New York Unemployment
CommunityGovernment Services
Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
$19.99StandardOne price
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the NYDOL
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the NYDOL drops your call
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
NY unemployment payment pending after filing - no updates and can't reach anyone
Filed my NY unemployment claim this Sunday and still nothing's showing up. Usually the payment shows as 'pending' within a day, but there's literally no update on my payment history page. I've been calling the NYSDOL number constantly for 2 days but can't get through to anyone - just the automated system and then disconnects. Anyone else experiencing delays this week? Any tips on actually reaching a human at unemployment?
Join the conversation
Wrong payment option for NY unemployment tourism recovery payment - how to change to check?
I just received an email about my NY unemployment tourism recovery payment and stupidly selected direct deposit when I actually wanted to receive a check. Does anyone know if there's a way to change my payment option now? I've been trying to call the NYSDOL but can't get through to a real person. Has anyone else made this mistake or know who I should talk to? Really don't want my payment to get messed up since I've been waiting for this for weeks!
Join the conversation
just wondering did u get the tourism payment yet? I applied but haven't heard anything, trying to figure out how long it takes
I just got the approval email yesterday, so I don't have the actual payment yet. I applied about 3 weeks ago if that helps!
thx! i applied 2 weeks ago so hopefully i hear something soon
UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what worked! I tried calling for days with no luck, but after seeing the suggestions here, I tried the Claimyr service that someone mentioned. It actually connected me to an agent in about 30 minutes. The rep was able to change my payment method from direct deposit to check! She said I caught it just in time as my payment was scheduled to go out next week. Thanks everyone for your help!
That's great news! Glad you got it sorted out before they sent it to the wrong account.
Lucky you got through! Make sure to keep checking your mail - sometimes those checks can take forever to arrive or get lost. I'd call again if you don't receive it within 2 weeks after they say it's sent.
Lost my NY unemployment debit card - how long does direct deposit switch take?
I just realized I lost my NY unemployment KeyBank debit card yesterday and I'm freaking out a little. Already reported it lost to KeyBank, but now I'm thinking I should just switch to direct deposit instead of getting a replacement card. Has anyone done this? If I change to direct deposit today, will my payment this week go to my bank account or will I still need to wait for a new card? Really need this money for rent next week and can't afford any delays.
Join the conversation
After using Claimyr, the agent explained to me that when you switch payment methods, the timing depends on where you are in the payment cycle. If you're just about to get paid (like within 48 hours), the change won't apply to that payment - it'll go to whatever method was active before. The change applies to the next payment cycle. Just wanted to clarify since there's some confusion in the responses.
That's absolutely correct. The payment system locks your payment method about 48 hours before your benefit processes. Any changes made after that cutoff apply to the next payment cycle.
UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know I followed the advice here. I used Claimyr to reach an agent who confirmed my direct deposit will be active by Monday (just in time for next payment). They also said my replacement card is being expedited at no extra charge. Thank you all for your help!!
Great! Glad it worked out. For future reference, it's always good to have direct deposit set up anyway - much more secure than the debit cards.
NY unemployment website down - can't certify after claim approval
I just got a call saying my claim is complete and I need to certify for my weekly NY unemployment benefits, but labor.nys.gov isn't working at all! I've called literally EVERY number listed on that site and all I get is automated messages about 'experiencing extremely high call volume.' I'm beyond frustrated at this point. I need to speak to an actual human being! My rent is due next week and if my claim gets delayed or denied because of THEIR website issues, I'm going to lose it. Does anyone know how to get through to a real person? Any special tricks or best times to call? I'm desperate here and don't want to mess up my claim over something that isn't even my fault! 😤
Join the conversation
My sisters boyfriends brother works for unemployment (not in NY but still) and he says their whole computer system is from like 1995 and crashes ALL THE TIME. They know it's a problem but the state won't pay to fix it properly. They just keep patching it together. It's ridiculous.
i heard they spent millions on the new system and it STILL doesn't work lmao govt efficiency at its finest
UPDATE: Just a heads-up to everyone in this thread - I've been told by several claimants that the website is working again as of this morning. They apparently fixed whatever was causing the crashes. @OP - try logging in now and see if you can certify! If not, definitely try that automated phone certification line that was mentioned.
OMG IT'S WORKING!! Just logged in and was able to certify for the week! Thanks everyone for your help and advice. What a relief!!
cool! make sure you certify every week from now on even if site is acting weird. use the phone system as backup
NY unemployment payment late today - is anyone else missing theirs?
My regular NY unemployment payment has always shown up in my account on Tuesday mornings like clockwork since January, but nothing's come through today. The payment status just says 'pending' in my account. I certified on Sunday like usual, no issues. Has anyone else not received their payment today? Is NYSDOL having some kind of delay? Getting worried since rent is due Friday.
Join the conversation
My payment was a day late last week with no explanation, then suddenly appeared. The NY unemployment system is totally overloaded right now with the new claims processing system they implemented in January. I've heard they're having lots of technical glitches. My neighbor works for the state (not unemployment specifically) and said there's a lot of backend issues they're still working out with the new software. I wouldn't panic unless it goes beyond Thursday.
That's reassuring to hear. I hadn't heard about a new system, but that explains a lot. Thanks!
Just an update for everyone in this thread - NYSDOL just posted on their Twitter account that there was indeed a processing delay affecting some payments that were certified on Sunday. They expect all pending payments to be released by tomorrow morning. If anyone doesn't receive their payment by Thursday, they're recommending you call the payment processing line directly.
Thank you for sharing! Just checked and my payment status just changed from 'pending' to 'released' about an hour ago. What a relief!
mines still pending 😩 guess ill wait till tomorrow
Lim Wong
One other thing to check - make sure you didn't exhaust your benefit year or hit your maximum benefit amount. If you've been collecting for close to a year, your benefit year might have ended and you'd need to file a new claim rather than just certifying. The system doesn't always give a clear message about this.
0 coins
Kai Santiago
AuthorI just started collecting three months ago, so definitely haven't hit my benefit year limit. And I still have about $7,800 in benefits remaining according to my account summary. Good suggestion though!
0 coins
Kai Santiago
UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at NYSDOL! I used that Claimyr service that someone mentioned here and got connected to an agent in about 30 minutes. Turns out there was an "identity verification hold" on my account that happened randomly - the agent said they do periodic checks and mine got flagged. She released the hold while I was on the phone and said my payment should process tonight. Just wanted to update in case anyone else runs into this issue!
0 coins
Dananyl Lear
thanks for updating!! i might try that service too if mine doesn't show up tomorrow
0 coins
Lim Wong
Good to hear you got it resolved! Those random identity verification holds have become more common since all the fraud issues they had in 2023-2024. At least the agent was able to fix it immediately.
0 coins