I'm in the exact same nightmare situation! Filed 3 weeks ago after being laid off from my finance job due to "company downsizing" and got my monetary determination showing $434/week about 10 days ago, but I'm completely stuck in pending with zero payments coming through. Like everyone else here, I've been certifying religiously every week and have tried calling probably 80+ times - nothing but busy signals, immediate hangups, and that maddening automated message about call volume. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful but also nerve-wracking - I had no idea the monetary determination was just step one and that there could be all these hidden verification issues they don't tell you about! Since my layoff was due to "downsizing" I'm wondering if they're stuck verifying that with my former employer like some people mentioned. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging approach through my online account first thing tomorrow and also contact my assemblyperson's office on Monday. Several people have had success with those routes. Might even look into that Claimyr service if those don't work - desperate times! The financial stress of bills piling up while stuck in this bureaucratic black hole is honestly brutal when you're already dealing with unemployment anxiety. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories - it's both terrifying and oddly comforting to know this is just how completely broken the NY unemployment system is right now. Will definitely keep certifying every week and update if I have any luck with these approaches!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Filed about 2.5 weeks ago after being laid off from my retail management position due to "company restructuring" and I'm stuck in the same pending hell as everyone else here. Got my monetary determination showing $381/week about a week ago but haven't seen a single payment despite certifying religiously every week. Like literally everyone else, I've tried calling probably 40+ times with nothing but busy signals and automatic hangups - it's like they designed the phone system specifically to prevent you from reaching anyone! After reading through all these responses, I'm realizing the monetary determination is just step one and there could be weeks or months more waiting ahead. I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging approach through my online account first thing tomorrow based on all the success stories here. Also planning to contact my assemblyperson's office on Monday since several people have had luck with that route. Might even look into that Claimyr service if those don't work - at this point I'm desperate! The financial stress of bills piling up while stuck in this bureaucratic limbo is honestly brutal when you're already dealing with unemployment anxiety. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's both terrifying and oddly comforting to know we're all stuck in the same completely broken system. Will definitely keep certifying every week and update if any of these approaches work!

Wow, this thread has been incredibly informative! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with almost the exact same situation - filed for NY unemployment back in December and never received back pay for about 6 weeks I was eligible for before my claim was processed. Reading through everyone's experiences, I feel so much more prepared now to tackle this issue. The key takeaways seem to be: call early Monday morning (7:59am), specifically ask for a "Retroactive Payment Specialist", use the term "retroactive benefits", and have all documentation ready. @Paolo Conti's success story is really encouraging - congrats on getting your $2,180! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service if I can't get through the regular way. It's amazing how this supposedly "automatic" system requires so much manual intervention. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this community knowledge is invaluable for navigating these bureaucratic nightmares!

As someone who just joined this community after dealing with a similar NY unemployment back pay issue, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed experiences and advice! I've been missing back pay for 7 weeks from when I filed in late January, and reading through this thread has given me so much hope and a clear action plan. The collective wisdom here is incredible - from knowing to ask specifically for a "Retroactive Payment Specialist" to using the exact term "retroactive benefits" when calling. @Paolo Conti's success story is especially encouraging since our situations are so similar. I'm definitely going to try the 7:59am Monday morning strategy and have that Claimyr service as backup. It's frustrating that such an important process isn't automatic, but at least now I know exactly what steps to take. Will definitely update once I get through - this kind of community support makes dealing with bureaucratic nightmares so much more manageable!

I'm going through the EXACT same nightmare right now! Week 5 for me and I'm about ready to lose my mind. The mother's maiden name thing is so frustrating because you KNOW you're entering it correctly but the system just keeps rejecting it. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful - I had no idea they were pulling from credit reports and multiple databases. That explains why the "right" answer might not be what we think it is. I'm definitely going to pull my credit reports today to see what's actually on file there. The assembly member approach sounds promising since multiple people have had success with it. I'm also seriously considering trying that Claimyr service - normally I'd be super skeptical but when this many people say it actually worked, it's hard to ignore. $20 is nothing compared to months without benefits. Pedro, please keep us updated on what ends up working for you! This thread is like a support group for people stuck in unemployment hell 😭 Hang in there everyone - sounds like there are actually solutions if we're persistent enough!

This exact same thing happened to my sister last year! The system kept rejecting her mother's maiden name no matter what she tried. What finally worked was realizing they had pulled the wrong information from an old bank account application where she had accidentally used her mom's FIRST name instead of maiden name (don't ask me how that even happened lol). The breakthrough came when she got through to an actual DOL agent who could see what was in their system. Turns out they had "Patricia" listed as the maiden name instead of "Rodriguez" because of some data mix-up from years ago. I'd definitely recommend the assembly member route that everyone's mentioning - my sister tried that too and they were super helpful. But honestly what got her the fastest results was using one of those callback services (I think it was Claimyr?) to actually talk to someone at unemployment. Once she could explain the situation to a real person, they fixed it in like 10 minutes. Also definitely check your credit reports! So many of these verification questions come from there and credit bureaus are notorious for having errors. You might find your mom's name is listed completely wrong on one of them. Don't give up - this is totally fixable once you get past the broken automated system! 🙏

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been waiting 5 weeks for my seasonal landscaping unemployment to process. What's really frustrating is that I've been doing seasonal work for 3 years and never had these kinds of delays before. Something definitely changed with their system this year. Has anyone had luck with the online chat feature? I noticed they added it recently but every time I try to use it, it says "all agents are busy" and never connects me to anyone. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get my claim moving. Also wanted to mention for anyone filing in the future - make sure you have your employer's federal tax ID number ready. I didn't have mine when I first applied and had to call my old boss to get it, which probably contributed to my delays. They use it to verify your work history automatically instead of having to wait for employer responses.

I'm going through something similar right now - worked at a waterfront restaurant that closed for the winter season in November, and I've been waiting almost 4 weeks for my first payment. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening about the seasonal work complications. I think I made the same mistake as Ethan - I probably didn't clearly mark my work as seasonal when I filed, and I definitely didn't know about that buried "seasonal work patterns" question that Jean Claude mentioned. That would explain why my claim is stuck in review limbo. The advice about getting a letter from your employer beforehand is brilliant - wish I had thought of that. And the tip about having the federal tax ID ready is something I'll definitely remember. I had to email my old manager to get employment verification info, which probably added to my delays. At this point I'm seriously considering trying that Claimyr service. It's frustrating that we have to pay extra just to access benefits we're entitled to, but if it actually works and gets me connected to someone who can resolve this, it might be worth it. The regular phone system is completely impossible - I've tried calling probably 20+ times and never gotten through to a human. Has anyone else noticed if certain times of day work better for getting through? I've been trying mostly afternoons but maybe I should try those early morning slots that Amara suggested.

Just wanted to add another potential solution for anyone still struggling with this - if you're using Chrome or Safari, try switching to Firefox or Edge. I had a similar issue last year where the NYSDOL website just wouldn't work properly in Chrome (kept getting JavaScript errors), but it loaded fine in Firefox. Sometimes it's just a browser compatibility issue. Also, make sure to disable any ad blockers or privacy extensions temporarily as they can interfere with government sites. Worth a shot before going through all the other more complicated steps!

This is such a common issue - I went through the exact same nightmare last year! The NY unemployment website is notoriously unreliable during tax season. Since you already got your form through the alternate NY.gov path (congrats!), I wanted to add one more tip that saved me time: once you have your 1099-G downloaded, make sure to save multiple copies in different locations (computer, cloud storage, email it to yourself) because I've heard of people having the file get corrupted and then having to go through this whole process again. Also, if anyone else is reading this and still can't access theirs, I found that clearing your browser cache and cookies specifically for the NY.gov domain sometimes helps with login issues. The whole system definitely needs an overhaul but at least there are workarounds!