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I'm in the exact same nightmare situation! Applied for the 599 program in late February and just got off the phone with NYSDOL - they told me I'm looking at a September approval date. That's over 6 months of waiting just to get permission to train while collecting benefits! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both helpful and infuriating. It's clear this is a systematic problem affecting hundreds (probably thousands) of people who are genuinely trying to improve their job prospects. The fact that we're all getting similar timelines really shows how broken the system is. I've been debating whether to start my renewable energy technician program while waiting for approval, but seeing all the success stories about retroactive approval from @Rhett Bowman and others has convinced me to just go ahead and enroll next month. I can't afford to lose another 4-5 months of my life waiting for NYSDOL to process paperwork when I could be building valuable skills. The irony is that the 599 program was designed to help unemployed people transition to better careers, but these massive delays are actually preventing us from doing exactly that! By the time they approve applications, people could already be completing their training programs. Definitely going to try that Claimyr service @Amy Fleming mentioned - seems like it's literally the only way to reach an actual human at NYSDOL anymore. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. This thread is proof we're not alone in dealing with this bureaucratic mess!
@Noah Lee I m'so sorry you re'dealing with another 6+ month wait - this whole situation is absolutely unacceptable! Your renewable energy technician program sounds like a fantastic career choice though, especially with all the green energy initiatives happening right now. You re'definitely making the smart decision to start training now rather than waste more time waiting for NYSDOL s'broken system. I just found this community after dealing with my own 599 program nightmare applied (in March, told August approval ,)and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening. It s'shocking how many people are experiencing the exact same delays and having to make these impossible choices between starting training or waiting for approval. Your point about the system defeating its own purpose is so true - we re'all trying to transition to better careers and get back to productive work, but NYSDOL s'dysfunction is literally preventing that from happening. The retroactive approval stories from @Rhett Bowman and others throughout this thread give me hope that we can move forward despite the bureaucratic mess. I m planning'to start my own program next month after reading everyone s experiences'here. It s frustrating'that we have to navigate this alone, but at least we have this community to share strategies and support each other. The Claimyr service seems to be everyone s lifeline'- definitely worth trying! Best of luck with your renewable energy program!
I'm dealing with this exact same 599 program disaster right now! Applied back in January and was just told last week that I won't hear anything until late September - that's 8+ months of waiting just to get approval to train while keeping my benefits. It's absolutely insane! After reading through all these experiences, I'm finally convinced I need to stop waiting and start my cybersecurity certification program next month. The retroactive approval stories from @Rhett Bowman and others give me confidence this is the right move, even though dealing with job search requirements on top of intensive coursework is going to be brutal. What really pisses me off is that this whole system is supposed to help unemployed people get better jobs, but instead it's trapping us in bureaucratic hell for the better part of a year! By the time they approve my application, I could have already completed my entire certification and be working in a new career. I'm definitely trying that Claimyr service @Amy Fleming mentioned - at this point it seems like the only way to actually talk to a human at NYSDOL. Has anyone had success reaching out to their state representatives about this mess? It feels like this backlog should be getting media attention since it's affecting so many people who are genuinely trying to improve their situations. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and strategies. This thread has been a lifesaver for understanding I'm not crazy for thinking this system is completely broken!
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Congratulations on the new job! I'm actually facing this exact same situation next week - just accepted an offer and will be starting soon. After reading through all these responses, I'm definitely convinced that doing the final certification is the way to go. It's amazing how many people have shared their experiences here, and the consensus is really clear: certify one last time, report your return to work honestly, and create that official record of when your employment status changed. The stories about "abandoned claim" letters months later are definitely enough to convince me that those few extra minutes of proper certification are worth avoiding potential headaches down the road. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding the right way to handle this transition!
Congrats on your new job too! It's so reassuring to see how many people are going through the same situation and getting such consistent advice. This thread has honestly been a lifesaver - I was completely clueless about the proper procedure before reading everyone's experiences. The fact that so many people specifically mention avoiding "abandoned claim" issues by doing that final certification has really driven the point home. It's one of those things where the "shortcut" of just stopping could end up creating way more work and stress later on. Good luck with your new position next week!
Congratulations on landing the new job! I'm going through this exact same situation right now - just got hired and start next Monday. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. The consensus is really clear: do that final certification this Sunday, report your return to work honestly, and include your earnings for the days worked. It sounds like this creates the proper official record and prevents any "abandoned claim" issues down the road. I was initially thinking about just stopping certifications since it seemed simpler, but after seeing how many people had problems with that approach, I'm definitely going to do the final cert properly. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this thread is a goldmine for anyone transitioning off unemployment! Good luck with your new position!
Congrats to you too on starting Monday! This thread really has been amazing - I was so confused about the proper procedure before reading everyone's experiences. It's incredible how consistent the advice is from people who actually went through this process. The "abandoned claim" warnings from multiple people definitely sealed the deal for me on doing the final certification properly. I was also tempted to just stop certifying since it seemed like less hassle, but clearly that could create way bigger hassles months later. It's so helpful having a community where people share their real experiences like this. Best of luck with your new job next week!
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Hey everyone! Just wanted to jump in and say this thread has been an absolute lifesaver. I'm dealing with the exact same backdating nightmare right now - got approved after months of denial and need to claim about 12 weeks of backdated benefits. That 518-457-9000 backdating line that @StarSailor shared is incredible info - I had no idea there was a separate number specifically for backdating! Definitely going to try calling at exactly 8 AM tomorrow. @QuantumQuasar your detailed step-by-step guide should seriously be stickied somewhere, and @Dmitry Volkov the tip about organizing all documentation beforehand is spot on. I've been screenshotting my weekly certs but they're a mess right now - definitely need to get everything in one folder before I call. Quick question for anyone who's been through this - did you have any issues with weeks where you might have missed the Friday deadline for certification but still certified on Saturday/Sunday? I have like 2-3 weeks where I was a day or two late and worried that might complicate things. Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences! This community has been 1000x more helpful than any official resource I've found. Feeling actually hopeful about getting this sorted out! 🙏
Hey @CosmicCaptain! Don't stress too much about being a day or two late on some of those certifications - from what I've seen others mention in this thread, as long as you were consistently certifying (even if slightly late), it should be fine for backdating purposes. The key thing they seem to care about is that you were actively participating in the process and following procedures. When you call that 518 number, just be upfront about any late certifications if they ask. Honesty is definitely the way to go with these reps. I'm planning to call tomorrow morning too after reading through all this amazing advice! @StarSailor seriously deserves an award for sharing that backdating line number - it's wild that this info isn't more widely available on the official DOL site. Good luck with your call tomorrow! Hopefully we'll both have success stories to add to this thread soon 🤞
This thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - been certifying for months while my claim was denied, just got approved, and now need to figure out backdating. The 518-457-9000 backdating line that @StarSailor shared is a total game changer - I had no idea there was a separate number! And @QuantumQuasar, your step-by-step breakdown should be pinned everywhere. @Dmitry Volkov's advice about organizing all documentation beforehand is spot on too. I'm definitely calling that backdating line at 8 AM sharp tomorrow with all my screenshots organized. It's amazing how this community has provided more useful info than the entire official NY DOL website combined! For anyone else going through this - don't give up! Reading through everyone's success stories here gives me so much hope that we can all get through this bureaucratic nightmare and get the benefits we're owed. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! 🙏
Just wanted to add my voice to everyone saying how helpful this thread has been! I'm totally new to navigating NY unemployment but found myself in a similar backdating situation after my claim was finally approved following a long appeal process. Reading through all these detailed experiences has been so reassuring - especially knowing that there's actually a system in place for this and people are successfully getting their backdated benefits. That 518-457-9000 number is definitely going in my phone for tomorrow morning! @StarSailor @QuantumQuasar @Dmitry Volkov - you all have provided such valuable advice. As someone who was completely lost on where to even start with this process, having these step-by-step guides and real success stories makes all the difference. Planning to organize all my screenshots tonight and call bright and early tomorrow. Fingers crossed I ll'have a success story to add to this thread soon! Thanks everyone for creating such a supportive community around this frustrating process 🤞
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FINAL UPDATE: All the backpay hit my account this morning! Six weeks of benefits all at once. Such a relief after all this stress. Thanks to everyone who provided advice. If anyone else is experiencing this "benefits ended" error, definitely get on the phone with them - it's the only way to get it fixed.
congrats!! must feel amazing to finally get paid! 🎉
Congrats on getting it resolved! This is such a helpful thread for anyone dealing with similar issues. The fact that this is happening to "quite a few people" due to a recent system update is really concerning though. NY DOL should be proactively notifying people about this bug and fixing it automatically rather than making everyone jump through hoops to get their rightful benefits. For anyone else reading this with the same problem, the key takeaways seem to be: 1. Check your payment history for the specific error code ("Benefit Year Ended" in this case) 2. You MUST speak to a claims specialist - the online system can't fix this 3. Consider using a callback service if you can't get through normally 4. Document everything and request all backpay when it gets resolved Thanks for sharing your experience and updates - it's going to help a lot of people!
You're absolutely right about NY DOL needing to be more proactive about this. I'm new to this community but I've been following unemployment issues across different states, and NY seems to have more of these systemic glitches than most other states. It's really frustrating that people have to become detectives just to get their benefits processed correctly. The fact that they did a system update that's causing widespread issues but didn't put any kind of alert on their website or send notifications to affected claimants is pretty inexcusable. Thanks to @ee45d1878d01 for documenting the whole process - this thread is going to be a lifesaver for others dealing with the same bug!
Lena Schultz
I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I moved from Brooklyn to Queens. The online address update through my.ny.gov worked perfectly for me. Just log into your account, go to "Personal Information," and update both your mailing and residential addresses. The identity verification step is standard - they just want to make sure it's really you making the change. It took about 10 minutes total and my benefits continued without any interruption. My first payment after the move went directly to the new address with no issues. Pro tip: take a screenshot of the confirmation page after you submit the change, just for your records. Don't stress about it affecting your claim status - address updates are routine and won't cause delays as long as you're still eligible to work in NY state.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Thanks for sharing your experience with the Brooklyn to Queens move! That's really reassuring since I'm also moving within NYC. The screenshot tip is brilliant - I always forget to save confirmation pages and then worry later if something went wrong. Quick question - when you updated from Brooklyn to Queens, did you notice any difference in your job search requirements or the types of work you were expected to look for? I'm wondering if moving boroughs affects anything with the commute distance requirements that were mentioned earlier in the thread.
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Khalil Urso
I recently had to update my address when I moved from upstate to the NYC area, and the process was pretty smooth overall. Like others have mentioned, you'll go through the identity verification which is totally normal - just have your SSN and some basic personal info ready. One thing I'd add is that if you're moving between different regions of the state, it's worth double-checking that your local One-Stop Career Center information gets updated too, since they sometimes send notifications about job fairs and workshops to your local center. The address change itself didn't affect my weekly claims at all, and payments continued without interruption. The whole thing took maybe 15 minutes once I got logged in. Just make sure you keep filing your weekly certifications on schedule while the change processes!
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ElectricDreamer
•That's a really good point about the One-Stop Career Center! I hadn't thought about that but it makes total sense that they'd want to connect you with resources in your new area. When you moved from upstate to NYC, did you have to do anything special to update your One-Stop info, or did that happen automatically when you changed your address? I'm moving from Albany area to Long Island next month and want to make sure I don't miss any local job opportunities or required workshops.
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