same situation a few months ago. The important thing to remember is that vacation pay is allocated to specific time periods - usually the weeks immediately following your last day of work. So if you got laid off on a Friday and have 2 weeks of vacation pay coming, that pay typically covers the next two weeks. During those weeks, you might not be eligible for unemployment benefits (depending on the amount), but after that period ends, your regular benefits should kick in. Definitely file your initial claim right away though - there's usually a waiting period anyway, and you don't want to delay the process. Just be upfront about the vacation pay situation when you do your weekly certifications.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP PEOPLE DOWN! How are you supposed to get back on your feet if they take more than half your unemployment? And don't even get me started on how impossible it is to reach anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about this stuff.

I went through this same situation a couple years ago. The garnishment typically starts automatically once the child support office gets notified by NYS DOL that you're receiving benefits - you don't need to tell them yourself. In my case, they took about 58% of my weekly benefit amount since I had arrears. One thing that helped me was calling the child support enforcement office directly to set up a payment plan that worked better with my reduced income. They were actually more reasonable than I expected and we worked out a temporary modification while I was unemployed. Also keep all your documentation showing the garnishment amounts in case you need to dispute anything later.