NY Unemployment asking me to recertify despite $0.00 benefit amount - still showing "application in progress" status since November 2022

It's actually a good sign. When I got that same message back in August they were just verifying my employment history. Two weeks after I got that message I was approved for benefits. Just be patient!

I was stuck in this exact situation for almost 3 months - constant recertification with $0 showing. Finally got tired of waiting and tried this service called claimyr.com that put me through to an actual human at unemployment. Best money I've spent to get my benefits flowing! They connected me to an agent who fixed my claim in 10 minutes. Here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

The system is beyond broken and this happens all the time. I had zeros for almost 6 weeks. Keep certifying anyway. Don't miss a week of certification even if your amounts are still at zero because they'll eventually backpay you once your case is fully processed. They're extremely backlogged right now.

This JUST happened to my cousin last month. It's because they need to verify your wages with your employer and that takes time. The $0 is just a placeholder. Keep recertifying every week so when they do approve you (which they probably will) you'll get all your back pay.

Unpopular opinion maybe but the NY unemployment system isn't THAT bad 🤷‍♂️ I had the same situation happen (benefit amount showing 0) but they were just processing. Got approved after 3 weeks and got all my backpay in one lump sum. Just hang tight.

Here's what's happening: When they send recertification emails, it's an automated system that doesn't know the status of your claim. The $0.00 means they haven't calculated your benefit amount yet, NOT that you're denied. A denial would say something else entirely. Keep certifying weekly and check your message inbox daily. If nothing changes in 2 weeks, you need to get on the phone with them.

If you're seeing 104 effective days remaining, that means your claim is active! The $0.00 is just temporary until they calculate your proper benefit amount based on your work history. This is totally normal.

Oh wow they actually emailed you? 😲 I got ghosted by ny unemployment for 6 weeks before I finally heard anything. That email is a good sign. At least they remember you exist lol.

Listen, I worked for NYSDOL (recently quit). Here's whats happening: your claim is in pending status waiting for wage verification. The $0 is just a placeholder until they finish processing. The recertification email is automatically sent to EVERYONE with an active claim, even if it's not fully processed yet. Keep certifying weekly and you should be fine. If it takes more than 3 weeks, then start calling.

I had this EXACT situation back in December! Yes, it's actually a good sign they're asking you to recertify. My account showed $0.00 for about 3 weeks while they processed my application. Then one day I logged in and it showed my actual benefit amount and all my back pay was processed the next day. Keep certifying each week!

I'm not trying to be negative, but I was in this same boat for 2+ months and it turned out my former employer was contesting my claim. The $0 stayed there the whole time until I finally got through to someone who explained what was happening. Had to do an appeal hearing. If yours doesn't change soon, you need to get a human on the phone somehow.

To answer your question directly: YES - them asking you to recertify means your claim is active in their system. If you were flat-out denied they wouldn't ask you to recertify. This is normal procedure while they're calculating your benefit amount. I had zeros for almost a month before mine updated with the correct amount.

Look at your correspondence inbox on the portal. If there's nothing saying you've been denied, you're still in process. The $0.00 is just their system's way of showing a pending claim. Keep certifying and be patient (which I know is super hard when you need the money). If it stays at $0 for more than 3 weeks, you need to try to reach someone.

i swear the NY unemployment system was built in 1995 and never updated 💀 those $0.00 placeholders confused me so much too. in my case i had them for about 4 weeks and then suddenly everything updated with the correct amounts and i got paid all the back weeks at once. just keep certifying!

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO FIXING YOUR $0 BENEFIT SITUATION: 1. First, understand that this is EXTREMELY common. The $0 is a placeholder while your claim is being processed. 2. Continue to certify weekly without fail. This builds your backlog for when approval comes through. 3. Check your online inbox daily for correspondence. Sometimes they need additional documents. 4. After 3 weeks with no change, you NEED to speak with a representative. This is the hard part. 5. For getting through on the phone: Call at 7:30am exactly when they open, try the last few minutes before closing, or use a service like claimyr.com (which I personally used after 6 weeks of frustration - they got me connected to an agent who fixed my claim in minutes). 6. Once you reach a human, ask them specifically what is holding up your claim. Common issues: wage verification, identity verification, former employer disputes. 7. If they say "just wait longer" ask for a specific timeframe and request they note your account that you called. 8. If you've waited over 6 weeks, mention that you're experiencing financial hardship and ask if your claim qualifies for expedited processing. Don't give up! The system is frustrating but persistence pays off eventually.

You're overthinking this. Almost everyone sees $0.00 at first. It's just how their system works. The fact they're asking you to recertify means your claim is in the system and being processed. Be patient and keep certifying.

Ugh, the dreaded $0.00 screen. Been there! Don't panic tho. My benefit amount was stuck at zero for almost 5 weeks, but I kept certifying every sunday like clockwork. Then suddenly one day everything updated at once and I got a huge backpay deposit. The system is slow but it works... eventually.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Applied in December and have been stuck with $0.00 amounts for weeks. Reading through all these comments is actually making me feel so much better - sounds like this is way more common than I thought. I've been stressing out thinking I did something wrong with my application. Going to keep certifying every week like everyone suggests and try to be patient (even though it's driving me crazy not knowing when this will get resolved). Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's nice to know I'm not alone in this unemployment limbo! 🤞

I'm in a similar situation right now - applied in December and still showing $0.00 for everything. This thread is honestly a lifesaver because I was starting to think I was the only one dealing with this nightmare! 😅 The fact that so many people are saying the $0.00 is just a placeholder while they process gives me hope. I've been religiously certifying every week even though it feels pointless when everything shows zero. One thing I'm curious about - for those who eventually got approved, did you get any kind of heads up or did your amounts just randomly update one day? I keep checking my account obsessively hoping something will change lol. Also seeing all the mentions of claimyr.com throughout this thread... might have to look into that if I don't see movement soon. The phone system is absolutely brutal - I've tried calling probably 50+ times and never gotten through to a human. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! It's weirdly comforting to know this is "normal" even though the whole situation is stressful AF.

I'm dealing with the EXACT same situation right now! Applied in late November and got that same recertification email this week with everything showing $0.00. I was panicking thinking I got denied but reading through all these comments is such a relief - sounds like this is totally normal while they're processing. The part that's driving me crazy is not knowing how long this will take. Some people are saying 3 weeks, others are saying months. I've been certifying every week religiously even though it feels pointless when everything shows zero. Has anyone had luck with the 7:30am phone strategy? I've tried calling probably 30+ times during regular hours and never gotten through. Might have to bite the bullet and try that claimyr service if this drags on much longer - the waiting is killing me! Thanks for posting this question @Sienna Gomez - I was starting to think I was the only one stuck in this unemployment purgatory! 😅

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Applied in early December and have been stuck with $0.00 showing for weeks. This thread is honestly such a relief because I was starting to panic thinking I did something wrong with my application. The recertification email actually gives me some hope now after reading everyone's experiences - sounds like it really is just an automated system that doesn't know your claim status. I've been dutifully certifying every week even though it feels pointless when everything shows zero. What's really encouraging is hearing from people who had the same situation and then suddenly everything updated with backpay all at once. I'm definitely going to keep certifying religiously and try to be more patient (easier said than done when you actually need the money!). For those mentioning claimyr.com - has anyone here actually used it recently? I'm getting desperate after trying to call probably 60+ times with no luck. The 7:30am strategy sounds worth trying too. Thanks for posting this @Sienna Gomez - it's weirdly comforting to know we're all in this unemployment limbo together! 🤞

I'm going through this EXACT situation right now too! Filed in December and have been stuck with $0.00 for everything while getting those weekly recertification reminders. I was honestly starting to panic thinking my claim got rejected or something was wrong with my application. Reading through all these comments is such a huge relief - I had no idea this was so common! The fact that so many people eventually got approved with full backpay after weeks of seeing zeros gives me hope. I've been certifying every single week even though it felt pointless when everything shows $0.00. The automated recertification emails while showing zero benefits is confusing as hell, but it sounds like that's just how their ancient system works. I'm definitely going to keep certifying religiously and try the 7:30am phone strategy if nothing changes in the next couple weeks. Thanks for posting this question - it's weirdly comforting to know we're all stuck in this unemployment limbo together! The system is clearly broken but at least we're not alone. Fingers crossed we all get some movement on our claims soon! 🤞

I'm dealing with this EXACT same situation right now! Applied back in December and have been stuck with $0.00 showing for weeks while getting those weekly recertification emails. I was honestly starting to think I messed something up with my application or got denied without knowing it. This thread is honestly a lifesaver - I had no idea so many people were going through the identical experience! Reading all these responses about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they process claims makes me feel so much better. I've been religiously certifying every week even though it felt completely pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is hearing from people who had months of $0.00 and then suddenly everything updated with full backpay all at once. I'm definitely going to keep certifying no matter what and maybe try that 7:30am phone strategy if nothing changes soon. The fact that they're still sending recertification emails sounds like a good sign based on what everyone's saying - means our claims are active in their system even if the amounts haven't calculated yet. This whole process is so stressful when you actually need the money, but at least now I know I'm not alone in this unemployment limbo! Thanks for posting this question - you've helped so many of us realize this is totally normal! 🤞

I'm in literally the EXACT same situation right now! Applied in December and have been seeing those $0.00 amounts for weeks while getting the weekly recertification emails. I was starting to panic thinking something went wrong with my application, but reading through all these comments is such a huge relief! It's crazy how many people are going through this identical experience - makes me realize it's definitely a system-wide processing thing rather than individual application issues. The fact that so many people eventually got approved with full backpay after weeks or even months of seeing zeros gives me a lot of hope. I've been certifying every single week even though it feels pointless when everything shows $0.00, but based on what everyone's saying here, that's exactly the right thing to do. The recertification emails being automated and not tied to actual claim status makes so much sense now. I'm definitely going to try that 7:30am calling strategy if nothing changes in the next couple weeks. The regular phone system is absolutely useless - I've probably called 40+ times during normal hours and never gotten through to an actual human. Thanks for posting this question @Sienna Gomez - you've helped SO many of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment purgatory! The waiting is brutal but at least now I know it's completely normal. Fingers crossed we all see some positive movement on our claims soon! 🤞

OMG I'm literally going through this EXACT same thing right now! Filed in late December and have been stuck with $0.00 for everything while getting those weekly recertification emails. I was honestly freaking out thinking I got denied or messed up my application somehow. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was so common! Reading everyone's experiences about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they process claims makes me feel way less stressed about the whole situation. I've been certifying every week religiously even though it felt totally pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is seeing so many people say they eventually got approved with full backpay after weeks of $0.00 amounts. The fact that the recertification emails are just automated and don't actually reflect your claim status makes so much sense now - no wonder it's so confusing! I'm definitely going to keep certifying no matter what and maybe try that 7:30am phone strategy everyone keeps mentioning. The regular phone lines are completely useless - I've probably called 50+ times and never gotten through to an actual person. Thanks for posting this question! You've helped so many of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment waiting game. The system is clearly broken but at least we're all suffering together 😅 Here's hoping we all see some positive updates soon! 🤞

I'm going through the EXACT same situation right now too! Filed my claim back in December and have been stuck with those dreaded $0.00 amounts for weeks while getting the weekly recertification emails. I was honestly starting to panic thinking my application got rejected or I did something wrong. This thread is honestly a godsend - I had no idea so many people were experiencing this identical issue! Reading through everyone's stories about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they process claims has given me so much relief. I've been dutifully certifying every single week even though it felt completely pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is hearing from multiple people who had weeks or even months of $0.00 and then BAM - everything suddenly updated with their correct benefit amounts and they got all their backpay in one lump sum. The recertification emails being automated regardless of actual claim status makes perfect sense now. I'm definitely going to keep certifying religiously and maybe try that 7:30am calling strategy if nothing changes soon. The regular phone system is absolutely brutal - I've probably called 60+ times during normal business hours and never once gotten through to a real human being. Thanks for posting this question @Sienna Gomez - you've literally helped dozens of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment limbo! The waiting is torturous when you actually need the money, but knowing this is totally normal makes it bearable. Fingers crossed we all see some positive movement soon! 🤞

I'm in the EXACT same boat right now! Filed in January and have been seeing $0.00 for weeks while getting those recertification emails. I was honestly convinced I did something wrong with my application until I found this thread. Reading through everyone's experiences is such a relief - it's wild how many of us are going through this identical situation! The fact that so many people eventually got approved with full backpay after months of seeing zeros gives me hope. I've been certifying every week even though it feels pointless when everything shows $0.00. What's really reassuring is learning that the recertification emails are just automated and don't actually reflect whether your claim will be approved or not. The NY unemployment system is clearly ancient and confusing, but knowing this is totally normal makes the waiting more bearable. I'm definitely going to try that 7:30am calling strategy everyone keeps mentioning. The regular phone lines are impossible - I've called probably 30+ times and never gotten through. Might also look into that claimyr service if this drags on much longer. Thanks for posting this question! You've helped so many of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment purgatory. The system is broken but at least we're all suffering together 😅 Keep certifying every week and fingers crossed we all see some movement soon! 🤞

I'm going through this EXACT same situation right now! Filed in December and have been stuck with $0.00 amounts for weeks while getting those recertification emails. I was honestly starting to think my claim got denied or I messed something up. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was so incredibly common! Reading everyone's experiences about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they process claims has made me feel so much better. I've been certifying every single week even though it felt completely pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is seeing so many people say they eventually got approved with full backpay after weeks or even months of $0.00 amounts. The automated recertification emails regardless of actual claim status makes total sense now - no wonder it's so confusing! I'm definitely going to keep certifying religiously and try that 7:30am calling strategy if nothing changes soon. The regular phone system is absolutely impossible - I've called probably 40+ times and never gotten through to a real person. Thanks for posting this question! You've helped so many of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment waiting game. The system is clearly broken but knowing this is "normal" makes it bearable. Fingers crossed we all see some positive updates soon! 🤞

I'm literally going through the EXACT same thing right now! Filed in January and have been seeing those $0.00 amounts while getting recertification emails. I was panicking thinking I got denied until I found this thread. Reading everyone's experiences is such a huge relief - it's crazy how common this situation is! The fact that so many people eventually got approved with full backpay after weeks of zeros gives me hope. I've been certifying every week even though it feels pointless. What's really helpful is learning that the recertification emails are just automated and don't reflect your actual claim status. The NY system is clearly ancient but knowing this is normal makes the waiting less stressful. I'm going to try that 7:30am calling strategy and keep certifying religiously. The regular phone lines are impossible - I've called 50+ times with no luck. Might look into claimyr if this drags on much longer. Thanks for posting this @Sienna Gomez - you've helped so many of us realize we're not alone in unemployment limbo! The system is broken but at least we're all suffering together 😅 Fingers crossed we all see movement soon! 🤞

I'm dealing with this EXACT same situation right now! Filed my claim in December and have been stuck with $0.00 for everything while getting those weekly recertification emails. I was honestly starting to panic thinking I messed up my application or got denied without being told. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea this was so incredibly common! Reading through everyone's experiences about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they process claims has given me so much relief. I've been certifying every single week even though it felt completely pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is hearing from so many people who had weeks or months of $0.00 and then suddenly everything updated with their correct benefit amounts and full backpay. The fact that recertification emails are automated regardless of actual claim status makes perfect sense now - no wonder it's so confusing! I'm definitely going to keep certifying religiously and try that 7:30am calling strategy if nothing changes in the next couple weeks. The regular phone system is absolutely brutal - I've probably called 70+ times during normal hours and never gotten through to a real human. Thanks for posting this question @Sienna Gomez - you've helped so many of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment limbo! The waiting is torture when you actually need the money, but knowing this is totally normal makes it bearable. Fingers crossed we all see some positive movement on our claims soon! 🤞