NYS Department of Labor claim shows 'exhaustee' status - what does this mean for my benefits?
My unemployment claim status changed to 'exhaustee' this week and I'm not sure what this means. I've been collecting benefits for about 20 weeks now and was doing my weekly claims like normal. Now when I log into my.ny.gov it shows this exhaustee status and I can't file a new weekly claim. Did I do something wrong? Am I cut off from benefits completely? I still haven't found a job and really need these payments to continue.
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Zara Mirza
Exhaustee means you've used up all your available unemployment benefits for your benefit year. In New York, regular unemployment insurance typically provides up to 26 weeks of benefits. Once you've collected all 26 weeks, you become an 'exhaustee' and can no longer file weekly claims for that benefit year.
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Sean Kelly
•So that's it? No more unemployment at all? What am I supposed to do now?
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Luca Russo
You might be able to file a new claim if it's been a full year since your original claim started, or if you've worked enough since then to qualify for a new benefit year. Check your wages from the past 18 months to see if you have enough work history for a fresh claim with NYS Department of Labor.
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Sean Kelly
•I worked part-time for a few months while collecting partial benefits. Would that count toward a new claim?
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Luca Russo
•Possibly! You need sufficient wages in your base period to establish a new claim. The part-time work might give you enough earnings if it was substantial enough.
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Nia Harris
ugh this happened to me too last year, the exhaustee thing is so confusing when it first pops up!! i thought i did something wrong with my job search log or whatever
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GalaxyGazer
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about options after exhausting benefits. The phone lines are always busy and their online system doesn't give much detail about next steps. I ended up using Claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent who explained my options for potentially filing a new claim. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Way easier than trying to call directly.
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Sean Kelly
•How much does that service cost? I'm already broke from being unemployed.
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GalaxyGazer
•It was worth it for me to get actual answers about whether I could file a new claim. The agent helped me understand the wage requirements and timeline.
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Mateo Sanchez
The whole system is designed to confuse people and make you give up. They use terms like 'exhaustee' instead of just saying 'your benefits are done.' It's deliberate obfuscation to save the state money.
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Aisha Mahmood
same boat here, became exhaustee last month and still looking for work. job market is brutal right now
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