NY unemployment benefits showing $0 but 26 weeks remaining - what's going on?

yea this happened to me too! the system is so messed up right now. mine showed $0 for almost 10 days then suddenly updated with the right amount. didnt get any notification either, it just fixed itself

Check if you got a message in your inbox about needing to verify identity. The same thing happened to my cousin last month and it was because they needed extra verification docs.

This is actually a common issue in the NY unemployment system in 2025. There are two likely explanations: 1. The system may still be processing your claim despite showing approval. This happens when there's a discrepancy between the automated approval and the final review process. 2. There could be a wage verification hold that wasn't clearly communicated to you. The system sometimes places a temporary $0 while verifying employment details with previous employers. In either case, you need to speak with an actual claims specialist to resolve this. The system won't correct itself in all cases, contrary to what some might experience.

UGH. The NY unemployment system is GARBAGE!!! I had the EXACT SAME PROBLEM in January and spent WEEKS trying to get it fixed!! This is how they operate - approve you then make it impossible to actually get money. Classic bureaucratic nonsense. They're HOPING you'll give up.

I work with unemployment cases frequently, and I can tell you this is almost always due to one of two things: either (1) a wage discrepancy between what you reported and what your employer reported, or (2) an identity verification flag in the system. In both cases, your claim looks approved because it technically is, but the payment is held at $0 until these issues are cleared. Unfortunately, this requires speaking with a claims specialist directly. Call first thing in the morning (7:55am) right before they open at 8:00am. The queue fills up quickly.

I've been dealing with NY unemployment since 2024 and honestly I've tried everything to reach them when I had issues. After countless failed attempts calling at different times, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in less than 30 minutes when I'd been trying for days! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - their website is claimyr.com. It was such a relief to actually talk to someone who fixed my $0 balance issue right on the call.

This happens alot ugh. One thing nobody mentioend - check if your claim shows "effective date" correctly. Mine said $0 but it was becus the effective date was wrong and it was trying to pay me for weeks I hadn't even claimed yet lol. The whole system is a mess. When you get someone on the phone (good luck with that) make sure they check the effective date of your claim.

i just remembered another thing - do you work multiple jobs? my friend had this happen because he had 2 jobs and one of the employers didnt respond to the wage verification thing

Update - Were you able to get through to someone? If you had multiple employers, that's very likely the issue. The system will show $0 until all employer wage verifications are complete. If one employer doesn't respond within the timeframe, you'll need to provide additional documentation such as W-2s or paystubs from that employer.

Glad you got it fixed! SAVE THAT AGENT'S DIRECT NUMBER if they gave you one!!! That's GOLD for future problems (and there WILL be future problems lol