Just wanted to add that when I was furloughed from my office job, I had to provide documentation proving the furlough wasn't voluntary. NYS Department of Labor required a letter from my employer stating it was due to business conditions beyond my control. Might want to ask HR for something like that.

I went through this exact situation last month when my company furloughed our entire department. Here's what I learned: File your claim immediately on labor.ny.gov - don't wait even a day because there's a waiting period anyway. When filling out the application, there's actually a specific dropdown option for "temporarily laid off/furlough" so you don't have to guess. You'll need your employer's full business name, address, and your supervisor's contact info. The process took about 10 days for me to get my first payment, but I had to call twice to clarify that furlough counts as zero hours worked (not reduced hours). Also keep any emails or documentation from your employer about the furlough - NYS Department of Labor might ask for proof later. Good luck!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare and it's honestly devastating. Filed my claim back in mid-July and I've been stuck in pending status for over 3 months now. Got the same runaround about the "high priority unit" and that 518 number when I called in October - of course, never received any call back. What's really heartbreaking is reading through everyone's stories and realizing how widespread this problem has become. We're all getting the identical script about this mysterious "high priority unit" while our financial lives fall apart waiting for benefits we've rightfully earned. I've been certifying weekly religiously, keeping detailed job search records, checking my account obsessively - doing everything they ask - but still nothing. The financial stress is becoming unbearable. I'm now months behind on rent, had to cancel my health insurance, and I'm rationing groceries. It's humiliating to have to ask family for help when I should be receiving the unemployment benefits I paid into for years. The worst part is having absolutely no realistic timeline or accountability from DOL. I'm going to try every strategy mentioned in this thread - the early morning calling, visiting local offices in person, contacting my state representative, and possibly using Claimyr to bypass their broken phone system. At this point I'm desperate enough to try anything to get someone who can actually see what's blocking my claim instead of just reading from their delay script. Thank you all for sharing your experiences. It's the only thing keeping me sane knowing I'm not alone in this completely broken system. Please keep updating us on what actually works - we need to stick together since DOL clearly has no intention of fixing this mess on their own.

I'm also dealing with this exact same issue and it's incredibly frustrating! Filed my claim back in early August and have been stuck in pending status for almost 3 months now. Called DOL in late September and got the identical story about the "high priority unit" and that 518 number - naturally, never received any call. What's really disheartening is seeing how many of us are going through this exact same experience. The consistency of everyone getting told about this mysterious "high priority unit" but then waiting months with no follow-up really suggests it's become their standard stalling tactic. I've been doing everything they asked - certifying weekly, keeping detailed job search records, checking my online account religiously - but still nothing. The financial pressure is becoming overwhelming. I'm now having to choose between paying utilities or buying groceries, and I've had to ask family for help which is humiliating when I should be receiving benefits I've paid into for years. It's maddening that they can just tell us to "keep waiting" indefinitely with zero accountability or realistic timelines. Reading through all these experiences, I'm definitely going to try the strategies people have shared - the early morning calling approach, visiting my local DOL office in person, and maybe even that Claimyr service if I can't get through otherwise. I'm also going to look into contacting my state representative as Matthew suggested, since it's clear we need to escalate outside of DOL's broken system. Thank you all for sharing your stories and suggestions. It helps to know we're not alone in this nightmare, even though it's terrifying to see how widespread this problem has become. We need to keep supporting each other and sharing what actually works since DOL clearly isn't going to fix this mess on their own!

Awesome that you got it sorted out! For future reference, I always bookmark the direct links to both the Payment History and Tax Forms sections after logging in - saves me from having to navigate through all those menus every time. The NY unemployment website really could use better organization, but at least once you know where everything is, it's pretty straightforward.

Pro tip for everyone struggling with the NY unemployment website - if you're using an older browser or have strict privacy settings, some of the navigation elements might not load properly. I had this issue where the Payment History section wasn't showing up at all until I switched to Chrome and disabled my ad blocker temporarily. Also, make sure you're fully logged out and back in if you've been on the site for a while - sometimes the session gets wonky and certain pages won't display correctly. The website definitely has its quirks but these tricks usually help when things aren't working as expected!

The system is so messed up honestly. They make it nearly impossible to get benefits even when you have legitimate reasons for quitting. I hope your sister gets approved but don't be surprised if they deny her first and she has to appeal. That's just how they operate - deny first, ask questions later.

Your sister should definitely apply - don't let her assume she's not eligible just because she quit. I work in HR and see this situation a lot. NYS Department of Labor specifically recognizes hostile work environment as good cause for quitting under Section 593 of the labor law. The key things she should gather before filing: any texts or emails showing the hostile behavior, names of coworkers who witnessed incidents, documentation of any complaints she made (even informal ones), and a detailed timeline of events. She should file as soon as possible since there's usually a waiting period anyway. Even if the initial decision takes time, she won't get benefits for weeks she doesn't claim. The worst they can say is no, but she might be surprised and get approved.

I'm dealing with this same exact issue! Started yesterday afternoon and I've been pulling my hair out trying to get in. Reading through all these comments is such a relief - I was convinced something was wrong with my specific account. Just tried the mobile browser approach that everyone's recommending and I'm still getting the session expired error, but I'm going to keep trying different combinations. The NY.gov ID app trick sounds really smart - going to try logging into that first then switching to browser like @StarStrider suggested. Really grateful that so many people have shared what worked for them. It's frustrating that this is such a recurring issue, but at least we know NYSDOL is aware and will allow backdated certifications. Going to keep trying the mobile/tablet route since that seems to be the most successful workaround. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! This thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to call their support line. 🙏

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been locked out since yesterday trying to certify and getting that same misleading "session expired" message. This thread has been SO helpful - I was starting to panic thinking my account was specifically broken. Just tried the mobile browser trick that so many of you mentioned and I'm still getting the error, but I'm not giving up! Going to try the NY.gov ID app approach next, then maybe hit it during off-peak hours like early morning. It's such a relief to know this is a system-wide issue and that NYSDOL will allow backdated certifications. I was seriously stressing about losing my benefits over what's clearly a technical problem on their end. Thanks everyone for sharing your workarounds and experiences - this community support is honestly better than their official help resources right now! Will keep trying and update if I find anything that works. 🤞