New York Unemployment
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Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
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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 back pay delayed 3 months while new claim approved in a week - account fraud issues
I'm so frustrated with my NY unemployment situation right now. I just filed a new claim because my BYE (Benefit Year End) date was up, and it was approved within a WEEK. But I've been waiting almost 3 MONTHS for my back pay from the previous claim period! Every single time I call, they just say 'it's in review.' My account was clearly compromised by fraud at some point and I didn't have the right ID verification documents to claim those missing weeks. Now I'm stuck waiting while they take forever to resolve it. Can I somehow request for the back pay to be expedited? This is completely ridiculous - I'm owed thousands of dollars and they somehow managed to approve my new claim super fast but can't figure out my back pay situation? Has anyone else dealt with this nightmare? 🤦🏽♀️
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Anyone reach a real person at NY unemployment by phone? Been trying for 3 months with no luck
Does anyone have a phone number that they actually talked to someone at NY unemployment? I have been trying for 3 months and it keeps saying they are busy 🙄 I've tried calling at different times - early morning, late afternoon, midday - nothing works! Always get the automated message saying high call volume and to try again later. I need to discuss why my payments suddenly stopped in February but can't get through to a human. This is so frustrating. Has anyone successfully gotten through recently? What's the trick?
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the whole system is broken. i gotta certify every week but cant talk to nobody when theres a problem?? make it make sense!!!
Based on your description of payments stopping suddenly in February, this is likely related to the quarterly wage verification process that runs automatically in the system. For quickest resolution, log into your NY.gov account and check your messages and document section - there's often a request for additional verification that causes the payment pause. If nothing appears there, you absolutely need to speak with an agent. One effective method: use the 'request callback' feature on the website rather than calling directly. It became available in late 2024 and though it can still take 2-3 days, it's much more reliable than trying to call in. You'll find it under Account Settings > Customer Support > Request Callback.
I checked my messages and documents section yesterday and didn't see anything! I'll try the callback feature right now. Thank you so much for this specific advice. I had no idea there was a callback option.
NY unemployment tourism check deposit problems - anyone else struggling?
Has anyone else had issues depositing or cashing their NY unemployment tourism check? I received mine yesterday (finally!) after waiting since January, but my bank is giving me a hard time about accepting it. The teller said something about the check format being unusual and put a 10-day hold on it. I'm freaking out because I need this money NOW, not in 10 days. It's for $1,250 and I already planned how to catch up on bills with it. Did anyone else run into problems with their bank accepting these tourism checks? Any tips on how to get the money faster?
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I called Bank of America's customer service line and the rep told me there's actually a specific procedure for these tourism benefit checks! Apparently, they need to be processed differently than regular government checks. The hold is still in place but at least I know it's legitimate. For anyone else dealing with this - make sure to specifically mention it's a "New York State Tourism Recovery Benefit" check, not just a regular unemployment check. That seemed to help the customer service person find the right information. I'm also going to try the verification code approach that was suggested. Thanks everyone for your help! At least I know I'm not alone in dealing with this frustrating situation.
You're doing all the right things. One more tip: If you absolutely need the funds immediately, you can ask your bank about a provisional credit while the check clears. Some banks will advance a portion of the funds as a courtesy to established customers.
my cousin works at ny unemployment and said they got tons of calls about these checks. somthing about the printer they used making them look different from usual. they should really send an email warning people this might happen
Exactly!!! A simple email would have prevented thousands of people from panicking. But that would require NYSDOL to actually THINK AHEAD for once!!!
NY unemployment tax refund for $10,200 non-taxable benefit still missing - anyone receive theirs?
Has anyone received their income tax refund for the $11,800 non-taxable unemployment amount yet? I filed before the amount became non-taxable. I'm married filing jointly and thought by September 2025 I would receive the overpaid tax back, but so far nothing. It's been almost 3 months since I heard anything from NY tax department. Starting to worry they forgot about me or something went wrong with my filing. The IRS notice said they would automatically adjust returns but I'm wondering if I need to call someone?
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I was in the exact same situation and was getting nowhere by using the standard channels. After weeks of frustration, I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and actually got through to someone at the tax department who could help. They have this video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE. The agent explained that joint filers with combined income over $75K are in the final batch, scheduled for mid-October. They confirmed my adjustment was in the system but not finalized yet. At least now I know what's happening instead of wondering.
Thanks for sharing this! Might try this service if I don't see anything by mid-October. Did they charge you to use it?
It's not free but honestly worth every penny after I spent hours trying to call myself. They got me a callback within about 45 minutes when I'd been trying for days with no luck. The peace of mind knowing my refund wasn't lost in the system was totally worth it.
UPDATE: I finally got an email from NY Tax Department yesterday saying my return has been adjusted and I should receive the refund within 2-3 weeks! Looks like they're working through the backlog after all. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!
Great news! Glad to hear they're making progress on the later batches. This should give others in similar situations some hope that theirs is coming soon too.
lucky you!!! still nothing on my end 😠
NY unemployment website says I haven't certified since August 1 but I have - missed 2 payments now
I'm having a serious problem with my NY unemployment benefits. The website is claiming I haven't certified since August 1, 2025, but I DEFINITELY have certified every single week without fail. I've been religious about it - every Sunday morning at 8am sharp. Now I've gone two weeks without any payment hitting my account. My rent is due next week and I'm starting to panic. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a glitch in the system? Did I do something wrong? I've tried calling the regular number but can't get through to a human being.
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UPDATE: I finally got through to someone! I used that Claimyr service and got connected to an agent in about 25 minutes. The agent confirmed there was a system error that flagged my account for "inconsistent certification patterns" even though I certified at the same time every week. Apparently certifying too consistently can sometimes trigger their fraud detection system (which makes NO sense, but whatever). The agent cleared the flag, verified my missed certifications, and said I should receive all my backpay within 3 business days. She also added a note to my account to prevent this from happening again. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! I'll update again when the money actually hits my account.
Great news! Yes, this is exactly the issue I was referring to. Their fraud detection system sometimes flags accounts that are TOO consistent because they assume it might be automated. Completely counterintuitive, I know. Glad you got it resolved!
Excellent! The backpay should arrive as promised. If you have any issues in the future, remember to reference the ticket/case number from this interaction.
Charlotte Jones
has anyone else noticed that they NEVER send you email updates about backpay reviews?? like they'll email about regular stuff but when it comes to actually giving you YOUR money suddenly they go silent
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Harper Thompson
YES!!!! i thought it was just me!! they email about literally everything else but when it comes to back pay its like they dont want to create a paper trail or something 🤔
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Angelica Smith
UPDATE: I just wanted to thank everyone for your advice! I tried calling using that Claimyr service that @profile6 mentioned, and I actually got through to a claims specialist in about 15 minutes! The agent confirmed my account was flagged for fraud review due to login attempts from multiple locations (which I never did - definitely someone trying to hack my account). She escalated my case and said I should see my back pay within 7-10 business days. She also noted that they needed an additional form of ID verification which I was able to provide while on the call. Fingers crossed this finally resolves it! Will update again when/if the money comes through.
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Logan Greenburg
That's great news! Make sure to follow up if you don't see the payment within the timeframe they mentioned. Sometimes cases need a second push to get fully processed. Document the call details - the agent's name, ID number if provided, the call reference number, and exactly what they said would happen next. This makes follow-up much easier if needed.
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