Does NY unemployment benefit eligibility expire after 10 weeks of not certifying?

This happened to me last year - if you don't certify for more than 4 consecutive weeks, your claim becomes inactive, but your benefits don't necessarily disappear completely. You'll need to reactivate your claim through your NY.gov account. Go to your dashboard and there should be an option to reopen/reactivate your claim. The September 5th date might be your Benefit Year Ending (BYE) date - if you've passed that, you'd need to file a completely new claim. I was in a similar situation and was able to get it sorted by calling them directly. I tried for days using the regular number but couldn't get through, then found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - definitely worth it when you're trying to figure out if your benefits are still available.

they dont disapear but u have to call to reactive them. its a pain to get thru on the phone tho

When you don't certify for 10 consecutive weeks, your claim becomes inactive, but your benefits don't automatically disappear. However, if September 5th is your Benefit Year Ending (BYE) date, that's a different issue. Any unclaimed benefits within your benefit year are generally forfeited once you reach your BYE date. You need to: 1. Reactivate your claim immediately through your NY.gov account 2. Complete any additional questionnaires they might require explaining your unavailability 3. Start certifying weekly again If September 5th, 2025 is indeed your BYE date and you haven't claimed all your benefits by then, you would typically lose access to those remaining funds. Different rules might apply if you had special circumstances for not being available.

I had the EXACT same issue in March! Here's what I learned: Your claim becomes inactive after not certifying for several weeks, but the actual benefits don't disappear until your Benefit Year End date. What I had to do: 1. Log into my NY.gov account 2. Click "Reopen a claim" 3. Explain my reason for not certifying (in your case, family emergency) 4. Answer questions about my availability now 5. Resume weekly certifications THEN they required me to wait a week while they "processed" my reactivation. I also had to answer additional questions about why I wasn't available. The DOL wants proof you weren't working during that time. As long as you reactivate BEFORE your BYE date, you should be able to claim your remaining benefits.

According to NYSDOL regulations, benefits don't automatically "disappear" when you don't certify, but your claim becomes inactive after 4 consecutive weeks of not certifying. The September 5th date is likely your Benefit Year Ending (BYE) date, which is significant. If you don't claim your benefits before your BYE date, any remaining benefits in that benefit year are typically forfeited. However, there are exceptions for good cause, which a family emergency might qualify for. You should: 1. Immediately reactivate your claim through your online account 2. Document your family emergency and why it prevented you from working 3. Be prepared to provide this explanation to NYSDOL 4. Resume weekly certifications If you encounter any issues with the online system, calling NYSDOL directly is your best option. They can advise on your specific situation and whether you qualify for any exceptions to preserve your remaining benefits.

Im in the exact same boat!!! I was caring for my mom who had surgery and didnt certify for like 8 weeks. When I tried to certify again the system wouldnt let me! I had to call and explain my situation. They made me fill out some questionaire about why I wasnt available but eventually got my benefits flowing again. Dont worry to much I think u'll be fine as long as u call ASAP!!! Good luck!!!

The 9/5 date is probably your BYE (Benefit Year End) date. The system is confusing AF. Your benefits technically don't "disappear" when you don't certify, but your claim becomes inactive. HOWEVER - and this is important - if 9/5 is your BYE date, then yes, any unclaimed benefits will be gone after that date regardless of why you didn't claim them. The NYSDOL doesn't care about your family emergency unless it falls under very specific criteria like documented medical issues WITH paperwork. I learned this the hard way. You need to call them ASAP to reactivate your claim before 9/5. Don't try to do it online - the website will just tell you to call anyway. Maybe try early morning or late afternoon when call volume might be lower.

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I tried calling this morning but couldn't get through after 50+ attempts. I managed to start the reactivation process online, and it's asking me to explain my unavailability. I'm documenting everything about the family emergency and will try calling again tomorrow. Really appreciate all your suggestions!

I went through something similar earlier this year! The good news is your benefits don't just vanish when you stop certifying - your claim becomes inactive but can be reactivated. Since September 5th is your BYE date, you definitely need to act fast though. I had a gap of about 6 weeks due to a medical issue in my family, and here's what worked for me: 1. Start the reactivation online through NY.gov (sounds like you already did this - great!) 2. Be very detailed in explaining your family emergency - they want to know WHY you weren't available for work 3. Make sure to emphasize that you're now ready and actively seeking work 4. Keep calling - I know it's frustrating but persistence pays off The questionnaire they make you fill out is pretty straightforward, just be honest about your situation. Family emergencies can qualify as "good cause" for not being available, especially if you can show it was beyond your control. You're doing the right thing by starting the process now. Don't panic - lots of people have been in your exact situation and gotten their benefits restored. Just stay on top of it until it's resolved!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! I stopped certifying for about 8 weeks when my father was hospitalized and I had to travel out of state to help with his care. When I tried to get back into the system, it was completely locked out. What I learned from calling (took me 3 days of trying to get through): they DO have provisions for family emergencies, but you need to be specific about why it made you unavailable for work. In my case, I had to explain that I was the primary caregiver and had to be physically present in another state. The agent walked me through reactivating my claim over the phone and had me complete an additional questionnaire about my availability during that time period. They also asked me to confirm that I wasn't working or receiving any other income during the gap. One tip: when you do get through to someone, ask them to note in your file that you've already started the reactivation process online. This seemed to speed things up for me. Also, make sure you're ready to start certifying immediately once they reactivate - they expect you to resume weekly certifications right away. Your September 5th BYE date gives you a tight window, but if you can get this sorted in the next week or two, you should be able to claim your remaining benefits. Don't give up!

I just went through this exact situation last month! The key thing to understand is that your benefits don't disappear when you stop certifying - your claim just becomes inactive. However, since September 5th is your BYE date, you're absolutely right to be concerned about timing. Here's what saved me: I called the NYSDOL number at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday and got through after about 45 minutes of redialing. The agent was actually very understanding about my family emergency situation. They reactivated my claim over the phone and had me complete a questionnaire explaining why I wasn't available for work. The most important thing they told me: be very specific about how the family emergency prevented you from being available for work. Don't just say "family emergency" - explain that you had to provide care, travel out of state, couldn't maintain a job search schedule, etc. They need to understand why it made you genuinely unavailable for employment. Once reactivated, I was able to backdate some of my certifications (not all 10 weeks, but they did allow me to claim a few weeks retroactively). The whole process took about 2 weeks from start to finish. Since you've already started the online reactivation, you're on the right track. Keep trying to call though - having a conversation with an actual person really helps clarify your specific situation and timeline.