NY unemployment shows 'exhausted benefits' message but still has money in Maximum Amount Payable - confused about BYE date

This is actually a common issue with NY unemployment claims. The BYE date is when your claim year officially ends, regardless of how much money is left in your Maximum Amount Payable. Once you hit that date, your current claim technically expires, but you might qualify for an extension or a new claim. The fact that you continued receiving payments after your BYE date suggests the system was automatically processing an extension for you, but now that extension might have ended. You should definitely keep certifying every week - this is crucial even if you're in a gap period. To resolve this, you need to call and speak with a claims specialist who can: 1. Check if you qualify for a new benefit year 2. Process any additional extensions you might be eligible for 3. Explain why the payments continued after your BYE date And no, you typically won't have to pay back benefits that were system-authorized, even if there was a processing delay or extension overlap.

Had the EXACT same thing happen to me last month! I was going crazy trying to figure it out. After my BYE date passed I got that same message but still had like $2,800 showing in my account. Turned out I needed to file a new claim even though there was money left on my old one. I couldn't get through on the phone for THREE DAYS straight!!! Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have this system that calls the unemployment office for you and then connects you when they get through. Saved me days of redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE When I finally talked to someone, they explained that the BYE date is a hard cutoff regardless of remaining balance. They had to review my work history over the past year before starting a new claim. Don't worry though - you probably won't have to repay anything if the system was the one paying you.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but the whole BYE date system is deliberately confusing. They WANT people to get lost in the system and give up on benefits they're entitled to. I've been through this 3 times now and it's ALWAYS a nightmare getting someone on the phone to fix it. You need to file a new claim, but KEEP CERTIFYING while you wait!!! If you stop certifying, you'll lose those weeks forever. The Maximum Amount Payable is meaningless after the BYE date - it's just money you'll never see unless they approve an extension. The DOL phone system is designed to be impossible. I swear they have like 2 people answering phones for the entire state. And the website is useless for anything beyond basic claims.

hi im having a slightly different issue but similar... my BYE date is coming up next week and i still have like $3000 in my account. should i just apply for a new claim right away or wait until i get that exhausted message thing? don't wanna mess anything up

I went thru this in January! The computer system and the actual rules don't match up. Your BYE date is the most important thing - once you hit that date, you need a new claim, period. The money left in your account doesn't matter, it just sits there taunting you lol. What's weird is sometimes the system keeps paying for a few weeks after BYE before it catches up and throws that error message. That's probably what happened to you. You won't have to pay anything back though - that's on them not you. Good luck getting through on the phone tho. It took me like 2 weeks of calling.

I work for an employment agency, and we see this confusion all the time. Here's what's happening: The system sometimes continues automatic payments for a short period after BYE while it evaluates your claim for potential extensions. When it determines you need a new claim instead, you get that "exhausted benefits" message. This is a technical issue with the NY unemployment system - the message should really say "Your benefit year has ended" not "benefits exhausted" since those mean different things. You need to file a new UI claim immediately. The money left in your Maximum Amount Payable from your previous claim year is no longer accessible. And yes, continue certifying weekly without fail during this transition period.

just went thru this last week! gotta file a new claim. the system is stupid, it should just roll you over automatically but it doesnt. and yeah good luck getting thru on the phone lol

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I finally got through to someone at DOL this morning (called right when they opened and got lucky I guess). They confirmed what most of you said - my benefit year ended so I need to file a new claim, and the money showing in my Maximum Amount Payable from the old claim isn't accessible anymore. They did say I won't have to pay back the payments I received after my BYE date, which is a relief. Apparently it was an automatic extension that was processing, but I still need to file a new claim for ongoing benefits. I'm filing the new claim today and they said to keep certifying weekly without interruption. The agent estimated it would take 2-3 weeks for the new claim to process. Thanks again for all your help!