When do I stop receiving unemployment benefits - NYS Department of Labor claim ending soon?

Regular unemployment benefits in New York are typically 26 weeks maximum. However, your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you first filed. If you exhaust your 26 weeks of benefits before finding work, you can't get more regular UI until you start a new claim (which requires new qualifying wages). The key dates to watch are your weekly benefit amount times 26, or when your benefit year expires - whichever comes first.

You should check your account on my.ny.gov - it shows your remaining benefit balance and your benefit year end date. The system will automatically stop payments when you hit either limit. Make sure you're keeping up with your job search requirements too because that can affect your eligibility even before you run out of weeks.

I was in a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to get clear answers about my benefit end date. The phone lines are always busy and the online chat rarely works. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent who explained exactly when my benefits would end and what my options were. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me from stressing about it for weeks.

Just went through this myself!! My benefits stopped at exactly 26 weeks even though I still had like 3 months left on my benefit year. The NYS Department of Labor system automatically cuts you off when you've received 26 weeks of payments. After that you're basically on your own unless you find work and then become unemployed again with new qualifying wages.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KICK PEOPLE OFF AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!!! They don't care if you're still looking for work or if the job market sucks. 26 weeks and you're done, doesn't matter if you've been paying into the system for 20 years. Meanwhile they make it impossible to actually talk to anyone who can explain your options.

wait so if my benefit year ends but i still have money left in my balance i lose that money? that seems wrong

I'm in the exact same boat right now! Filed in March too and getting really anxious about when this all ends. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like I need to log into my.ny.gov and check my remaining balance and benefit year end date. Has anyone here had luck with the extended benefits programs that sometimes kick in during high unemployment periods, or is that not a thing in NY right now? Also @CosmicCowboy - definitely keep track of your job search activities because they can audit that stuff even if you're still within your 26 weeks.