Can't find option to file new NY unemployment claim - system issues?

same thing happened 2 me last week. the button is hidden now. click on 'my benefits' first then scroll ALL the way down. its at the very bottom now for sum reason

The NYSDOL is ALWAYS changing their website without telling anyone!! It's so frustrating! I spent THREE HOURS last month trying to find the same thing. Try clicking on "Services" in the top navigation menu THEN "Unemployment Services" THEN you should see a button for "Start New Claim" on the right side. They hide it on purpose to discourage people from filing!!!

There are a few different ways to start a new claim depending on your situation: 1. If you've claimed before: Log in > Services > Unemployment Services > Look for "File a New Claim" (not "Start New Claim" as mentioned above) 2. If you're a first-time filer: From the homepage, click "Unemployment Assistance" > "File a Claim" 3. If your previous claim expired: You may need to go to Account Settings > Profile Management > Claims History > and there should be an option to file a new claim at the bottom of your expired claim Also, some browsers have compatibility issues with the NY unemployment portal. Try using Chrome or Edge if you're using Safari or Firefox.

they also do maintenance on thursdays sometimes. maybe wait till tomorrow?

I had this EXACT issue in February! The website is so confusing now after they "upgraded" it in January 2025. I tried for days to find the option and eventually had to call. Of course, I couldn't get through to anyone on the phone for TWO WEEKS! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this service that gets you connected to unemployment phone agents usually within an hour instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent told me there was a glitch affecting accounts that had claims before the system upgrade. They had to manually add the "file new claim" button to my account. Might be worth checking out if the other suggestions don't work!

Just to add one more thing - if you've tried everything suggested and still don't see the option, check if there's a pop-up blocker or ad blocker active in your browser. The NY unemployment site uses pop-up windows for certain functions, including sometimes the "File New Claim" process. Also, there's a scheduled system update happening this weekend (June 18-19, 2025), so some functionalities might be temporarily unavailable or behaving differently until Monday.

Anyone else notice they keep making the unemployment website more confusing every year? I swear they do this on purpose. Back in 2023 everything was on one page, now it's like a treasure hunt just to file a claim lol. Hope you figure it out OP!

Hi there, I work as a career counselor and help people with unemployment issues frequently. There's currently a known issue with the NY unemployment portal for returning claimants who haven't filed since before the January 2025 system upgrade. The official workaround from NYSDOL is to: 1. Clear your browser cache and cookies completely 2. Close your browser entirely and reopen it 3. Log in to your NY.gov ID account 4. Go to "My NY.gov" dashboard (not directly to unemployment) 5. Select "Department of Labor" from the available services 6. Choose "Unemployment Insurance" 7. Then look for "Start a New Claim Application" If that doesn't work, there's unfortunately a backlog of accounts needing manual updates from the technical team. In that case, you would need to reach an agent by phone to request they enable the new claim option on your account.

UPDATE: I finally got it working! It was a combination of issues. I followed the steps from the career counselor, disabled my ad blocker, AND had to use Edge instead of Chrome (even though someone suggested Chrome would work better). The button appeared exactly where it should have been all along. For anyone else having this problem, try multiple browsers and definitely clear your cache/cookies. Thanks everyone for your help!

So glad you got it working! This whole thread is going to be super helpful for other people running into the same issue. I'm bookmarking this post because I know I'll probably need to reference it when my claim expires next year. The NY unemployment system really needs to get their act together - it shouldn't take this much troubleshooting just to file a basic claim!

As someone who just went through this exact same nightmare last month, I want to add a few more tips that helped me: 1. If you're using any VPN or proxy, turn it OFF. The NY unemployment system sometimes blocks connections that don't appear to be from New York. 2. Try accessing the site during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening). The system performs better when fewer people are using it. 3. If you have multiple NY.gov accounts (maybe you created a new one at some point), make sure you're using the same account that was linked to your 2023 claim. I wasted hours logged into the wrong account! 4. Double-check that your personal information (SSN, address, etc.) matches EXACTLY what's on file from your previous claim. Even small discrepancies can cause the system to not recognize you as a returning claimant. Really glad you got it sorted out Owen! This thread is definitely going to help a lot of people. The fact that we need a whole community troubleshooting session just to file an unemployment claim shows how broken the system is.

Just wanted to chime in as another person who got completely stuck on this! I'm filing for unemployment for the first time ever and was getting so frustrated trying to find where to even start. This whole thread has been a lifesaver - I was ready to assume I was doing something wrong or wasn't eligible. It's honestly shocking that a government system this important can be so user-unfriendly. I'm going to try all these suggestions tomorrow morning during off-peak hours. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their solutions and workarounds. Hopefully NY gets their act together and fixes these issues soon, but until then at least we have this community to help each other out!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - been trying to file for three days and getting nowhere. I had a claim back in 2022 and the website looks completely different now. Going to try the career counselor's step-by-step method first, then work through the browser/ad blocker suggestions. It's frustrating that something so essential requires this much detective work, but I'm grateful everyone shared their solutions. Will report back if I find any other workarounds!