Another option that worked for me recently - if you're a member of a credit union or have a relationship with a local bank, sometimes their mortgage/lending departments have direct contacts at NYSDOL for verification purposes. I was applying for a car loan and my credit union's loan officer made a call on my behalf and got my benefit end date confirmation within 24 hours. It's worth asking if your housing application is through a bank or credit union - they might have resources that individual applicants don't know about. Not guaranteed to work everywhere, but definitely worth a shot if you're still hitting roadblocks with the other methods mentioned here!

For anyone still reading this thread - I just want to emphasize how valuable all these different approaches are! I'm bookmarking this entire conversation because I work in social services and constantly have clients who need unemployment verification letters for various programs (housing vouchers, food assistance applications, etc.). The variety of solutions here - from the online portal method to contacting assembly representatives to using third-party services like Claimyr - gives people multiple backup plans when one approach doesn't work. It's also really helpful to see the real experiences (both successes and frustrations) rather than just the generic info you get on official government websites. This is exactly the kind of crowd-sourced knowledge that makes these community forums so valuable!

I'm going through this exact situation right now too - my benefits ended in August and I'm still searching. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and gives me hope that I'm not alone in this struggle. One thing I wanted to add that helped me recently was reaching out to my former colleagues and letting them know I was still looking. I was embarrassed to do it at first, but several people offered to keep an eye out for opportunities or make introductions. Sometimes people in your network hear about openings before they're even posted. I've also started attending virtual job fairs - they're happening almost weekly now and while they can feel impersonal, I've had a few good conversations with recruiters who remembered me for later opportunities. The New York State Department of Labor actually hosts them regularly. For immediate financial help, I second what others said about SNAP and local food banks. Also check if your area has any emergency rental assistance programs still active - some counties in NY still have COVID relief funds available. The mental health aspect is so real. Some days I can barely get motivated to apply anywhere. What's helping me is setting small daily goals (like "apply to 3 jobs today" instead of "find a job") and celebrating those small wins. We're all going to get through this - this job market won't last forever. Hang in there everyone!

I'm in a very similar situation - my benefits ended in September too and I'm still searching. This thread has been incredibly valuable and given me so many new resources to explore that I didn't know existed. One thing I wanted to share that's helped me stay organized is creating a simple spreadsheet to track not just job applications, but also all the different assistance programs and resources people have mentioned here. I have columns for program name, application status, contact info, and follow-up dates. It's helped me feel more in control of the process instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the different options. I've also found that joining local Facebook groups for my city/county has been helpful - people often share information about job openings, assistance programs, and local resources that don't get advertised widely. Sometimes neighbors know about opportunities before they hit the major job boards. For anyone feeling discouraged by the lack of response to applications - I started keeping track and realized I was getting about a 2% response rate, which I learned is actually pretty normal in this market. It helped me understand that the silence isn't personal, it's just the reality of how competitive things are right now. Thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences and resources. It really helps to know we're not going through this alone, and seeing people who've made it through similar situations gives me hope.

Hey! I went through this exact same confusion when I first filed. Here's a step-by-step that worked for me: 1) Log into my.ny.gov, 2) Look for "Unemployment Services" on your main dashboard (it might be in a dropdown menu), 3) Click "Unemployment Insurance Online Services", 4) Then "View and Maintain Account Information." Your claim status should be right there at the top. Since you filed 10 days ago, it'll probably say "Pending Eligibility Review" like others mentioned. Don't start filing weekly claims until it changes to "Active" - I made that mistake and it caused issues. Also, definitely check the "Messages" tab regularly because they'll send important updates there that you need to respond to quickly. The whole system is super confusing but once you find that main unemployment page, bookmark it! You'll be checking it a lot over the next few weeks.

I just want to echo what everyone else has said about how confusing the my.ny.gov site is! When I first filed, I spent hours clicking through random links before I found the right place. One additional tip that saved me time - once you do find your unemployment services page, you can also check if there are any scheduled maintenance windows posted. The site goes down for updates pretty frequently (usually overnight or early morning), and knowing about planned outages helped me avoid the frustration of thinking there was an issue with my claim when it was just the website being down. Also, if you're checking your status and see any weird error messages or blank pages, try clearing your browser cache and cookies - the site seems to get glitchy with stored data sometimes.

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! The key thing is to be completely transparent about your work start date on your final weekly certification. You'll file one last weekly claim where you report that you're starting work (include the exact date), and then you simply stop filing after that. NYS DOL will automatically close your claim after a period of inactivity. Don't worry about "canceling" anything - there's no formal cancellation process. Just make sure you don't continue to certify for weeks when you're working full-time, as that would create an overpayment issue. Good luck with the new job!

Congratulations on landing the new job! I just want to emphasize what others have said about being extra careful with that final weekly claim. When you report your start date, make sure it's the exact date - not approximate. I've seen people run into issues because they weren't precise with dates. Also, if your new job starts mid-week, you'll need to report any days you worked during that benefit week along with your earnings. NYS Department of Labor is very thorough about cross-checking employment records, so accuracy is key. Once you stop filing, you should receive a determination letter in a few weeks confirming your claim closure. Keep all your documentation from your UI claim period just in case!

The waiting is the worst part honestly. I remember refreshing my account like every hour when I first applied. Just try to be patient and make sure all your information was accurate when you filed.

I'm in a similar situation - filed my claim 8 days ago and still showing "under review." The anxiety is real when you're waiting on money you desperately need! From what I've been reading online, most people seem to get their determination within 2 weeks if it's a straightforward layoff situation. Try to stay positive and definitely follow the advice about filing your weekly claims even while waiting. I've been doing that since my first eligible week. Hang in there!