Effective days on NY unemployment suddenly dropped to 0 - did my benefits run out?
I'm really confused about what's happening with my NY unemployment benefits. I had traditional UI, and I've been watching my effective days drop each week. It went from 8 to 4, and now today it's showing 0 effective days left. Does this mean my benefits completely ran out? I didn't get any notification or warning that this was about to happen. I still need these benefits and wasn't prepared for them to stop so suddenly. Is there anything I can do to extend them or am I just out of luck now? Has anyone else dealt with this?
21 comments
Ethan Clark
Yes, unfortunately when your effective days reach zero, your benefit year has ended. Traditional UI in New York typically lasts 26 weeks (104 effective days). Each week you claim counts as 4 effective days. When you hit zero, that means you've reached the maximum benefits for your claim period.
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Aisha Hussain
•Wow, that happened faster than I expected. Is there any way to extend benefits after they run out? I'm still looking for work but haven't found anything yet.
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StarStrider
same thing just happened 2 me. suks cuz i still dont have a job either. the system should really warn us before it just stops!!
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Yuki Sato
•I know right??? Mine ran out last month and I had NO idea it was coming. They could at least send an email or text when you're getting close to zero days!
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Carmen Ruiz
When your effective days reach zero, your regular UI benefits have been exhausted. Here are your options: 1. Extended Benefits (EB) might be available if New York's unemployment rate is high enough, but as of early 2025, NY isn't offering EB. 2. If you've worked during your benefit year and earned enough wages, you might qualify for a new claim after your current benefit year ends. 3. Check if you qualify for other assistance programs like SNAP benefits or emergency assistance through local organizations. The NYSDOL should have sent you a notification as you approached the end of your benefits, but sometimes these get missed. You should receive an official notice about your claim exhaustion soon.
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Aisha Hussain
•Thank you for explaining the options. I did work a part-time job for about 3 months during my benefit year - is that enough to qualify for a new claim? And how do I apply for that?
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Carmen Ruiz
Whether your part-time work qualifies you for a new claim depends on how much you earned. In NY, you need to have: 1. Worked in at least two calendar quarters in your base period 2. Earned at least $2,900 in one calendar quarter 3. Earned at least 1.5 times your high quarter wages in the entire base period To file a new claim, you'll need to go through the application process again on the NY.gov site or by phone. Keep in mind that if you qualify, your weekly benefit amount might be lower based on your part-time earnings.
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Aisha Hussain
•This is really helpful, thanks! I think I earned about $4,000 during those 3 months, but it was all in one quarter. I guess I'll have to apply and see what happens.
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Andre Lefebvre
i went thru this last year!! the WORST part is trying to get someone on the phone to explain your options. i spent TWO WEEKS calling every single day trying to reach someone. they never pick up!!!! its so frustrating when ur benefits just stop and u cant even talk to a real person about it!!!
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Yuki Sato
•I finally got through to someone after using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to an agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - it was worth it because I found out I actually qualified for a different program I didn't know about. Sometimes you really need to talk to an actual person to understand all your options.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
This happened to me too!! So frustrating. If you've been on unemployment for a while, you've probably used up your 26 weeks. I was able to get a new claim because I had worked a few months between claims. Just make sure you have all your employment info ready when you apply again.
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Aisha Hussain
•Did you apply online or by phone? And how long did it take to get approved for the new claim?
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Zoe Alexopoulos
I applied online on a Tuesday night and got approved by Friday! But I think I got lucky - my friend applied around the same time and it took her almost 2 weeks. Just make sure all your employment info is accurate and you upload any documents they ask for right away.
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Aisha Hussain
•That's not too bad. I'll try applying online first thing tomorrow. Thanks!
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Jamal Anderson
THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CUT YOU OFF WITH NO WARNING!!! They WANT you to miss the deadline to reapply so they can save money. I lost TWO WEEKS of benefits because I didn't know I had to immediately file a new claim. And good luck getting through to anyone on the phone to fix it - the system is BROKEN ON PURPOSE!!!
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StarStrider
•yeah its crazy how hard they make it!! like we dont have enough stress already without having to deal with this bs
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Ethan Clark
To clarify some misinformation: While it's true the notification system isn't perfect, there's no "deadline" to reapply that you can miss. When your benefit year ends, you simply need to file a new claim if you qualify. Any delay in benefits is because new claims take time to process, not because of a missed deadline. If you have worked enough during your benefit year to qualify for a new claim, you should apply as soon as your current benefits exhaust. The system doesn't automatically roll you into a new claim - you must initiate it yourself.
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Jamal Anderson
•Maybe there's no OFFICIAL deadline but when your benefits stop and you don't know WHY, those weeks are LOST forever! They should automatically tell you when you're about to run out AND explain exactly what to do next. It's confusing ON PURPOSE!
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Yuki Sato
I went through this exact situation last month! When I finally got through to someone, they explained that running out of effective days is normal and just means your initial claim period is over. If you've worked at all during your benefit year, definitely apply for a new claim. And seriously, use Claimyr to get through to someone by phone - it saved me days of frustration and the agent was able to tell me exactly what I qualified for with my work history.
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Aisha Hussain
•Thanks for sharing your experience. I'll definitely check out that service if I can't get through on my own. Did you have to start a completely new application or is there a way to extend the existing one?
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Yuki Sato
You have to file a completely new application. It's basically starting from scratch, but they'll have your previous info in the system which makes some parts easier. Just make sure you have all your employment info ready for any work you did during your benefit year. Good luck!
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