I went through this exact nightmare last year. Got the "assigned to a worker" update in June and didn't see a penny until September - 3 full months. What finally worked for me was a combination approach: I contacted my state senator's office (they have constituent services specifically for this), kept calling DOL every other day, AND used that Claimyr service people mentioned to actually get through to supervisors. The state senator's office was honestly the game changer - they have direct contacts at DOL and can flag urgent cases. Don't give up, the backpay when it finally comes through will cover everything you're owed. I know it doesn't help with bills right now, but also look into local food banks and emergency assistance programs while you wait. This system is absolutely broken but persistence does eventually pay off.

I'm going through this exact situation right now too! Filed in January, got the "assigned to a worker" update about 3 weeks ago, and still nothing. The financial stress is absolutely killing me - I'm behind on everything and my credit is starting to tank. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying at the same time. Sounds like it could be anywhere from a few more weeks to several more months. I'm definitely going to try contacting my state representative's office based on all the success stories here - seems like that's the most consistent way to actually get results. Also probably going to bite the bullet and try that Claimyr service since I'm spending hours every day trying to get through anyway. This whole system is just designed to wear people down until they give up. Hang in there Aaron, we're all in this nightmare together! 💪

Just wanted to add my experience from when this happened at my warehouse job. The most important thing is to file your claim ASAP - don't wait until the shutdown actually starts. I made that mistake and it delayed my first payment by a few days. Also, keep documentation of the shutdown notice from your employer if they gave you anything in writing. It's not required but it can help if there are any questions later. The whole process took me about 15 minutes online and I had my benefits deposited within a week. Your employer has to pay into the unemployment system anyway, so don't feel guilty about using it when you legitimately need it!

I work in manufacturing and we've had several unplanned shutdowns over the years for equipment issues, safety inspections, and even power outages. You're absolutely entitled to unemployment benefits for any period where your employer reduces your hours to zero, even if it's just a few days. The key is filing your claim right away - don't wait until the shutdown actually happens. When you file, make sure to select "temporary layoff" or "lack of work" as your reason, and be clear that you expect to return to work. The NYS system handles these situations routinely, and your employer can't legally retaliate against you for filing a legitimate claim. I'd also recommend keeping any written notice about the shutdown (email, text, posted notice) just in case, though it's not strictly required. The whole process usually takes about 15-20 minutes online and you should see your benefits within a week. Don't feel bad about filing - this is exactly what the unemployment system is designed for!

I just want to echo what others have said - this is 100% a scam. I'm a fraud investigator and we're seeing these fake DocuSign unemployment emails everywhere right now. The scammers are specifically targeting people who are already stressed about their benefits, knowing they're more likely to act quickly without thinking it through. Here's the key thing to remember: legitimate government agencies will NEVER ask you to re-verify information you already provided during your initial application. NY unemployment already has your SSN, address, employment history - everything they need. The best protection is to never click links in emails claiming to be from government agencies. Always go directly to the official website (labor.ny.gov for NY unemployment) and log into your account there. If there's a legitimate issue requiring your attention, it will show up in your secure message center. For anyone who might have already submitted information through one of these fake forms, act fast: freeze your credit with all three bureaus (it's free), change your passwords, monitor your accounts closely, and file reports with both the FTC and NYSDOL fraud department. The sooner you act, the better you can protect yourself from further damage. Stay safe everyone - these scammers are ruthless and they're not going away anytime soon.

I actually fell for one of these DocuSign scams about a month ago and it was a nightmare. The email looked completely legitimate - had all the right logos, formatting, even what appeared to be official case numbers. I was so stressed about my benefits being delayed that I didn't think twice before entering my SSN and other info. Within a week, someone tried to open credit cards in my name and I started getting calls from debt collectors about accounts I never opened. Had to spend hours on the phone with credit bureaus, banks, and filing police reports. The whole experience was absolutely terrifying. What really gets me is how they prey on people who are already in vulnerable financial situations. When you're unemployed and desperate for benefits, you're not thinking as clearly about potential scams - you just want to make sure nothing delays your payments. For anyone reading this: if you get ANY email asking for personal info (even if it looks official), just go directly to the labor.ny.gov website and log into your account. That's the only way to know for sure what's legitimate. I learned this lesson the hard way so hopefully others don't have to go through what I did. The fraud investigators I worked with told me these scams are becoming incredibly sophisticated and they're seeing hundreds of cases like mine every month. Stay vigilant out there!

The NYS Department of Labor phone lines are impossible to get through to ask questions like this. I've been trying for days to speak with someone about my specific situation. Has anyone had luck actually reaching an agent recently?

just apply and see what happens. worst they can say is no right?

This is SO frustrating and unfortunately way too common with NY unemployment right now. I had a similar issue a few months back where my claims would show as "submitted" but then just disappear into the void with no payment processing. What ended up working for me was a combination of things: I kept detailed records of every certification (screenshots, confirmation numbers, dates), sent messages through the online portal every few days with updates, and eventually got through by calling right at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday. The rep told me there was some kind of "processing error" that required manual intervention - basically my account got stuck in limbo and needed a human to push it through. The key things that helped: - Document EVERYTHING with screenshots - Keep certifying weekly no matter what (this is super important) - Try calling right when they open at 8 AM - Send messages through your online account portal - Don't give up - your money is there, it's just stuck in their broken system It took about 3 weeks total to resolve but I got all my back payments at once. Hang in there, you're definitely not alone in this nightmare! The system is beyond broken but your benefits are still there waiting for you.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Filed my claim two weeks ago and it shows as "certified" in the system but absolutely zero trace of it in payment history. It's like it just vanished. I've been calling nonstop but can't get through to anyone. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful - sounds like this is a widespread system glitch that requires talking to an actual person to fix. Going to try the early morning calling strategy and maybe look into that Claimyr service if I get desperate enough. It's so frustrating that they can't even send a simple notification when there's an issue with your claim! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, at least now I know I'm not going crazy and this isn't just happening to me.