NYS Department of Labor unemployment claim expired - what steps to take now?
My unemployment benefits just expired last week and I'm still looking for work. I was getting regular UI for about 6 months but now when I try to file my weekly claim it says my benefit year has ended. I'm completely lost on what I'm supposed to do next. Do I have to file a whole new claim? Can I get an extension? I've been applying to jobs this whole time and keeping my job search log updated. Really stressed about this because I still haven't found anything and need the income. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?
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NebulaNova
You'll need to file a new unemployment claim since your benefit year ended. In New York, a benefit year is 52 weeks from when you first filed. Go to ny.gov and start a new application - you'll go through the same process as your original claim. Make sure you have your recent work history ready including any part-time or temporary work you did while collecting benefits. The NYS Department of Labor will determine if you're eligible for a new claim based on wages earned during your base period.
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Yara Sayegh
•Do I need to wait a certain amount of time before filing the new claim or can I do it right away? And will there be a waiting week again?
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NebulaNova
•You can file immediately - don't wait. Whether there's a waiting week depends on your work history during the previous benefit year. If you earned enough wages while collecting UI, you might qualify without a waiting week.
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Keisha Williams
same thing happened to me in october!! i was so confused when my weekly claim wouldn't go through. turns out you definitely have to start over with a completely new application. took about 2 weeks for them to process mine and start getting benefits again
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Yara Sayegh
•That's a relief to hear it worked out for you. Did you have to do the whole identity verification process again or was that part faster the second time?
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Paolo Conti
The system is so confusing about this! They should send clearer notifications when your benefit year is ending. I almost missed filing my new claim because I didn't understand what 'benefit year exhausted' meant on my account. If you're having trouble getting through to file online or need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped when I couldn't figure out if I was eligible for a new claim.
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Amina Diallo
•Never heard of that service before. How much does something like that cost? Seems like it might be worth it if you really need to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor.
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Paolo Conti
•It was worth it for me since I was getting nowhere with the regular phone lines. Much easier than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
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Oliver Schulz
MAKE SURE you keep filing for the weeks even if your claim is being processed! I made the mistake of stopping my weekly claims while waiting for my new claim to be approved and lost out on 3 weeks of benefits. The NYS Department of Labor told me I should have kept certifying even during the application period. Don't make my mistake!
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Yara Sayegh
•Wait really? But how can you file weekly claims if your old claim is expired and the new one isn't approved yet? That doesn't make sense.
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Oliver Schulz
•You're right that was confusing advice from me - I meant keep track of the weeks you would have claimed so you can backdate if needed. Sorry for the confusion!
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Natasha Kuznetsova
been there! just keep your job search records updated and ready because they might ask for them during the new claim review process
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Myles Regis
I went through this exact same situation about 3 months ago and it was definitely stressful at first! The key thing is to file your new claim as soon as possible - don't wait. When you file the new claim, they'll look at your wages from the past 15 months to determine eligibility, so any work you did while collecting benefits should count toward your new base period. One tip: gather all your employment documentation beforehand including any 1099s or W-2s from temporary or part-time work during your benefit year. The process took about 10 days for me to get approved and start receiving benefits again. Hang in there - you're not alone in dealing with this confusing system!
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Connor O'Brien
•Thanks so much for the detailed info! That's really helpful to know it took about 10 days for you. Did you experience any gap in payments during those 10 days or were you able to get backpaid for that time once approved? I'm worried about how I'm going to cover my bills while waiting for the new claim to process.
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