How do I refile for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor after my benefit year ended?

Yes, you'll need to file a completely new initial claim through the NYS Department of Labor website. Your old claim is done - you can't just extend it. Go to labor.ny.gov and click on 'File a Claim' just like you did the first time. Make sure you have your employment history for the past 18 months ready because they'll ask for all your employers again.

i refiled last month and it was pretty straightforward. took about 20 minutes online. just treated it like filing for the first time again

File immediately - don't wait. The NYS Department of Labor processes new claims faster than reactivations anyway. You'll need your Social Security card, driver's license, and detailed work history. If you worked at all during your last benefit year, those wages might qualify you for a higher weekly benefit amount on the new claim. The system will automatically calculate whether to use your old base period or establish a new one based on whichever gives you more money.

ugh the whole system is so confusing!! why cant they just automatically refile for you if you're still unemployed?? seems like such a waste of time to make people jump through hoops again

I had the worst time trying to refile back in September. Kept getting error messages on the website and when I finally got through to someone at NYS Department of Labor after calling for literally 3 hours, they told me my Social Security number was flagged for some reason. Turns out there was a duplicate claim from 2019 that never got resolved properly. If you run into problems getting through to them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually connects you to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to get my refiling issue sorted out.

one thing to remember is you still need to keep doing your job search activities even during the refiling process. dont skip your weekly certifications either

Just went through this same situation about 3 weeks ago! The key thing is to file your new claim as soon as your benefit year ends - don't wait. I made the mistake of waiting a few days thinking I needed some kind of official notice, but you can file immediately. The whole process took me about 30 minutes online. One tip: have your bank account info ready because they'll ask if you want direct deposit set up again. Also, if you've been keeping track of your job search activities, make sure you have those records handy because they might ask about what you've been doing to look for work. The waiting period for the new claim was only about a week for me, much faster than my original claim last year.

I just went through the refiling process last month and wanted to add a few things that helped me. First, make sure you file your new claim during business hours if possible - I tried filing late at night and kept getting system timeouts. Second, when they ask about your reason for unemployment, be specific about your job search efforts since your benefit year ended. They want to see you've been actively looking. Also, don't panic if your new weekly benefit amount is different from your old claim - they recalculate everything based on your most recent base period wages. The whole thing felt overwhelming at first but it's really just like filing your very first claim all over again. Good luck!