NY unemployment shows zero days left but claim year not over - should I keep certifying?

You've used up your 26 weeks of regular UI benefits. That's what the 'zero effective days' means. In NY, you should still certify each week even when your benefits are exhausted. This way if any extensions become available, you won't have gaps in your claim. I was in the same boat last month and called NYSDOL using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through quickly - they confirmed I should keep certifying. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE. The agent explained that continuous certification keeps your claim active in their system.

Thanks! I had no idea I should keep certifying when it shows zero days. Do you know if there's any chance they'll approve those weeks later or am I just doing it to keep my claim active?

keep certifyin!! the system is wierd like that. my cousin had same thing happen and he got paid later when some extension kicked in. dont mess up ur claim by stopping

That's good to hear someone got paid later! I'll definitely keep certifying then.

When you exhaust your regular UI benefits (which is what 'zero effective days remaining' means), you should continue to certify weekly. Here's why:\n\n1. If any extensions become available, you'll be automatically considered without having to reapply\n2. It maintains your claim history without gaps\n3. Some people may qualify for additional programs even after UI exhaustion\n\nYou're correct that you cannot file a new UI claim until your benefit year actually ends (the 12-month period that started when you first applied). Mark your calendar for that date, as you'll need to file a new claim if you're still unemployed.\n\nIn the meantime, I recommend checking to see if you qualify for any other assistance programs like SNAP or emergency assistance while your UI benefits are exhausted.

This is MOSTLY right but not 100% correct. I work in HR and deal with this stuff. Some people CAN file a new claim before their benefit year ends IF they've worked enough in between. But you'd need to have worked and earned enough qualifying wages since your original claim. The system will tell you if you're eligible when you try.

Ugh, the same thing just happened to me last week! Zero days but benefit year not over. I kept trying to call them but their phone system is RIDICULOUS!!! Busy signals for DAYS. I finally got through yesterday and they told me I should keep claiming even with zero days left because \

Yes, absolutely keep certifying! The NYSDOL system isn't very user-friendly about explaining this. When your claim shows zero effective days, it means you've used all 26 weeks of regular UI benefits, but continuing to certify weekly accomplishes several important things:\n\n1. It keeps your claim active in the system\n2. It creates a record that you remained unemployed and were ready/willing/able to work\n3. If any extensions or additional programs become available, you'll already be in the system\n\nJust be aware that while you should keep certifying, you likely won't receive payments until either your benefit year ends and you qualify for a new claim, or if an extension program becomes available.

I had this exact situation in January. Called NYSDOL and waited 3+ hours to speak to someone (never making that mistake again). The agent told me I should definitely keep certifying every week even though I wouldn't get paid. Two things happened because I kept certifying:\n\n1. When they announced that small extension in February, I got it automatically and received backpay for 3 weeks\n2. It made filing my new claim easier when my benefit year finally ended\n\nSo yes, keep certifying! It's annoying to do it and get nothing, but it can pay off later.

Wait, there was an extension in February? I didn't hear about that at all. Maybe there will be another one before my benefit year ends. Thanks for the firsthand experience - definitely going to keep certifying.

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thats what i heard 2! my brother in law got a job for like 3 weeks then got laid off again and he had to do some special reapplication. system is so confusin

Just a follow-up to my earlier comment - when I called using Claimyr to get through to NYSDOL, the agent also mentioned checking if I qualify for the 599 Training program. If you're interested in taking approved training/education courses, you might be eligible for additional benefits even after your regular UI is exhausted. Worth looking into if you're considering education or retraining options.

This is excellent advice. The 599 Training program allows you to receive extended benefits while participating in approved training programs. You'll need to apply specifically for this program and get your training approved. Visit the NYSDOL website and search for \

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'll definitely keep certifying weekly even though it shows zero days. It's frustrating that the NYSDOL website doesn't explain this clearly. I'll look into the 599 Training program too since I've been considering taking some IT certification courses anyway. Fingers crossed there might be an extension before my benefit year ends, but at least now I know I'm doing the right thing by continuing to certify.

I went through this exact same situation last year! The "zero effective days remaining" definitely means you've exhausted your 26 weeks of regular UI benefits, but your benefit year clock is still running. I made the mistake of stopping my weekly certifications for about a month because I thought there was no point, but then I learned I should have kept going. When I called NYSDOL (took forever to get through), they told me that continuous certification is crucial because it maintains your claim status and ensures you don't miss out on any potential extensions or programs that might become available. Even though you won't get payments right now, those weekly certifications create an unbroken record that you remained unemployed and available for work. I wish someone had told me this earlier - would have saved me a lot of stress when I had to explain the gap in my certifications later!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! My benefit year ends in May but I hit zero effective days last week. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - I had no idea I should keep certifying when it shows zero days. The NYSDOL website really doesn't make this clear at all. I was about to stop certifying thinking it was pointless, but now I understand it keeps my claim active for potential extensions. Has anyone here actually experienced getting an extension after exhausting regular benefits? I'm trying to figure out how common they are and what triggers them.

I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to this situation! I exhausted my regular UI benefits about 6 weeks ago and have been faithfully certifying every week even though it shows zero days remaining. I was initially confused like everyone else, but after reading through NYSDOL's website thoroughly and calling them (which took 4+ hours to get through), I learned that continuing to certify is absolutely the right move. Not only does it keep your claim active, but I discovered that some people may also be eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits if their job loss was related to foreign trade - this is separate from regular UI and the 599 Training program. It's worth checking if your employer had any layoffs related to overseas competition or trade issues. Also, for anyone struggling to get through to NYSDOL by phone, I found that calling right at 8am on Tuesday or Wednesday gave me the best chance of getting in the queue early. The wait is still brutal, but at least you're not getting busy signals all day!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just hit zero effective days last week but my benefit year doesn't end until June. I was panicking thinking I did something wrong, but reading everyone's responses here has been so reassuring. I had no idea that "zero effective days" just means you've used up your 26 weeks of regular benefits - the NYSDOL system really doesn't explain this well at all. I was about to stop certifying thinking it was pointless, but now I understand it's actually crucial to keep going to maintain your claim status. One question for those who've been through this - when you certify with zero days remaining, does the system give you any confirmation that it was processed, or does it just seem like nothing happened? I did my first certification yesterday after hitting zero days and I'm not sure if it went through properly since obviously there was no payment. Also, has anyone had luck with the career counseling services through the Department of Labor? I'm wondering if they might have additional resources or programs I haven't heard about yet. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community has been way more helpful than the official NYSDOL website!

I'm in the exact same boat right now - zero effective days showing but my benefit year doesn't end until August. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I was getting really stressed thinking I had somehow messed up my claim. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely going to keep certifying weekly even though there's no payment coming. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I called my local One-Stop Career Center yesterday and they mentioned that even when your regular UI is exhausted, they can still help with job placement services and sometimes have access to emergency assistance programs that aren't widely advertised. The counselor I spoke with said they work closely with NYSDOL and can help navigate some of these confusing situations. Also, for anyone struggling with the phone system, I've had better luck using the callback feature on their website rather than sitting on hold for hours. You can request a callback and they usually get back to you within 24-48 hours. Not perfect, but better than listening to hold music for half a day! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so much clearer now that continuing to certify is the right move even when it feels pointless.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! I exhausted my regular benefits two weeks ago and was completely confused about whether to keep certifying. The NYSDOL website is so unclear about this - it just shows "zero effective days remaining" with no explanation of what that actually means or what you're supposed to do next. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to keep certifying weekly. It's reassuring to know that this keeps your claim active for potential extensions and programs. I had no idea about the 599 Training program or TAA benefits that some of you mentioned - I'm going to look into both of those since I've been considering going back to school anyway. One thing I wanted to ask - for those who've been certifying with zero days for a while, do you still answer "yes" to the question about being ready, willing, and able to work? I assume you do since you're still looking for employment, but I wanted to make sure I'm not missing something. The whole process feels strange when you know there's no payment coming, but I understand now that it's still important for maintaining your claim status. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so much more helpful than trying to figure this out alone!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just hit zero effective days remaining yesterday and was completely panicking, thinking I had done something wrong with my claim. The NYSDOL website is absolutely terrible at explaining what this actually means - I had no idea it just meant I'd used up my 26 weeks of regular benefits rather than there being some kind of error. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring. I was literally about to stop certifying because I thought there was no point, but now I understand how important it is to keep going to maintain my claim status. The fact that several people here have actually received extensions or got into programs like the 599 Training because they kept certifying gives me hope. My benefit year doesn't end until September, so I have a long way to go, but at least now I know I'm doing the right thing by continuing to certify weekly. I'm also going to look into those One-Stop Career Centers that @Grace Johnson mentioned - I had no idea they could still help even when your regular UI is exhausted. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and advice. This community has been way more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the NYSDOL website or sitting on hold trying to call them!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently in week 3 of having zero effective days remaining but my benefit year doesn't end until July. Like many others here, I was initially confused and almost stopped certifying, but thankfully I found this discussion first. One thing I wanted to add that might help newcomers - when I spoke with a NYSDOL representative last week (used that callback feature @Grace Johnson mentioned, which worked great!), they emphasized that even if you pick up some temporary or part-time work while your regular UI is exhausted, you should STILL keep certifying. You'll report the work earnings as usual, and it actually can help establish additional qualifying wages if you end up needing to file a new claim when your benefit year ends. Also, I've been documenting all my job search activities extra carefully during this period, since I know these certifications are creating a record even without payments. Figure it can't hurt to have thorough documentation if any opportunities arise later. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made this confusing situation so much less stressful knowing others have successfully navigated it!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just exhausted my regular UI benefits last week and was totally confused when I saw "zero effective days remaining" but my benefit year doesn't end until October. I was actually about to stop certifying because I thought it was pointless, but after reading through all these responses I'm so glad I found this thread first! It's really frustrating how unclear the NYSDOL website is about this - they should have a clear explanation right on the page that tells you what "zero effective days" means and that you should keep certifying. I had no idea that this just means you've used up your 26 weeks of regular benefits, not that something was wrong with your claim. I'm definitely going to keep certifying every week now that I understand it maintains your claim status for potential extensions. The stories from people who actually got extensions or qualified for programs like the 599 Training give me hope! I've been thinking about taking some coding bootcamps anyway, so I'll look into whether any of those might qualify. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been way more informative than anything on the official NYSDOL site. It's such a relief to know I'm not alone in being confused by this system!

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation too! Hit zero effective days last week but my benefit year runs until August. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I was completely panicking when I first saw that message, thinking I'd somehow screwed up my claim. The NYSDOL website is absolutely useless at explaining what "zero effective days remaining" actually means. I've been reading through everyone's experiences and it's so reassuring to know that continuing to certify is not only the right thing to do, but actually crucial for maintaining your claim status. I had no idea about programs like the 599 Training or TAA benefits that some of you mentioned - definitely going to research those since I've been considering going back to school anyway. One quick question for those who've been certifying with zero days for a while - do you still get the usual confirmation email after submitting your weekly certification, or does the system handle it differently when there's no payment? I just want to make sure I'm doing everything correctly. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and advice. It's incredible how much more helpful this community is than trying to figure things out from the official sources!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just hit zero effective days remaining yesterday but my benefit year doesn't end until December. Like so many others here, I was completely confused and stressed when I first saw that message - the NYSDOL website really doesn't explain what it means at all. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. I was literally about to call and ask if I should stop certifying since it seemed pointless with zero days showing, but now I understand how crucial it is to keep going to maintain my claim status. The stories from people who actually received extensions or got into training programs because they kept certifying give me a lot of hope. I'm particularly interested in the 599 Training program that several people mentioned. I've been thinking about taking some digital marketing courses, so I'll definitely look into whether those might qualify. It would be amazing if I could get additional benefits while learning new skills. One thing I'm curious about - for those who've been certifying with zero days for several weeks, have you noticed any changes in the online system or received any communications from NYSDOL about your status? I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything important while I continue this process. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. This community has been infinitely more helpful than anything I could find on the official NYSDOL website!

I'm in the exact same situation right now! My regular UI benefits just ran out two days ago showing zero effective days remaining, but my benefit year doesn't end until November. I was panicking thinking something was wrong with my claim, but this thread has been such a relief to find. Like everyone else, I had no clue that "zero effective days" just means you've exhausted your 26 weeks of regular benefits - the NYSDOL website makes it sound like some kind of error or problem with your account. I was seriously considering stopping my weekly certifications because it seemed pointless, but now I completely understand why continuing is so important for maintaining claim status. The success stories here from people who got extensions or qualified for training programs because they kept certifying are really encouraging. I'm definitely going to look into the 599 Training program since I've been wanting to learn web development anyway. One thing that's been bugging me - when I certified yesterday for the first time with zero days, the whole process felt exactly the same but obviously no payment was issued. Is this normal? I got the confirmation email like usual, but it's weird going through all the motions knowing there's nothing coming. I guess I just need to get used to it for the next several months until my benefit year ends. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is seriously a lifesaver when the official resources are so confusing!