This is such a relief to see that you got it resolved! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - missed certifying two weeks ago because I was in the hospital and just realized my claim shows "break in claim" status. Your experience gives me hope that I can get this fixed quickly too. Did the agent ask for any specific documentation about your illness, or was mentioning the doctor's visit enough? I have my hospital discharge papers if that would help my case.

I'm dealing with a break in claim situation too and this whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I missed certifying two weeks ago because I was caring for my sick elderly mother and completely forgot. Reading about everyone's experiences gives me hope that I can get this resolved. Does anyone know if caring for a family member during a medical emergency would qualify for backdating, or is it mainly just for your own medical issues? I have some documentation from her doctor visits if that would help. Planning to try calling tomorrow but wanted to see if anyone has been in a similar caregiving situation.

I was in a similar situation when I got stuck in Canada for 2 months due to visa issues. Here's what finally worked for me: 1) Contact your local NY state senator or assembly member - they have direct lines to NYSDOL that bypass the regular system 2) If you need immediate help, try claimyr.com - they'll wait on hold and connect you to an actual agent (worked for me when nothing else did) 3) For the login issue, sometimes clearing all cookies/cache and trying incognito mode helps with the location blocking 4) Keep trying that fax number but ALSO send everything certified mail to: NYS Department of Labor, Unemployment Insurance Division, PO Box 15131, Albany NY 12212-5131. The physical mail sometimes gets processed faster than fax. Don't give up - I know how stressful this is when you're overseas and bills are piling up! 🙏

I was stuck overseas for 3 months and went through this exact nightmare! Here's what actually worked: First, don't waste more money on international calls - the regular lines are impossible even from the US. I tried everything until someone mentioned claimyr.com and honestly it was a lifesaver. They handle all the calling/waiting and connect you directly to a real NY unemployment agent. Cost way less than my failed international call attempts and actually got results. Also, while you're waiting, send everything by certified mail to their Albany office (someone posted the address above) AND email your assembly person's office - they have special contacts at NYSDOL. The key is getting an actual human who can put notes on your account about being overseas. Once I talked to an agent through claimyr, they gave me a special email address just for international claimants and my whole situation got resolved in days instead of months. Don't let them penalize you for their broken system!

The whole system is broken anyway. They make it so complicated on purpose to discourage people from applying. I worked seasonal landscaping and it took them 6 weeks to process my claim even though everything was straightforward.

Just wanted to add that timing matters when you file. I worked at a summer camp and made the mistake of waiting until my savings ran out before applying. You should file as soon as you're laid off because benefits can be backdated but there are limits. Also, keep all your paperwork from your employer about the layoff - sometimes they'll ask for documentation about whether it was truly a seasonal layoff or if there were performance issues. The process isn't as scary as it seems, just make sure you're honest about your job search efforts when you file your weekly claims.

I'm new to this community and currently going through this exact same stressful situation! Made a phone certification error three days ago where I accidentally said I wasn't actively seeking work when I actually was. I've been losing sleep over this, convinced I was going to face fraud charges or massive penalties. Finding this thread has been such a lifesaver - it's both reassuring and eye-opening to see how common these phone system mix-ups really are. I immediately sent a detailed message through the secure portal explaining exactly what happened and when, and I'm planning to try that Claimyr service since I've had zero luck with the regular phone line after dozens of attempts. The practical advice here is incredible - I had no idea about the TC-FOC form or that there were specific correction processes in place. I'm documenting everything now and keeping a detailed log of all my contact attempts. Reading success stories like @fa735b3835d3's where they got everything resolved in one call after getting through gives me so much hope. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community and sharing your experiences. It really helps to know that acting quickly is key and that most people get their situations resolved without major penalties when they're proactive about reporting errors. Will definitely update once I manage to reach an agent!

I'm new to this community and just went through this exact same terrifying experience! I made a phone certification error last week where I accidentally said I wasn't able to work when I actually was available. The panic was absolutely overwhelming - I kept imagining worst-case scenarios about fraud investigations and huge penalties. This thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. Like so many others here, I immediately sent a message through the secure portal explaining what happened, and I tried the Claimyr service that several people recommended. It actually worked! I got through to an agent after about 25 minutes, and she was super understanding about the mistake. The agent confirmed that phone system errors happen all the time and said the key thing was that I reported it immediately. She corrected my certification right there on the call and explained that since I was proactive about fixing it, there wouldn't be any fraud flags or penalties - just need to repay the incorrect payment once it processes. For anyone currently dealing with this nightmare - don't panic, document everything, and keep trying to reach them. The agents really do understand that the phone system is confusing and these are honest mistakes when you report them quickly. This community has been such a lifeline during this stressful process!

I remember when mine was about to run out last year, I got some kind of letter in the mail maybe 2 weeks before? But honestly the whole system is such a mess, I wouldn't count on getting proper notice. Just keep track yourself.

You can also calculate it yourself pretty easily! Take your weekly benefit amount and multiply by 26 weeks - that's your maximum. Then check how much you've already collected in your payment history. The difference is what you have left. I started doing this math every few weeks so I could plan ahead. Also worth noting that if you're getting close to running out, you might want to look into whether you qualify for any job training programs through NYS Department of Labor - some of them can extend your benefits while you're in training.