Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live NYDOL agent in minutes.
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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!
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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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Don't beat yourself up about it! I work in HR and see this happen all the time - people think they need to exhaust their savings first or that unemployment is only for certain situations. The key thing is to file TODAY through ny.gov. Even if you can only backdate a few weeks, that's still money in your pocket. When you apply, be honest about why you delayed - "I was unaware I was eligible and was trying to find work on my own" is a valid reason that often works for at least some backdating. The worst thing you can do now is wait another day!
This is such helpful advice! I had no idea that "being unaware of eligibility" could be a valid reason for backdating. I've been feeling so guilty about waiting, but you're absolutely right - I need to stop beating myself up and just file today. Thank you for the encouragement and the specific wording suggestion!
Just want to add some encouragement here - I was in almost the exact same situation last year! Got laid off and waited about 5 weeks because I thought I needed to "prove" I couldn't find work first. NYS DOL ended up letting me backdate 3 of those weeks when I explained I didn't understand the system. The key is being completely honest in your application about the delay. Also, once you do file, make sure to certify every week going forward even if your claim is still being processed - you don't want to create any more gaps! You've got this, and definitely don't let the guilt stop you from getting the help you're entitled to.
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I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Been trying to reach DOL for over 2 weeks about my pending claim and it's like they don't exist. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to skip the governor's office entirely and go straight to my state senator and assembly member tomorrow. One thing I wanted to add - if you're documenting your calls like Isabella suggested, also screenshot any error messages you get on the DOL website. I've been getting weird timeout errors when trying to certify online, and having those screenshots helped when I finally got through to someone briefly last week (before getting disconnected of course). This whole system is such a mess but at least this thread gives me hope that there are actual ways to get help. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
Victoria, great point about screenshotting the website errors! I've been getting those timeout issues too when trying to certify. It's like the whole DOL system is falling apart on every level - phones, website, everything. I'm new to this community but going through the same nightmare. Been trying to reach someone about my claim for almost a month now. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear the state representative route is the way to go. The fact that multiple people got results within days through their assembly members while the governor's office just takes messages and disappears is really telling. Going to call my senator and assembly member first thing Monday morning. Thanks to everyone for sharing what actually worked - this thread is more helpful than anything I've found on the official DOL website!
I just want to echo what everyone else is saying about contacting your state representatives - this is absolutely the way to go! I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and was pulling my hair out trying to get through to DOL for over a month. Like others mentioned, the governor's office is pretty much useless for individual cases. But when I contacted my assembly member's office, they had someone specifically trained to handle unemployment issues and they got DOL to call me back within 48 hours. My claim was resolved that same week after being stuck in limbo for 2 months. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet - when you call your representative's office, ask specifically for their "constituent services" department and mention it's an urgent unemployment matter. They usually prioritize these cases because they know how broken the DOL phone system is right now. Also, don't feel bad about being persistent with follow-ups. These offices expect it for unemployment cases and they'd rather help you get it resolved than have you calling every day. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease in this situation. Hang in there - you WILL get through this!
This is exactly the kind of advice I needed! I've been hesitant to "bother" my representatives but you're absolutely right - they're there to help constituents with exactly these kinds of issues. The tip about asking specifically for constituent services is really helpful too. I'm going to call both my senator and assembly member Monday morning and be very clear that this is an urgent unemployment matter. After reading everyone's experiences here, I feel much more confident about getting this resolved. Thanks for taking the time to share what worked for you!
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Just file online ASAP. Don't beat yourself up about it, lots of people make the same mistake thinking they'll find work fast. At least you can still get benefits going forward.
Don't feel too bad about waiting - it shows you were trying to be responsible and find work on your own first. While you can't get those 6 weeks back, you can still file now and start receiving benefits going forward. The online application is pretty straightforward, just make sure you have your employer information and dates ready. And definitely start filing weekly claims as soon as your initial application is processed. Better late than never!
This is really good advice. I was in a similar boat a few years ago and felt terrible about "losing" those weeks, but honestly getting any benefits is better than none. Maya, once you get your claim going, make sure to keep detailed records of your job search activities too - they'll ask about that in your weekly certifications. And don't skip any weeks of filing even if you think you might have earned too much from odd jobs or anything, it's better to report it and let them decide.
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After many failed attempts I finally had success with claimyr.com - they got me connected with a live agent who helped fix my claim. It was worth every penny to finally get my backpay released. Highly recommend if you're desperate like I was.
I was skeptical too, but this isn't a hack - it's just a service that waits on hold for you. I got over $3000 in backpay after the agent cleared up my issue, so it was definitely worth it for me.
I had the same experience - the service actually works. After 3 weeks of trying myself, I got through with Claimyr in under 2 hours.
I'm in the EXACT same boat - filed in January after getting laid off and my certifications keep getting stuck in some kind of limbo. The automated phone system is absolutely maddening! I've been calling multiple times a day for two weeks now and haven't spoken to a single human being. It's honestly making me question my sanity at this point. Reading through all these comments is both helpful and depressing - at least I know I'm not alone in this nightmare. Going to try the Tuesday 10:30am timing and that exact button sequence someone mentioned. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and tips here, even if the system itself is completely broken. Hang in there Isabella - we'll figure this out somehow! 💪
Aaron Boston
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! I just went through the exact same situation - 28 forfeit days for "unreported income" that I absolutely DID report correctly. The frustration is real! But please listen to everyone here - you MUST keep certifying every single week during your forfeit period. I cannot stress this enough! Here's what helped me get through it: I created a simple countdown chart and crossed off each week as I completed my certification. Your 30 forfeit days will take about 4-5 weeks of certifying to complete (since each weekly cert covers 7 days). It feels awful certifying for $0, but think of it as keeping your place in line while serving your "sentence." The silver lining is that once you've served all 30 days, your payments automatically restart - no additional paperwork or calls needed. I just got my first payment back last week and it felt amazing! Stay strong and don't let the system break you down. Document everything going forward and consider this a hard lesson learned about keeping receipts for EVERYTHING with NY unemployment. You've got this! 💪
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Liam McConnell
•Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's honestly such a relief to hear from someone who just went through this exact thing and came out the other side. The countdown chart idea is brilliant - I'm definitely going to make one tonight. Knowing that you just got your first payment back gives me hope that there really is light at the end of this tunnel. It's so messed up that they penalize us for things we actually did correctly, but at least now I know exactly what I need to do. Going to start documenting absolutely everything from here on out. Thanks for the encouragement! 🙏
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Aria Park
I'm going through almost the exact same thing right now - got hit with 35 forfeit days for "unreported income" from a side gig that I absolutely DID report correctly back in May. It's so infuriating when you know you followed all the rules! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful though. I was honestly panicking about whether to keep certifying or not, but now I understand it's absolutely essential. Going to start that calendar countdown method everyone's suggesting - seems like having that visual progress tracker really helps mentally. Has anyone noticed if there's a pattern to when they hand out these forfeit day penalties? Like do they do big audits at certain times of year? Just trying to understand how this all works since getting actual info from the DOL is basically impossible. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with NY unemployment! 🙏
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Javier Cruz
•I don't know about specific audit patterns, but from what I've seen in this community, they seem to hit people randomly throughout the year. Maybe they have quotas to meet or something? It's all so arbitrary and frustrating! The calendar countdown method really does help though - I'm on week 2 of my forfeit period and being able to cross off each week makes it feel less overwhelming. Hang in there and keep certifying no matter what! 💪
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