I useto work for DOL (not in NY but similar system). The reason they have brackets instead of exact hours is to make it easier to match employer reporting with employee claims. Most employers report in whole hours only. The safest approach is ALWAYS round up. You might get a few dollars less that week but you won't trigger a fraud investigation.

Just went through this same situation last month! You definitely want to round UP to the 11-16 hours bracket. I made the mistake of rounding down initially and it caused a 4-week delay in my benefits while they "investigated" the discrepancy. The rep I finally spoke to explained that any time worked beyond the exact hour should be reported in the higher bracket. It's better to potentially get slightly reduced benefits for one week than deal with the headache of having your entire claim frozen. The NY system is designed to catch these small inconsistencies, so always err on the side of caution and round up!

NY unemployment is the WORST. I've never dealt with a more incompetent organization in my life. I started getting the "file new claim" thing after certifying for 6 weeks straight. Took me forever to get it fixed.

I'm going through something similar right now. Just certified on Sunday and usually get paid on Wednesday, but nothing showed up. When I log in, it's showing "File New Claim" but also says I certified for this week - makes absolutely no sense! I haven't received any letters or emails about a hearing though. Did you ever find out what triggered the hearing requirement? I'm worried I'm going to be stuck in this limbo for weeks like some of the others here. The inconsistency with different reps giving different answers is so frustrating.

This is incredibly helpful - thank you for sharing your experience! I've been dealing with a similar situation where my payments stopped in December with just a generic "pending review" message. I've called probably 60+ times and sent countless messages through the portal with zero response. Reading all these comments about contacting assembly members and using services like Claimyr is giving me hope that there might actually be a way forward. Going to try reaching out to my assembly person first thing tomorrow morning with all my documentation. It's frustrating that we have to jump through these hoops just to get basic assistance, but at least now I know there are options beyond the black hole that is the regular customer service line.

Wow, this is exactly what I needed to see! I've been stuck in unemployment limbo for 2 months now - payments just stopped with a vague "under review" message and absolutely no way to get answers. I've called probably 80+ times, always getting disconnected or stuck on hold for hours. The online portal messages go into a black hole. I was starting to think I'd never get this resolved and would just have to give up on the money I'm owed. But reading about contacting assembly members and all these success stories is giving me real hope for the first time in weeks. Going to contact both my assembly person AND state senator tomorrow with all my documentation. Thank you for posting this - it's a lifeline for people like me who are drowning in this broken system!

omg I litterally thought I was the only one dealing with this!! my effective days went to 0 two weeks ago and then my payments just stopped completely. No notification or anything. I called 47 times yesterday (yes I counted) and couldn't get through to anyone. This is so frustrating!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my effective days hit zero about a week ago and I'm getting really anxious about what happens next. Reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying! It sounds like the system is supposed to automatically transition you to extended benefits (PEUC) but fails pretty regularly. I'm definitely going to be proactive and not wait around for it to fix itself. Has anyone had success getting through by calling first thing Monday morning at 8am? I might try that before looking into the claimyr service people are mentioning. Also wondering if I should keep certifying even though my account shows zero days - sounds like that's important to do regardless.

Another tip that might help - if you're still having trouble after the PIN activates, try logging in during off-peak hours (like early morning or late evening). The system tends to be less glitchy when fewer people are using it. I learned this the hard way after trying to certify during lunch breaks and getting nothing but error messages. Also, @Honorah King, make sure you're going to the official ny.gov unemployment site and not any third-party sites that might look similar. There are some sketchy copycat sites out there that can confuse the process. Hope you get it sorted soon!

I had this exact same problem a few weeks ago! The PIN creation process is so confusing - they really don't explain what happens next. What worked for me was logging into the mobile app instead of the website after my PIN was activated. For some reason, the certification option showed up there first before it appeared on the desktop site. Also, try checking under different menu sections - mine was buried under "Weekly Certification" instead of being on the main dashboard where you'd expect it. The whole system is honestly a nightmare to navigate, but don't give up! Once you find it the first time, it gets easier. Sending you good vibes that you get this sorted out soon! 🤞