Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live NYDOL agent in minutes.
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
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
Check your spam folder, sometimes they email a link to access 1099G directly
this worked for me last year!
Had the exact same problem last week! What worked for me was clearing my browser cache and cookies completely, then using a different browser (tried Chrome after Firefox kept blocking me). Also make sure you're going directly to labor.ny.gov and not clicking any Google search results - sometimes those redirect links cause issues. If you're still getting locked out, try using your phone's mobile browser instead of desktop. Good luck!
Thanks for the detailed advice! I'll definitely try the browser clearing thing first. Never thought about using mobile browser instead of desktop - that's a smart tip. Really appreciate you taking the time to share what worked for you 🙏
Join the conversation
This is really helpful information! I had no idea the rates could vary so much based on experience rating. One thing I'm still wondering about - does the size of the company affect these rates at all? Like would a small business with 5 employees pay the same percentage as a large corporation, assuming they have similar layoff histories? Also, is there any way for employees to actually see what rate their employer is paying, or is that confidential business information?
Great questions! From what I understand, company size doesn't directly affect the percentage rate - it's really all about that experience rating based on layoff history. A small business and large corporation with identical unemployment claim patterns would pay the same rate. However, larger companies obviously pay more in total dollars since they have more employees. As for seeing your employer's rate, that's typically confidential between the employer and NYS DOL, though some companies might share it internally. You could always ask your HR department - they might be willing to give you a general idea of where your company stands.
One thing that might help clarify this for everyone - the NYS DOL actually publishes an annual rate schedule that breaks down how the experience rating system works. New employers start at that 3.4% rate mentioned earlier, but after they've been in business for a few years and have enough data, their rate gets recalculated based on their "reserve ratio" - basically comparing how much they've paid in versus how much their former employees have claimed. Companies with positive reserve ratios (paid in more than was claimed) get lower rates, while those with negative ratios pay higher rates. It's actually a pretty fair system when you think about it, since it makes the costs directly tied to actual usage.
This reserve ratio system is fascinating - it's basically like insurance where your premiums are based on your claim history! I'm curious though, for newer businesses that don't have much history yet, how long does it typically take before they move off that starting 3.4% rate? And do seasonal businesses or industries with naturally higher turnover (like hospitality or construction) face any special considerations, or do they just end up paying higher rates due to their business model?
Join the conversation
Oh no this is giving me anxiety! I hope this doesn't happen to me. What if I can't file my weekly claim on time? Will they stop my benefits?? I depend on these payments to pay rent.
Don't panic! As long as you contact them and explain the account was locked, they can usually backdate your weekly claim. Just document when you tried to file and when the account got locked.
I just went through this exact same situation last week! My account got locked on a Monday morning right when I was trying to certify. I called the NYS Department of Labor customer service line (888-209-8124) first thing in the morning around 8:05 AM and actually got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The key is calling right when they open. The agent was able to unlock my account immediately after verifying my identity with my SSN and some personal info. They also backdated my weekly claim so I didn't lose any benefits. Don't stress too much - just call early tomorrow morning and you should be able to get it resolved!
This is really helpful to know! I'm going to try calling right at 8 AM tomorrow morning. Did they ask you any specific questions to verify your identity besides your SSN? I want to make sure I have everything ready so the process goes smoothly. Also, how long did the actual unlock process take once you got through to an agent?
Join the conversation
This entire thread should be pinned or turned into a FAQ! I'm amazed at how many different solutions everyone found for what should be a straightforward process. I'm currently on unemployment and haven't needed verification yet, but I'm definitely saving all these methods for when I do. The fact that we need a mobile app, multiple phone strategies, in-person visits, AND backup documentation just to get proof of benefits really highlights how broken the NYS Department of Labor system is. But honestly, this community problem-solving is incredible - you all figured out more workarounds than the official help desk probably knows about. Special thanks to everyone who shared specific paths, phone numbers, and timing strategies. This is exactly why online communities are so valuable when dealing with bureaucratic nightmares!
Absolutely agree this should be pinned! I'm also on unemployment but luckily haven't needed verification documents yet - reading through everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and honestly a bit scary about how complicated it can be. The variety of workarounds people discovered really shows how much trial and error is involved with these government systems. I'm taking notes on all the different methods: mobile app, early morning calls, Career Centers, secure messaging, browser troubleshooting, bank statements as backup... it's wild that we need this many backup plans for one document! But I'm so grateful everyone shared their solutions. This thread is going straight into my bookmarks and I'm definitely going to proactively download that NY.gov Services app and save some of these phone numbers before I actually need them. Thanks to this whole community for turning a frustrating system failure into a comprehensive resource guide!
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently on unemployment and thankfully don't have an urgent need for verification documents right now, but after reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely going to prepare ahead of time. It's shocking how many different workarounds are needed for what should be a simple government service. I'm planning to download the NY.gov Services app tonight and bookmark all the different pathways people mentioned. I'll also save that phone number (888-209-8124) and look up my local Career Center address just in case. The idea of keeping screenshots of weekly confirmations and saving PDF copies of any documents I get is really smart too. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - this community has created a better help guide than the official NYS Department of Labor website! It's unfortunate we have to crowdsource solutions for basic government services, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people actually help each other navigate the bureaucracy.
This is exactly the right approach! Being proactive about this stuff is so much smarter than scrambling at the last minute like many of us had to do. I love that you're downloading the app and saving all the backup info ahead of time - that's the kind of preparation that saves you stress later. The weekly confirmation screenshots tip is really important too because those emails are easy to save and can be super helpful as supplementary proof. It's honestly ridiculous that we need this many backup plans for basic government documents, but at least this thread has created a comprehensive survival guide! The community really came together to solve what the official system couldn't handle properly. Definitely bookmark this whole discussion - I have a feeling lots of people will need to reference these solutions in the future!
Yara Khalil
I'm in this exact same situation - just got laid off on Tuesday and have about 2 weeks of vacation pay coming with my final paycheck next week. This thread has been absolutely invaluable! From reading everyone's experiences, it's clear that the key is getting HR to properly document this as "accrued vacation time" rather than any form of future compensation. I'm calling my HR department tomorrow morning to make sure they code it correctly before submitting anything to NYS Department of Labor. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who had success with vacation pay only affecting the week it was received, was there a specific dollar threshold that determined this, or was it purely based on how HR coded it? Also, I'm planning to file my claim this week even before my final paycheck is processed - should I mention the pending vacation pay in my initial application or wait until I have the exact amount for weekly certifications? Thanks to everyone who shared such detailed real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical guidance that makes navigating the NYS unemployment system so much easier!
0 coins
Yuki Yamamoto
•@Yara Khalil From what I ve'gathered reading through all these experiences, it seems like the coding by HR is actually more important than the dollar threshold in most cases. When it s'properly coded as accrued "vacation time, NYS" Department of Labor typically treats it as wages for the week it s'received rather than spreading it across future weeks, regardless of the amount. However, if the vacation payout is extremely large, they might still consider how many weeks it represents. I d'definitely mention the pending vacation pay in your initial application - everyone here who was transparent from the start seemed to have smoother experiences. You can note that it s'pending and provide an estimate, then give the exact amount during weekly certifications once you receive your final paycheck. The key is making sure NYS Department of Labor isn t'surprised by it later when they get the employer reports. Good luck getting that HR documentation sorted out tomorrow!
0 coins
Dmitry Petrov
I'm also dealing with this situation right now - got laid off earlier this week and have about 10 days of vacation pay coming. This thread has been incredibly helpful! Based on everyone's experiences, it seems like the most critical factor is how HR codes the payout. I'm planning to contact my HR department tomorrow to specifically request that they mark it as "accrued vacation time earned during employment" rather than anything that could be interpreted as future compensation or severance. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here dealt with a situation where their employer was initially reluctant to change how they were coding the vacation pay? I want to be prepared in case HR pushes back on my request to document it properly. Also, for those who successfully got their vacation pay treated as affecting only one week, did you find that having a specific dollar amount breakdown (like showing it represented exactly X days at your daily rate) helped with the NYS Department of Labor review? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this is way more valuable than anything I could find through official channels!
0 coins