I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to change my tax withholding settings last year. If you're having issues reaching them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made dealing with the phone system so much easier.

Just to add - if you didn't have taxes withheld and you're getting substantial unemployment benefits, you might want to make quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid owing a big chunk at tax time. I learned this the hard way when I was on unemployment for 6 months.

Wait so there's really no annual limit? That seems weird because I thought there was some kind of cap on total benefits you could collect in a year. Maybe I'm thinking of something else though.

Just wanted to add that when you reapply, make sure to report all your work and wages from your temporary job accurately. NYS DOL will verify this with employers anyway, so being upfront about everything helps avoid delays. Also, if you're eligible to reopen your existing claim from January, that's usually faster than filing a brand new application. You can check your benefit year end date by logging into your my.ny.gov account - it should show when your current benefit year expires.

Has anyone tried using the chat function on the website? I've had better luck with that than calling (tho it still sucks). maybe you can get an answer about EB that way

I'm in almost the exact same situation - exhausted my 26 weeks last month and have been wondering the same thing. Reading through all these responses, it's pretty clear that continuing to certify is the way to go. Even if there's only a small chance of EB being approved, the downside of not certifying seems way worse than taking 5 minutes each week to stay in the system. The job market really is brutal right now. I've been applying everywhere and getting nothing back. It's so frustrating when you're doing everything right but the opportunities just aren't there. At least if we keep certifying and documenting our job searches, we'll be ready if any extensions do get approved. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been super helpful in making the decision to keep going with the weekly certifications!

Just keep in mind you still have to do job searches even with partial unemployment. Some people think since they have a job they don't need to look for other work but NYS Department of Labor still requires it unless you're on standby status.

@Mia Green I was in almost the exact same situation last month! Restaurant hours got slashed due to slow business and I was panicking about rent. Filed for partial unemployment through my.ny.gov and it was honestly pretty straightforward. The weekly certification is key - just be super honest about every dollar you earn that week. NYS calculates it automatically and you'll usually get a partial payment that helps bridge the gap. Definitely worth applying since involuntary hour reduction totally qualifies you. Don't stress about "getting in trouble" - you're doing exactly what the system is designed for!

You can also try messaging them through the online portal but don't expect a quick response. I sent a message 3 weeks ago and still haven't heard back. The whole system is just overwhelmed and understaffed.

Make sure you're checking your claim status regularly online too. Sometimes they'll request documents or information and if you miss it, your claim gets delayed even more. The NYS Department of Labor website isn't the greatest but it's usually faster than trying to reach someone by phone.