Been there! Applied 3 weeks ago and still waiting - the anxiety is real when you're watching your savings disappear. From what I'm seeing here, it really depends on if your claim gets flagged for anything. Mine has been stuck on "pending" too with zero updates. One thing that's helped my peace of mind is knowing that as long as you keep doing your weekly certifications, you'll get backpay for everything once it finally processes. Still doesn't help with rent NOW though 😅 Have you tried calling early morning right when they open? Seems like that's when people have the best luck getting through to an actual person who can tell you what's going on with your specific case.

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I see you're going through the same anxiety I had! Applied for benefits 6 weeks ago after my marketing job got eliminated. The first 3 weeks were absolutely nerve-wracking - just that dreaded "pending" status with no communication whatsoever. What finally worked for me was using one of those callback services someone mentioned here (Claimyr) after I literally couldn't get through on my own for 2+ weeks straight. Within 24 hours of them connecting me to an agent, my status changed and I got my first payment 3 days later. The agent told me my claim had been sitting in a queue waiting for manual review - something that would NEVER show up in the online status. The relief when that direct deposit finally hit was incredible. And yes, I got full backpay for all the weeks I'd been certifying. My advice: if you hit the 4 week mark with no movement, definitely try to get a human on the phone somehow. The automated system will leave you hanging indefinitely, but once you talk to someone real, things move fast. Keep certifying every week no matter what - that's your lifeline! You've got this 💪

anyone else notice the phone system hangs up faster now? used to at least get to hold music lmao

Same boat here - filed in November and it's been radio silence since my initial call. The severance thing is probably what's holding yours up too. I've been documenting every failed call attempt (literally keeping a spreadsheet at this point) and might try that claimyr service everyone's mentioning. This whole system is designed to wear us down but we can't let them win 💪

wait so if your company offers early retirement you cant get unemployment?? that seems unfair since its not really your choice if they're pressuring you

I'm dealing with something similar - my company is offering early retirement to avoid layoffs. HR said we could potentially still qualify for unemployment if we don't actually retire but just leave the company. Maybe look into that option instead? Though I'm not sure how NYS Department of Labor would view it.

I'm experiencing the same SSN rejection issue as of this morning! After reading through all these suggestions, I wanted to share what's been working for me so far. The mobile browser trick that @Omar Fawaz mentioned was a game changer - I was able to get past the SSN error using my phone's Safari browser when Chrome on my laptop kept failing. Also, I noticed that if you get the error message, don't immediately try again - wait about 10-15 minutes between attempts because I think the system temporarily locks you out after failed submissions. For anyone still struggling, try these steps in order: 1) Clear all browser data and cookies 2) Switch to mobile device with cellular data 3) Try during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) 4) Use incognito/private mode. If none of that works, definitely use that Claimyr service @Asher Levin mentioned - seems like it's the only reliable way to actually talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor these days. This whole situation is unacceptable though - people shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to access their unemployment benefits.

I just went through this nightmare last week! The SSN validation error seems to be hitting a lot of people lately. What worked for me was a combination of things: First, I completely logged out of my account and cleared ALL my browser data (not just cache - cookies, stored data, everything). Then I waited about 30 minutes before trying again. When I came back, I used Firefox instead of Chrome and made sure to type my SSN very slowly with small pauses between each digit - sounds crazy but I think the form validation is super sensitive to rapid input. Also double-check that you're not accidentally hitting any extra keys or spaces. The system is definitely glitchy right now but don't panic about your benefits getting cut off - they know there are technical issues and won't penalize you for their system problems. Keep documenting each time you try so you have a record if needed. If all else fails, that Claimyr service people mentioned seems legit for actually reaching a human at NYS Department of Labor.

Check with your local post office too. Sometimes they hold unemployment cards at the main office if they can't deliver them for some reason.

Have you tried calling KeyBank directly at their unemployment card customer service line? They might be able to give you more specific information about your card status than the general DOL office. Also, if you're really worried about it being stolen from your mailbox, you could contact your local post office and ask them to hold mail for pickup - that way future important mail won't sit in an unsecured mailbox. I know it's stressful when rent is due, but hopefully one of these tracking methods will give you some answers soon.