NY unemployment claim exhausted - file new claim or not? Confused about next steps

It depends on when your benefit year ends, not just when your benefits are exhausted. Check your payment history page - there should be a date showing when your benefit year officially ends. If that date hasn't passed yet, you might be eligible for extended benefits if you meet certain criteria. But if your benefit year has ended, then yes, you need to file a new claim. Filing a new claim won't mess up your old one since the system recognizes it as a new benefit year.

ppl always overthink this stuff... just file the new claim. system wont let u double dip anyway so no harm trying

I went through this exact situation in January. When your benefits exhaust but your benefit year hasn't ended yet, you're in a weird limbo period. Here's what worked for me: 1. Wait until your benefit year officially ends (those 3 weeks in your case) 2. File a new claim on the FIRST day after your benefit year ends 3. Make sure you have your employment records for the past 18 months ready I tried filing early and the system got confused and put a hold on my account that took forever to resolve. Not worth the headache!

i had this SAME PROBLEM last month!! spent TWO WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone. the website is USELESS and gives you zero actual information!!! when i finally got through they told me i needed to wait until the benefit year ended before filing again. such a waste of time!!

To clarify what others have said, there are two separate concepts here that often confuse people: 1. Benefit exhaustion = When you've received all the money you're eligible for in your current claim 2. Benefit year ending = The 12-month period your claim is valid for, regardless of when funds exhaust If your benefits are exhausted but your benefit year hasn't ended yet, you generally need to wait until the benefit year ends to file a new claim. However, there are some exceptions if you've had new employment since filing your original claim. The most reliable way to get accurate information for your specific situation is to speak with a claims specialist directly. The regular helpline is frustrating because it's handling general questions from thousands of callers daily.

Having recent work might make you eligible to file sooner! When I called, they explained that if you've worked enough quarters since your last claim began, you might be able to file a new claim even before your benefit year ends. It has to do with having enough new earnings to establish monetary eligibility for a new claim. Honestly though, trying to get through on the phone to verify this is a nightmare. I spent days trying to reach anyone who could help.

I was stuck in this exact situation a few weeks ago. After trying the regular phone line for days with no luck, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a claims specialist in about 30 minutes. They have this weird system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me so much frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent confirmed what others here said - with my 3 months of work since my initial claim, I qualified to file a new claim before my benefit year ended. But every case is different based on your work history.

I used that Claimyr thing too when I had issues with my claim going to pending for no reason. It works but seems weird they can get through when we cant lol. But yeah they just called me when it was my turn so I didn't have to stay on hold forever. The unemployment agent told me similar info - if you worked enough in the past 18 months you can sometimes file early.

To answer your earlier question - yes, there was about a 2-week gap between my last payment on the old claim and the first payment on my new claim. That's pretty standard from what the agent told me. The new claim had to go through the full processing and verification, just like an initial claim. Make sure you have some savings to cover that gap if possible.

Since you mentioned working for about 2 months between claims, I would definitely recommend speaking with a specialist before your benefit year ends. That may qualify you for a new claim sooner, especially if those earnings were substantial enough. DOL uses a calculation based on your highest-earning quarters to determine eligibility. Also, make sure you continue certifying weekly during this transition period, even if you're not receiving payments. This creates a record in the system that you're still looking for work and maintains your claim status while you sort everything out.

You can still certify for last week if it's within the 7-day window for late certification. This is important because: 1) it maintains your active status in the system, and 2) those certifications could potentially be payable retroactively if you qualify for certain types of extensions or if your new claim is processed with an effective date that would cover those weeks. Regarding your work history - the standard requirement for a new claim is earnings in at least two quarters of your base period, with a minimum total earnings threshold. Those two months of work might qualify if they crossed a quarter boundary and if you earned enough.

Just wanted to add that I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago in NY. The key thing that helped me was understanding that the DOL system actually tracks your work history automatically through employer wage reports, so when you do get through to speak with someone, they can see right away if your recent work qualifies you for a new claim. In my case, I had worked for about 10 weeks between my original claim and when benefits exhausted, and it turned out I did qualify to file early because my earnings crossed into a new quarter and met the minimum threshold. The agent was able to tell me this within minutes of pulling up my account. One tip - if you do use that Claimyr service or manage to get through on your own, have your Social Security number and the dates of your recent employment ready. They'll ask for specific start/end dates and your gross earnings from that period. Having that info handy will make the call go much faster. Also, don't stress too much about "messing up" the system by filing at the wrong time. The worst that happens is they tell you to wait, but the system won't let you create duplicate claims or anything like that. Good luck!

I went through this same confusing situation about 8 months ago! The NY system really doesn't explain things clearly at all. Based on what you've shared - benefits exhausted but benefit year ending April 30th, plus you worked for 2 months recently - you're actually in a potentially good position. Here's what I learned from my experience: that 2-month work period could definitely qualify you to file a new claim early, especially if it crossed quarter boundaries. The DOL looks at your earnings in specific quarters to determine if you have enough "new" work to establish a fresh claim. My advice would be to try getting through to a specialist soon rather than waiting until May 1st. If you qualify based on your recent work, you could potentially start receiving benefits again without the full 3-week wait. And if you don't qualify yet, they'll just tell you to wait - no harm done. The Claimyr service others mentioned really does work if you're having trouble with the phone lines. I was skeptical at first too, but it saved me literally days of calling. Worth the small fee when you're dealing with rent and bills. Also definitely keep certifying weekly even with exhausted benefits - I made that mistake of stopping and it caused issues later when my new claim got approved.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My benefits exhausted last month but my benefit year doesn't end until June. I've been so confused about whether to wait or file now. Reading through all these responses is really helpful - it sounds like the key factor is whether you've worked enough since your original claim to qualify for a new one. The part about continuing to certify weekly even with exhausted benefits is news to me too. I stopped certifying thinking there was no point, but now I'm worried I messed something up. Does anyone know if there's a way to go back and certify for missed weeks, or am I stuck having to explain the gap later? Also seeing multiple people confirm that Claimyr service works is reassuring. The regular phone line is absolutely impossible - I've tried calling dozens of times and never gotten through to anyone who could actually help with this specific situation.

I went through this exact same confusion about 4 months ago! The NY unemployment system really doesn't make it clear what to do when benefits exhaust before your benefit year ends. Based on what you've described - benefits exhausted but benefit year ending April 30th, plus 2 months of recent work - you should definitely try to speak with a specialist ASAP rather than just waiting. That recent work history could very well qualify you to file a new claim early, especially if those earnings crossed quarter boundaries and met the minimum thresholds. When I was in a similar situation, the agent was able to pull up my wage records instantly and tell me I qualified based on my interim employment. Don't worry about "breaking" the system by trying to file early - the worst they can tell you is to wait until your benefit year ends. But if you do qualify, you could potentially start receiving payments again without having to wait the full 3+ weeks. I know everyone's mentioned the phone struggles, and they're real. If you can't get through on the regular line after a few days of trying, that Claimyr service others have mentioned really does work. I was skeptical too but it saved me literally days of frustration. And definitely keep certifying weekly even though your benefits are exhausted - this maintains your claim status and creates a continuous record that you're actively seeking work. I almost made the mistake of stopping and it would have created complications later.