Just wanted to add my voice to this thread as someone who's been dealing with the exact same issues for the past 3 weeks. The NY unemployment system is completely broken right now - I've made over 90 calls with nothing but busy signals, and the website crashes every single time I try to certify. It's absolutely maddening when you're already stressed about being unemployed and then can't even access the benefits you've paid into. Thank you so much to everyone who's shared their experiences and solutions here! This thread has been like finding a treasure map when you're lost in a maze. I'm definitely going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) tomorrow morning at 6am, along with @Aaron's button sequence strategy (1, then 6, then 1). If those don't work, the Claimyr service seems to be the last resort that actually gets results. It's honestly disgusting that we need an entire community support network just to access basic unemployment benefits, but I'm so grateful this exists when the official system completely abandons us. Reading about everyone's eventual success gives me hope that persistence will eventually pay off. The financial anxiety is real when your safety net is broken, but we're all in this together! Will definitely update if any of these methods work for me.

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now and honestly, finding this thread feels like discovering a lifeline! I've been stuck trying to certify for the past 2 weeks with constant website crashes and have made probably 60+ calls with nothing but busy signals or that automated system that just hangs up on me. The stress of being unemployed and then not being able to access the benefits system is just overwhelming. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful though - I'm definitely going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) that @Aaron shared first thing tomorrow morning, along with the early morning calling strategy at 6am. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need to become system experts just to access our own benefits, but I'm so grateful everyone is sharing what actually works. The financial anxiety is so real when you're already struggling and then the safety net itself is broken. But seeing so many people eventually break through this mess gives me hope that persistence will pay off. This community support has been amazing when the official system completely fails us. I'll definitely update if any of these methods work for me - fingers crossed!

Just wanted to add my recent experience for anyone still following this thread. I was in the exact same situation as Felicity - had an "outstanding issue" on my claim for about 3 weeks and couldn't get through on the phone. After reading all the suggestions here, I decided to try multiple approaches at once. I scheduled a virtual appointment (got one for 2 weeks out) and also tried Claimyr the same day. The Claimyr service got me through in about 45 minutes, and the agent identified that my issue was related to a work search requirement that wasn't properly documented in their system. She was able to clear it immediately and my payments resumed within 2 days. I ended up canceling the virtual appointment since the issue was resolved. For anyone dealing with this - definitely try Claimyr first since it's much faster than waiting for appointments. The service fee was worth not having to stress about bills for another 2+ weeks. Also learned that these "outstanding issues" are often technical glitches or missing documentation rather than actual problems with your eligibility. Hope this helps someone else avoid the weeks of anxiety I went through!

I've been lurking on this thread because I'm dealing with the exact same "outstanding issue" problem that everyone's describing. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this nightmare! Based on what I'm seeing here, it sounds like Claimyr might be my best bet since multiple people have had success with it. I'm hesitant about the service fee when money's already tight, but if it can get me connected to an agent in under an hour versus waiting 2-3 weeks for an appointment, it seems worth it. Has anyone who used Claimyr had any issues with the service itself? Also wondering if there's a best time of day to try calling through them - I know the regular NYSDOL lines are supposedly less busy early morning or late afternoon. Really appreciate everyone sharing their stories here - it's given me hope that this can actually be resolved relatively quickly!

I've been following this thread closely while dealing with my own NY unemployment calling nightmare - been trying to get through for over a week about a delayed payment that's been "processing" for 3 weeks now. This community has shared such incredible, detailed strategies that I never would have thought of! I'm definitely going to try that Tuesday/Wednesday 2:15-2:45 PM window that so many people have had success with, and I'm borrowing my neighbor's landline tomorrow since multiple people mentioned better connection rates. The 45-second callback timing tip is fascinating - such a specific detail that shows how broken this system is that we have to time our callbacks to the second! I'm also going to start keeping a detailed call log like several people suggested to track patterns. Reading all these success stories gives me actual hope for the first time in weeks. It's both frustrating and comforting to know this is affecting so many people - makes me feel less like I'm doing something wrong. Thank you all for turning what felt impossible into something manageable with real strategies that actually work!

I've been reading through this entire thread while dealing with my own NY unemployment phone struggles, and wow - the collective wisdom here is incredible! I've been trying to get through for 5 days about a benefit amount discrepancy and getting nowhere with the usual "high call volume" runaround. Based on all the success stories shared here, I'm going to try the Tuesday/Wednesday 2:15-2:45 PM window that so many people have mentioned, using my office landline instead of my cell phone. The 45-second callback timing strategy is such a clever detail - it's amazing how precise we have to be just to work around a broken system! I'm also going to start that call tracking log approach to identify patterns like others suggested. It's both maddening and reassuring to see this is such a widespread issue affecting so many of us. This thread has given me actual hope and concrete strategies instead of just random attempts. Thank you everyone for sharing such detailed, practical advice - this community support is exactly what we all need when dealing with such a frustrating bureaucratic nightmare!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now! Been trying to get through for 6 days straight and that "high call volume" message followed by an instant disconnect is absolutely infuriating. It's like they've designed the system to actively discourage people from getting help when we need it most. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both comforting (knowing I'm not alone) and eye-opening about just how broken the NYSDOL system really is. I'm definitely going to try that 8am sharp strategy @Zoe mentioned - seems like precise timing is crucial with this mess. Also going to have all my documents ready beforehand like @Mei suggested, including my NY.gov ID and PIN. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need a whole battle plan just to contact our own state agency! If the early morning calls don't work, I might look into that Claimyr service @Liam used. The fact that your issue was just a 2-minute verification fix after weeks of trying really shows how backwards this system is. Thanks everyone for sharing your strategies and creating this supportive community. We shouldn't have to band together just to access basic unemployment services, but I'm grateful we can help each other navigate this bureaucratic nightmare!

I'm going through the EXACT same thing right now and it's driving me absolutely crazy! Been trying to reach someone for the past week and that "high call volume" disconnect is like a punch to the gut every single time. What's really frustrating is that I can see my claim has some kind of hold on it in the online system, but there's literally no way to fix it without talking to a real person. I'm definitely going to try that 8am sharp strategy everyone keeps mentioning - seems like timing is everything with this broken system. Also going to make sure I have all my documents ready like @Mei suggested. It's honestly insane that we need a military operation just to contact our own state agency! If the morning calls don't work after a few attempts, I might have to bite the bullet and try that Claimyr service @Liam mentioned. I'm usually skeptical of third-party services, but at this point I'm desperate and can't afford to miss another payment cycle. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - it really helps to know we're not alone in this nightmare! Will update if I manage to break through with any of these strategies.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know that my payment came through this morning! So it took exactly 3 business days from when I spoke with the DOL representative. Thank you all for your help and advice!

That's such a relief to hear your payment came through so quickly! Three business days is way better than the week+ that some others experienced. I'm in a similar situation right now - missed my appointment last Friday and just got through to someone yesterday. The rep I spoke with also said "it's been noted in the system" but didn't give me a confirmation number. Based on your timeline, I'm hoping to see my payment by early next week. Thanks for following up with the community - it really helps to know what to expect!