Ugh, I'm dealing with the EXACT same thing right now! Filed my claim 11 days ago and it's been stuck in pending ever since. The representative told me to certify weekly but there's literally no option to do it in the portal - just that stupid "pending" status with zero explanation. I've probably called 50+ times and either get disconnected immediately or sit on hold for hours before giving up. It's so frustrating because I really need this money to pay my bills. From reading all these comments it seems like the only real solution is somehow getting through to a live person, but that feels impossible right now. Definitely going to try some of these tips - the assembly person route sounds promising, and I might have to look into that Claimyr service too. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, at least I know this isn't just happening to me!

I'm in the exact same boat! Filed my claim about 9 days ago and it's been stuck on pending this whole time. The woman I spoke to during my phone interview was so confident telling me I'd be able to certify every Sunday, but when I log in there's literally nothing there - just that maddening "pending" status with no explanation whatsoever. I've been calling obsessively every day, sometimes 20+ times in a row, and I either get that automated "we're too busy" message or I'll sit on hold for 2-3 hours before the call just drops. It's beyond frustrating when you're counting on this money! Reading through everyone's responses here is actually giving me some hope though. Sounds like the assembly person route might be worth trying, and I'm seriously considering that Claimyr service too since so many people seem to have success with it. Thanks for posting this - it's weirdly comforting to know I'm not the only one dealing with this broken system right now!

Did you manage to get your certification done? The site was having maintenance issues last night.

Just wanted to add that if you're dealing with a busy interview schedule like the original poster, you can also certify online from your phone using the mobile site. I've done this between interviews when I couldn't get to a computer. The mobile interface is pretty straightforward and saves you from missing deadlines when life gets hectic. Good luck with the job search!

Just remember you can't collect if you're getting severance pay in most cases. And if you have vacation time being paid out that might affect when you can start collecting too.

One thing to keep in mind is that even though you should file right away, it can take some time for your claim to be processed and approved. NYS Department of Labor typically takes 2-3 weeks to review your application, especially if they need to verify information with your employer. So don't panic if you don't see payments immediately - that's normal. Just make sure you continue certifying for benefits every week while your claim is being processed, even before you get approved.

This EXACT same thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago! I was working part-time at a bookstore (about 16 hours/week, making around $200) and boom - "break in claim" message appeared out of nowhere. It's like the system punishes you for trying to work while on unemployment. I tried everything - online portal, messaging system, calling at different times. Finally got through after using that claimyr.com service that everyone's been mentioning (honestly didn't believe it would work but I was desperate). Got connected to an agent in about 45 minutes and she explained that their computer system has some glitch where it automatically flags part-time work as "return to full employment" sometimes. The agent reopened my claim immediately and I got my back payments within a few days. She also made a note on my account so it shouldn't happen again when I report similar hours. The most frustrating part is that you're doing exactly what you're supposed to do - reporting your work honestly - and the system basically breaks because of it. Keep trying to get through, and once you do, it should be a quick fix. The actual resolution is easy, it's just getting to a human that's nearly impossible. Hang in there!

This is such a common problem and it's absolutely maddening! The same thing happened to me when I started doing some freelance writing work - reported everything honestly, worked maybe 12 hours a week making $180, and suddenly got hit with the "break in claim" message. The NY unemployment system seems to have this ridiculous glitch where any part-time work triggers their computer to think you've gone back to full-time employment. It's like they designed it to discourage people from working part-time while collecting benefits, which is completely backwards. I spent almost 2 weeks trying to get through by calling constantly. What finally worked for me was calling at exactly 7:30 AM when they open - I had to redial about 15 times but eventually got through. The agent explained that this is a known issue with their system and was able to reopen my claim in literally 5 minutes. Got all my back payments within a few days after that. One thing the agent told me that might help - try to be super consistent with how you report your hours and earnings each week. Same format, same level of detail. Apparently the system gets confused when there are variations in how the information is entered. I know a bunch of people in this thread have mentioned claimyr.com and honestly, I wish I'd known about it earlier. Would have saved me days of frustration calling on my own. The whole situation is designed to make you give up, but don't! Once you get a human on the line, they can fix it quickly.

What did you put for your reason for separation from your last job? If you put anything that sounds remotely like misconduct or voluntarily quitting, it'll trigger a manual review and you'll see those zeros until they complete it.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Filed in September and still seeing all zeros with that generic "continuing to work on application" message. It's so frustrating because there's literally no way to know what's actually wrong without getting through to someone on the phone. I've been calling every morning at 8am sharp but keep getting the busy signal or that automated message saying they're experiencing high call volume. Has anyone had luck calling at specific times of day? I'm wondering if I should just bite the bullet and try one of those callback services people are mentioning since this is going on week 6 for me now.