11 weeks with NY unemployment benefits stuck on pending - need tricks to reach a human
I'm seriously losing my mind here. Been waiting for ELEVEN WEEKS with my NY unemployment benefits still showing as 'pending' with absolutely no movement. I've called the 888-581-5812 number probably 50+ times but can never get through to an actual person - just that automated system that eventually disconnects me. I've even tried messaging them twice on Twitter with zero response. My rent is due next week and I'm completely out of options. Has anyone successfully gotten through to a real human being lately? Are there specific times to call or menu options that actually work? At this point I'll try literally anything.
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Amina Bah
I got through last month after weeks of trying. Here's what worked for me: call exactly at 8:00am when they open, press 1 for English, then 2 for claim questions, then 1 again when they ask about existing claims. Don't press anything when they try to direct you to automated options - the system will eventually transfer you to a queue for a rep after about 30-40 seconds of silence. Still took about 90 minutes on hold, but I did get a human who fixed my issues. Good luck!
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Paolo Longo
•Thank you SO much for the detailed instructions. I'll try this first thing tomorrow morning. Did they explain why your claim was stuck on pending for so long?
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Oliver Becker
omg 11 weeks is crazy!! im on week 4 and thought that was bad. tried calling like 20 times and gave up
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CosmicCowboy
•Same! The phone system is completely broken IMO. I've tried calling at all different times of day and can never get through. It's a total joke.
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Natasha Orlova
I was in the EXACT same situation in January. 9 weeks pending and couldn't reach anyone. They NEVER answer those Twitter messages - complete waste of time! I was literally in tears every day thinking I'd lose my apartment. Have you tried contacting your state assembly person? That's what I did as a last resort and suddenly my claim was processed 3 days later. Google your district representative and send them an email explaining your situation.
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Paolo Longo
•I hadn't thought of contacting my assembly person! That's a great idea. Did you have to provide them with any specific information from your claim?
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Natasha Orlova
•Yes! Send them your full name, last 4 of SSN, phone #, NYSDOL ID if you have it, and brief description of your issue. My rep's office had me fill out a consent form too. They have special contacts at unemployment who can actually fix things!
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Javier Cruz
After dealing with this system for YEARS, I can tell you the phone system is designed to keep people out. The 888 number is essentially useless during peak times. If you've been pending for 11 weeks, there's probably a specific issue with your claim that requires manual review. Typical reasons for long pending status: 1. Identity verification issue 2. Employment history discrepancy 3. Question about availability for work 4. Previous overpayment on record 5. Employer contesting your claim Any of these sound familiar? Knowing the specific issue helps target your approach.
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Paolo Longo
•I did have a job for only 3 weeks between two longer employment periods. Maybe that's causing a problem? My former employer definitely wouldn't contest it though - I was laid off with a whole department and they've been very supportive.
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Javier Cruz
•That short employment period could absolutely be the issue. The system sometimes flags these as potential disqualifying factors. What happens is your claim gets routed to a claims examiner who needs to manually review it, and there's a massive backlog of these cases. You need to speak with someone who can specifically look at claims under review, not just the general helpline staff.
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Emma Thompson
After spending literal weeks calling that useless 888 number, I finally got my issues resolved using Claimyr. It's a service that basically calls for you and gets you in the phone queue, then calls you when they have an agent on the line. Seriously worth it for the sanity alone. I was skeptical but they got me connected to an actual NYSDOL agent in about 35 minutes. The agent was able to see that my claim had been flagged for review due to some employment history questions, and she pushed it through right away. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE and the site is claimyr.com
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Malik Jackson
•you had to PAY to talk to unemployment?? thats messed up the system is so broken they got services charging people who already dont have money lol
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Paolo Longo
•I've never heard of this service before. I'm going to check out that video right now. At this point, I'd try anything to get this resolved. Did the agent you spoke with explain why your claim was stuck for so long?
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CosmicCowboy
I kinda gave up on the phone and tried the in-person career center instead. The one in downtown Brooklyn actually had unemployment staff who could look things up. Had to wait like 2 hours but at least got to talk to someone!
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Javier Cruz
•This is actually excellent advice that many people overlook. The NY Career Centers don't advertise it widely, but many locations do have designated NYSDOL staff who can access the same systems as the phone agents. They can't handle every issue, but for claims stuck in pending status, they often can identify the problem and either fix it on the spot or escalate it properly.
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Paolo Longo
•There's a career center about 40 minutes from me by train. I might try this option if I can't get through by phone this week. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Malik Jackson
try calling at 7:58am i got thru last week BUT you gotta be ready cus everybody try this trick
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Oliver Becker
•i tried this and got the "we're currently closed" message lol. they must have ppl watching the exact time or something
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Amina Bah
Since you've been waiting so long, make sure you're documenting everything. Keep a log of all your call attempts (dates/times), take screenshots of your pending claim status, and save any communications. If there's eventually a favorable resolution, you should be entitled to all backdated payments, but having documentation helps if there's any dispute about how long you've been trying to resolve this. Also, when you do finally reach someone, get their employee ID or first name and last initial for your records.
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Paolo Longo
•That's really smart advice. I haven't been keeping detailed records, but I'll start today. I've been certifying every week even though I'm not getting paid, so hopefully that shows I've been actively trying to maintain my claim.
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Javier Cruz
Just checking back - any progress with your claim? Did you try any of the suggested methods to reach a representative?
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Paolo Longo
•UPDATE: I actually got through! I tried the 8am call method but still couldn't get through. Then I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above, and it worked! Got connected to an agent in about 45 minutes. Turns out there was an issue with my identity verification documents from when I first filed. The agent was able to clear it right there on the phone, and she said I should receive all my backpay within 3-5 business days. I'm cautiously optimistic! Thank you all for your help and suggestions during this stressful time.
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