basically if you quit or got fired for being bad at your job youre probably screwed. layoffs and company closures are usually fine though

Another thing to watch out for is if you're getting any severance pay or vacation payout - that can delay when your benefits start. NY has a waiting period if you receive certain types of separation pay. Also, if you do any freelance or part-time work while collecting, you have to report it or they can deny future claims for fraud. Since you mentioned downsizing, make sure you have documentation of that (layoff notice, WARN Act notice if applicable) in case they question the separation reason.

Hot take: the KeyBank card is actually better than direct deposit if you have a bank that hits you with fees. No monthly fees, and you can transfer the money out to your regular bank for free once it hits. The initial wait sucks but after that it's smooth sailing.

Hey Emily! I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago. From my experience, once you cancel direct deposit and switch to KeyBank, your first payment usually takes 5-7 business days to hit the KeyBank account. Since you certified yesterday, I'd expect to see it by early next week at the latest. The physical card is a separate issue - that typically takes 7-14 days to arrive in the mail, but here's the key thing: you DON'T have to wait for the card to access your money! Call KeyBank at 1-866-295-2955 with your SSN and they can help you set up online banking to transfer funds out before the card arrives. This saved me when I was in a similar bind with bills due. Also keep certifying weekly even while waiting - don't let this mess up your ongoing claims!

Just keep applying for jobs and maybe consider expanding your search area or looking at different types of work temporarily. Sometimes you gotta take what you can get even if it's not ideal.

I'm in a similar situation - about 20 weeks into my claim and getting nervous about what comes next. From what I've researched, New York's Extended Benefits program is tied to the state's unemployment rate, so it's not always available. You can check the current status on the NYS DOL website under "Extended Benefits" or call their customer service line (though as others mentioned, getting through can be tough). Also worth noting that if EB isn't available, there might be other programs like PEUC (Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation) depending on federal legislation, but those come and go. I'd recommend starting to look into this now rather than waiting until week 25 - gives you more time to figure out your options and potentially appeal if there are any issues with your claim.

I called NYSDOL this morning and they confirmed they're experiencing "intermittent system performance issues" affecting some accounts but not others. The representative said they're working on it but didn't have an ETA for a fix. She recommended trying during non-peak hours (before 8am or after 7:30pm) and said if you're still having issues by this weekend, you should call the claims center directly for help with manual certification.

This is such a frustrating situation! I've been dealing with similar issues for the past few days. What really helped me was using a VPN to connect through a different server location - apparently sometimes the system works better from certain IP ranges. I switched to a server in Albany and was able to certify on the second try. Also, if you're using auto-fill in your browser, try typing everything manually instead. The system seems really sensitive to any formatting differences. Hang in there everyone - hopefully they get this sorted out soon!

This is exactly why the unemployment system is broken! Employers paying higher taxes just means they hire fewer people or pay us less. It's all connected and we're the ones who suffer in the end. I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and the whole thing is just bureaucratic nonsense designed to discourage people from claiming what they earned.

Just to add some specific numbers - in NY for 2024, employers pay SUI tax on the first $12,300 of each employee's wages. The tax rate ranges from 0.6% to 9.9% depending on the employer's experience rating. New employers typically start at around 4.1%. So for most employers it's a predictable business expense, not something that fluctuates wildly unless they have unusually high turnover or layoffs.