9 months waiting for NY unemployment benefits with no response - desperate for help

Unfortunately this is becoming way too common with NYSDOL. When your claim gets stuck in the system, it can take forever to get it moving again. Have you tried contacting your state representative or senator? That sometimes works when you've exhausted regular channels. Also, make sure you're still certifying every week, even though you're not getting paid. If you miss certifications and then your claim eventually gets approved, you won't get paid for those missed weeks.

OMG 9 MONTHS??!! Thats insane!! The system is broken!!! I waited 3 months last year and thought I was gonna lose my mind. Did they ever tell u WHY ur claim is under review? Usually theres something flagged on your account like an employer disputing something or identity verification issue.

I had a similar situation last year, though not quite as long (5 months for me). What finally worked was getting through to a tier 2 specialist who could actually see what was holding up my claim. The problem is that the regular agents who answer the phones often don't have access to see the specific issues or the authority to fix them. I would recommend: 1. When you call, specifically ask to be transferred to a claims specialist or tier 2 agent 2. Document everything - dates you called, who you spoke with, what they said 3. File for a hearing/appeal even though you don't have a determination yet (sounds counterintuitive but sometimes this flags your account for review) 4. Submit a formal complaint through the NYSDOL website Also, if you're experiencing financial hardship, mention that specifically when you call. There's supposed to be a process to expedite claims for people facing eviction or utility shutoffs.

After fighting with the system for 2 months, I almost gave up until I discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). It got me through to an actual NYSDOL agent in under 30 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks! The agent was able to see that my claim had a flag that needed to be removed manually. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - seriously worth trying when you've been waiting that long. The agent I spoke with cleared everything up and I got all my back pay within a week.

did u check ur spam folder? sometimes they send emails that get filtered. also the online message center might have messages u missed.

When you do finally get this resolved (and you will eventually), you should get all the back pay for every week you've been certifying. Make sure you request all the payments going back to your initial claim date. I've seen cases where people had to specifically ask for their full back pay, or they only received payments going back a certain number of weeks.

I had waitted 7 months and it was bcause they had my birthdate wrong in there system!!! One number was off and the whole claim was stuck. When I finaly got through to someone they fixed it in like 5 minuts and I got paid the next week. So frustrating! Keep trying to reach a human who actaully looks at your file.

I was in almost the exact same situation in 2025. Nine months is completely unacceptable! What worked for me was a three-pronged approach: 1) I contacted my state assembly member's office. They have liaisons who work directly with NYSDOL and can often get answers when you can't. 2) I filed a formal complaint with the NY Department of Labor Inspector General's office about the unreasonable delay. 3) I managed to get through to a senior claims examiner (not just a regular phone agent) who discovered my claim had been incorrectly flagged for potential fraud due to a previous address mismatch. Within two weeks of doing all three things, my claim was suddenly processed and I received all my back payments. Don't give up! The system is frustrating but persistence eventually pays off. And as others have said, make sure you're documenting EVERYTHING - dates, times, names of representatives you speak with, confirmation numbers, etc. This will be crucial if you need to escalate further.

I know someone who has been waiting for 11 months!!! The system is completley broken - they just dont care about regular people struggling!!!

Quick update question - have you received any form of determination letter at all, even if it was a denial? Or has your claim just been in limbo with no official determination? This matters because the appeals process is different depending on your situation.

Based on your responses, it sounds like your claim is stuck in what's sometimes called 'adjudication purgatory.' This typically happens when there's an issue that requires manual review, but your case hasn't been assigned to an adjudicator yet due to backlogs. I highly recommend using the state representative route that several of us have mentioned. Here's exactly how to do it: 1. Find your NY State Assembly member here: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/ 2. Call their office directly and explain that you've been waiting 9 months for unemployment benefits with no resolution 3. They'll have you fill out a form authorizing them to inquire about your case 4. Their office has special contacts at NYSDOL who can often get answers and resolution much faster than individuals can Please come back and let us know if any of these suggestions work for you. Your case is extreme even by NYSDOL standards, and I'm hoping you get resolution soon.