Wow, what a journey this thread has been! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my claim has been stuck in "pending review" for over a week and I've been getting the runaround trying to reach someone. Reading through everyone's experiences here gives me hope that there's actually a way to get through this nightmare system. I'm definitely going to try the Thursday afternoon calling strategy and maybe that Claimyr service if I can't get through by Friday. It's crazy that we have to resort to third-party services just to talk to our own state unemployment office! Thanks to everyone who shared their tips and especially to Isaiah for updating us on your resolution - gives the rest of us hope that these issues can actually be fixed once you reach a real person.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - been trying to reach someone for 4 days about a payment that's been stuck on "pending" for almost 3 weeks! Reading through this thread has been so helpful, especially seeing Isaiah's success story. I tried calling Thursday afternoon like Fiona suggested and actually got further than usual - made it to the hold music for 20 minutes before getting disconnected, which is progress compared to the immediate busy signals I was getting earlier in the week. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and try Claimyr tomorrow since so many people here had success with it. It's just ridiculous that we're paying for a third-party service to access our own state benefits, but at this point my sanity is worth more than whatever it costs. Has anyone noticed if certain times of day work better with Claimyr, or is it pretty consistent throughout the day?

This whole thread is so helpful - I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Been pending for 2 weeks and was starting to panic. Really glad to see Miguel got his sorted out. The fact that there was an identity verification flag with no notification is ridiculous though. How are we supposed to know there's an issue if they don't tell us? Going to try that Claimyr service tomorrow morning. Has anyone else used it recently or found other ways to actually get through to a human?

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this nightmare before. The NY unemployment system is absolutely broken and it's infuriating how they put all the burden on us to figure out what's wrong. I had payments stuck for 6 weeks last year because of some mysterious "fraud prevention" flag that I was never notified about. The worst part is how helpless you feel when you can't reach anyone and your bills are piling up. Really glad to see Miguel got his resolved - that gives me hope that there are still real people working there who can actually fix things when you can reach them. For anyone else dealing with this, document everything (screenshots, call logs, etc.) and don't give up. The system is designed to wear you down but persistence does eventually pay off.

The system is literally designed to make u give up istg

Just went through this exact situation last month! Had to file in both states initially to figure out which one I qualified for. Turns out NY had higher benefits for me even though my last job was in NJ. The trick is calling NJ first thing in the morning (like 8am sharp) and having all your documentation ready. Also keep a log of every call you make - dates, times, who you spoke with. That saved me when there was confusion later. Don't give up, it's worth the hassle once you get it sorted! 🙏

Also make sure to keep detailed payroll records from day one! NYS Department of Labor will require quarterly wage reports that include each employee's name, social security number, and total wages paid. I learned this the hard way when I had to scramble to organize my records for my first quarterly filing. Setting up a good payroll system early will save you headaches later when you need to file your UI-3 quarterly reports.

For a small construction company, I'd recommend QuickBooks Payroll or Paychex Flex - both handle NYS requirements well and can automatically generate the reports you'll need for unemployment insurance filings. QuickBooks integrates nicely if you're already using their accounting software. Just make sure whatever system you choose can track prevailing wage rates if you plan to do any public works projects in NYC - that's a whole other compliance requirement for construction companies. The key is picking something that can grow with your business and handle both regular payroll and the specific reporting NYS Department of Labor requires.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My payments were released on 1/20 and I'm still waiting for the card to arrive. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's reassuring to know that 2-3 weeks seems to be the norm even though KeyBank's website is misleading about delivery times. I'm going to try calling them tomorrow using that phone number someone shared to at least confirm it was sent to the right address. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here, especially the tip about the bank transfer feature once you get the card. Will definitely set that up immediately when mine finally arrives!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now - my payments were released to KeyBank on 1/22 and still nothing in my mailbox! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring and concerning. It sounds like 2-3 weeks is unfortunately normal despite what their website says. I'm going to call that 866-295-2955 number tomorrow to at least verify they have the right address. This whole KeyBank card system is such a pain compared to just getting direct deposit to our own banks. Really hoping mine shows up soon because I desperately need these funds! Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and tips - it helps to know we're not alone in this frustrating wait.