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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!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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- 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 :)
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Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to someone at KeyBank? If not, another trick I've heard works is calling right when they open in the morning. Their customer service opens at 8am EST Monday-Friday, and apparently the wait times are much shorter if you call right at 8.
I FINALLY got through! You were right about pressing 0 repeatedly - eventually it transferred me to a queue. Waited about 30 minutes but finally spoke to someone. Turns out there was a security hold on my account because of the larger withdrawal attempt last week, just like someone else mentioned might be happening. They removed the hold and said the money should be available within 24 hours. But I'm definitely switching to direct deposit after this nightmare. Thanks everyone for your help!
So glad you got it resolved! The security hold thing is such a pain - I wish they'd at least send a text or email notification when that happens instead of just making your money disappear with no explanation. Direct deposit is definitely the way to go. I made the switch last year and haven't looked back. No more wondering if my card will work or dealing with KeyBank's terrible customer service. Just a heads up though - it can take 1-2 weeks for the direct deposit change to take effect, so you might have one more payment that goes to the card before it switches over.
That's really good to know about the 1-2 week delay for direct deposit! I was hoping it would switch over immediately but I guess one more KeyBank payment isn't the end of the world now that I know how to reach them if needed. Thanks for the heads up - I'll make sure to set it up today so it's ready for my next certification period.
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Had a similar situation last month. Definitely notify them beforehand - I sent a secure message through the NY.gov portal explaining my travel dates and reasons. Also made sure to NOT certify while I was out of the country. When I got back, I called to handle that week's certification. The rep said as long as you're transparent about it upfront, they're usually understanding. Just don't try to certify from abroad or they'll flag your account for sure.
@Rachel Clark Really appreciate you sharing this! I m'dealing with the exact same situation right now. One more question - did you mention the specific reason for your travel in the secure message, or did you just say you d'be out of the country? Trying to figure out how detailed I need to be when I contact them.
@Rachel Clark This is really reassuring to hear! I m'actually in a similar spot - need to travel internationally for a family situation. Did they ask you to provide any documentation when you called back, like boarding passes or anything? Also wondering how far in advance you sent that secure message - was it like a week before or just a couple days? Thanks for being so helpful with all these questions!
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I had a similar situation a few months ago when I had to take FMLA for my husband's cancer treatment. What I found out is that while you can't get regular unemployment, you might be able to get New York State Disability Benefits if your FMLA is for your own health condition (not a family member's). If it's for family care like yours, that unfortunately doesn't qualify for disability either. One thing that helped me was reaching out to local social services to see what other assistance programs might be available - things like SNAP, emergency rent assistance, or utility help. It's not ideal but it can help bridge the gap during those 8 weeks. Also check if your employer has an employee assistance program that might offer emergency financial help.
This is really helpful advice, thank you! I hadn't thought about looking into other assistance programs like SNAP or emergency rent help. My FMLA is for caring for my mom, so like you said, disability won't work. But checking with local social services is a great idea - I need to explore every option I can during these 8 weeks. I'll also ask HR about an employee assistance program, I'm not even sure if we have one but it's worth asking.
I'm going through something similar right now - taking care of my dad after his surgery. What I've learned is that New York does have a Paid Family Leave program that's separate from FMLA, but you have to have been paying into it through payroll deductions. If you've been working in NY and seeing "PFL" deductions on your paystub, you might be eligible for partial wage replacement (about 67% of your average weekly wage). It's not unemployment, but it's specifically designed for situations like yours where you need to care for a family member. You can apply through the NY Paid Family Leave website or contact your employer's insurance carrier. Worth looking into if you haven't already!
Wait, this could be huge! I've definitely been seeing PFL deductions on my paystubs but I had no idea what they were for. I thought FMLA was the only option available. So you're saying I could potentially get 67% of my wages while I'm caring for my mom? That would be a lifesaver! I'm going to look into this immediately. Do you know how long the application process usually takes? I'm already a week into my leave so I'm hoping I didn't miss some kind of deadline.
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Reading through all these responses is both eye-opening and infuriating! I had no idea so many people were dealing with this exact same issue. The NY unemployment system is clearly broken when missing a single phone call (for completely reasonable reasons like being in the bathroom!) can cut off someone's lifeline. I've been in a similar situation for the past 3 weeks - they called during my dentist appointment and even though I called back within an hour, my benefits got suspended. The stress of not knowing when your next payment is coming while bills pile up is absolutely brutal. From what everyone's shared here, it sounds like 835-905-5682 is definitely the number to try, and the strategy of calling right at 8:00 AM sharp seems crucial. I'm also going to try that assembly person contact trick - never knew that was an option! @Rami Samuels - you've got an amazing support system here with all this advice. Don't let the system wear you down. Based on everyone's success stories, persistence really does pay off. We shouldn't have to become unemployment experts just to get basic benefits we're entitled to, but at least this community has our backs! Sending good vibes that you get through tomorrow and get this sorted out quickly! 🙏
This whole thread has been such an eye-opener for me too! I'm new to this community but going through my own unemployment nightmare right now. It's honestly shocking how broken the NY system is - like they've designed it to fail people on purpose. The fact that so many of us have nearly identical stories (random unscheduled calls, immediate benefit cuts, impossible phone lines) really shows this isn't just bad luck but systemic dysfunction. I'm taking notes on all these strategies everyone has shared - the 8AM sharp calling, asking for tier 2 immediately, contacting assembly reps, using multiple phones. It's ridiculous that we need a PhD in unemployment bureaucracy just to get basic help, but I'm grateful this community exists to share these hard-won tips. @Rami Samuels hope your coffee-stained letter photo trick works and you can confirm that 835 number! We re'all in this fight together against a system that clearly doesn t'want to help us. 💪
Wow, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - they called me while I was at my kid's school pickup and by the time I saw the missed call and called back 20 minutes later, it just went to voicemail. Two weeks later my benefits were suspended for "failure to participate in required interview." Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm going to try calling 835-905-5682 first thing tomorrow morning at exactly 8:00 AM. The tip about asking for tier 2 specialists immediately seems crucial - I've wasted so much time with tier 1 reps who just read scripts and can't actually help. @Rami Samuels - definitely try that photo contrast trick on your coffee-stained letter! Even if you can only make out a few more digits, it might help confirm which number is correct. Also really hope the assembly person contact works out for you - several people here have had success with that approach. It's absolutely mind-boggling that the NY unemployment system operates this way. Making people available 24/7 for random unscheduled calls and then cutting off benefits immediately when life happens is just cruel. But seeing all these success stories gives me hope that persistence really does pay off. Thanks everyone for sharing your strategies - this community is a lifesaver! 🙏
Ezra Bates
I'm dealing with this EXACT same issue and it's driving me absolutely insane! Been trying to certify for the past week and can't get through on either phone or online. The phone system just plays that "all representatives are busy" message for 2 seconds then hangs up - no hold option, no queue, nothing! My online account is stuck on some "identity verification in progress" screen that never actually progresses. What's really stressing me out is that I've been certifying without issues for months, and now suddenly during my most important certification period the whole system decides to lock me out. I've got bills due and groceries to buy, and the thought of missing this payment cycle is keeping me awake at night. Based on all the incredible advice in this thread, I'm setting my alarm for 7:55am tomorrow to try that early calling strategy that so many people have mentioned. I'm also going to clear all my browser data and try accessing my account from my laptop instead of my phone. If those don't work, I think I'll have to bite the bullet and try Claimyr - it seems like multiple people have had success with it even though it's ridiculous we should have to pay extra just to access our own benefits. Thank you all SO much for sharing your experiences and solutions. Knowing I'm not alone in this nightmare actually helps me feel less crazy. This system is clearly broken but at least we're helping each other navigate through it!
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Peyton Clarke
•I'm going through this exact same nightmare and it's so validating to see I'm not the only one! Been stuck trying to certify for 5 days now with the same issues - phone system immediately hangs up and my online account shows "account access temporarily suspended" with no explanation whatsoever. It's absolutely maddening when you're following all the rules and the system just won't let you in. Your plan sounds solid - I'm also going to try that super early morning calling at 7:58am that @Connor O'Neill suggested, and I'll test clearing my cache and switching devices like @Paolo Esposito recommended. The Claimyr option that @Zainab Ibrahim used successfully is looking more and more tempting even though it s frustrating'to potentially pay for what should just work. What really gets me is that we re all'dealing with the same broken system but somehow we re expected'to figure out workarounds on our own. Thank you for sharing your experience @Ezra Bates - this thread has become a lifeline for all of us stuck in this mess. Hopefully we ll start getting'breakthroughs soon!
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Oliver Cheng
I'm in the exact same boat as everyone else here! Been trying to certify for 3 days now and it's absolutely ridiculous. The phone system won't even let me wait on hold - just gives me that "all representatives are busy" message and immediately disconnects. My online account keeps showing "security verification pending" but doesn't tell me what I need to do to verify anything. What's really frustrating is that I've been certifying smoothly for months and now suddenly during crunch time the system completely locks me out. I'm supposed to be looking for work, not spending entire days just trying to access the unemployment system! After reading through all these experiences, I'm definitely going to try calling right at 7:58am tomorrow morning like several people suggested. Also going to clear my browser cache and try from a different device. If those don't work, I might have to consider that Claimyr service too - it's annoying to potentially pay extra but if it gets me through to a real person it might be worth it. Thanks to everyone for sharing their tips and frustrations - at least we know this is a widespread system problem and not something we're doing wrong. The fact that so many people are dealing with this exact same issue just proves how broken the NYSDOL system really is right now!
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