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THE NY UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN!! They DELIBERATELY make it hard to get your money hoping you'll give up. I had the EXACT same issue last month and had to call 67 TIMES before getting through. When I finally talked to someone they said "oh it was just a glitch in the system" and fixed it in 30 seconds. They do this ON PURPOSE to save money!!!! Everyone should file complaints with the state oversight board!
While the system certainly has its frustrations, most delays are due to verification procedures and high volume rather than deliberate obstruction. The NYSDOL processes thousands of claims daily, and the verification systems are designed to prevent fraud, which increased 400% during the pandemic. These protective measures sometimes create legitimate delays, but there's no evidence of intentionally withholding approved benefits.
FINAL UPDATE: All my payments just hit my account this morning! 5 weeks of backpay all at once. Such a relief! If anyone else is dealing with this, definitely keep calling until you get through to someone who can actually check your specific claim status. Don't just trust when they say "it's processing" or "it should be there next week" - ask for specific details about what's causing the delay.
That's fantastic news! So glad it worked out for you. When you get that backpay, make sure you set aside some for taxes - they don't always withhold the correct amount on backdated claims!
I just wanted to add - if you're really concerned about privacy, you might want to set up direct deposit for future payments if you haven't already. That way there's no mail at all. You can do it through your NY.gov account under payment preferences. Much more discrete!
Excellent suggestion. Direct deposit is available for most NY unemployment benefits, including the tourism recovery payments. You can set it up through your NY.gov account by navigating to the "Payment and Tax Information" section and selecting "Update Direct Deposit Information." You'll need your bank routing number and account number. Changes typically take 3-5 business days to process.
Slightly off topic but does anyone know how much longer they'll be sending these tourism recovery checks out? My sister worked in a hotel in 2022-2023 and lost her job but hasn't received anything yet. Wondering if she should call about it or if they're still processing applications?
The Tourism Recovery Benefit Program is scheduled to continue disbursing payments through October 2025. However, eligibility is being processed in batches based on employment verification timelines. If your sister was verified in the early rounds, she should have received payment by now. I'd recommend she contact NYSDOL to check her status, especially if her NY.gov account doesn't show any pending tourism recovery benefit. The verification process does take longer for certain employers who were slow to submit employment records.
Update: Just got a letter saying I need to do a phone interview with a claims examiner next Tuesday. Getting nervous but at least something's happening. Thanks for all the advice everyone!
That's actually good news - it means your claim is moving forward. For the interview: 1. Be honest but concise 2. Stick to facts, not emotions 3. Explain clearly that you followed proper call-out procedures 4. Emphasize your good attendance record before this incident 5. Have documentation of the emergency ready to fax/email if requested 6. Mention that your union filed a grievance Good luck! Many claims with similar circumstances get approved.
This reminds me of when my dad got fired from his trucking job after 12 years because he missed two days when there was that huge snowstorm in 2024. He did everything right but they still gave him a hard time with unemployment. He finally got approved but then they underpaid him for like 6 months until he got it fixed. The system is so broken... hope you have better luck than he did!
Connor O'Brien
I had the same problem last month when they were doing some other update. What worked for me was trying to log in using the mobile site instead of the regular website. For some reason it was still working even when the main site was down. Try typing m.labor.ny.gov instead of the regular address.
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NeonNova
•Great tip! Just tried the mobile site and was able to at least see my account summary page. Still getting errors when trying to access detailed payment info, but it's better than nothing. Thanks!
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Ava Thompson
For anyone still experiencing issues, the NYSDOL just posted an update on their social media. The system should be fully operational again by 9am tomorrow. They're also extending all certification deadlines by 3 days to accommodate for the downtime.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•They ALWAYS say that and then it never works right. I'll believe it when I see it.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•thx for the update! good to know about the deadline extension
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