Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the NYDOL
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the NYDOL drops your call
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!
Ask the community...
- 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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
Moving within state is fine but PLEASE update your address immediately. I forgot to update mine when I moved and it caused a delay in my benefits because they couldn't verify my identity during a routine check.
Just went through this exact situation! Moved from Manhattan to Albany in January while on unemployment. The process is super straightforward - just log into your NY.gov account and update your address in the "Personal Information" section. I also updated it during my weekly certification just to be safe. My benefits continued without any interruption. The only thing to keep in mind is that you still need to be actively searching for work and available to accept employment, so make sure you can realistically commute to job opportunities in your field. Since you mentioned you can commute back to NYC if needed, you should be totally fine. Good luck with the move!
Join the conversation
Just went through this last month! The trick is to be super persistent with calling KeyBank at 1-866-295-2955 - I called literally 15 times over 3 days before getting through to someone who could actually help. When you do get through, ask them to check if your card was "returned to sender" - that's what happened to mine even though my address was correct. They can expedite a replacement for free if the original was returned. Also make sure to verify your full legal name EXACTLY as it appears on your unemployment application - even spacing matters! Got my replacement in 5 business days after that call. Don't let them tell you to "just wait" - be polite but firm that you need immediate help accessing your benefits! 🙏
This is super helpful advice! The "returned to sender" thing is something I never would have thought to ask about. Really appreciate you sharing the exact number and being specific about persistence - 15 calls sounds exhausting but if it works it's worth it! Quick question - when you say "full legal name exactly as it appears" do you mean like if my unemployment application has my middle name spelled out but I usually just use my middle initial, that could cause problems? Want to make sure I get this right when I call. Thanks for taking the time to share what actually worked! 💪
Ugh I'm in the same boat! Filed in December and still waiting for my card. The most frustrating part is watching the money pile up online but not being able to buy groceries 😭 Has anyone tried going to one of those check cashing places to see if they can help? I'm getting desperate here and considering any options at this point. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - at least I know I'm not alone in this mess!
@Isabella Brown I totally feel your pain! Check cashing places won t'be able to help unfortunately since the money is specifically on the unemployment debit card system - they can t'access those funds. But don t'lose hope! Based on what everyone s'shared here, I d'definitely try calling KeyBank at 1-866-295-2955 multiple times like @Anastasia Sokolov suggested, or consider going to a local DOL office in person like @CosmicCrusader recommended. December to now is way too long to wait! Also maybe try that claimyr.com service that @Sean Murphy mentioned - $20 seems worth it if you re really struggling'to get through. Hang in there, you WILL get access to your money! 💪
Join the conversation
Similar thing happened to me a few years ago - forgot to report some freelance work. Ended up paying back $1,500 plus a $225 penalty. No criminal charges but I was disqualified from collecting UI for 6 months. Just be completely honest about what happened and why.
Did you have to go to a hearing or was it all handled through paperwork?
They offered me a phone hearing but I waived it and just accepted responsibility. Made the process faster.
I went through something similar two years ago. The investigation process took about 6 weeks for me. Here's what I learned: 1) Respond to everything they send you promptly and completely, 2) Gather all records of the unreported work (pay stubs, bank deposits, etc.), 3) Write a clear explanation of why you didn't report it initially. In my case, I genuinely misunderstood the reporting requirements for odd jobs under $100. They still made me pay back $3,200 plus penalties, but no criminal charges. The worst part was the stress of waiting, but being proactive and honest helped. You might also want to consult with an employment attorney for a consultation - many offer free 30-minute consultations for cases like this.
Join the conversation
One thing to keep in mind is that even though you can apply anytime, the longer you wait the more potential benefits you're losing. Like if your hours got cut 6 weeks ago and you would have qualified for $200/week, you've already missed out on $1,200 in benefits that you can never get back.
@Jabari-Jo definitely file as soon as you can! I was in a similar situation last year - working retail and had my hours cut from 35 to about 15 per week. I waited almost a month before applying because I didn't realize reduced hours could qualify you for partial unemployment benefits. The application process itself was pretty straightforward online, just make sure you have your employer info and pay stubs ready. Even with reduced hours you might still qualify for partial benefits to help make up some of the lost income. The sooner you file, the sooner you can start getting some financial relief while you look for more hours or another job.
Zainab Ali
unpopular opinion but maybe try gig work? uber/doordash let u control ur hours and u can still job hunt
0 coins
Connor Murphy
•careful with this tho - gotta report ALL earnings including tips
0 coins
Yara Abboud
Thanks everyone for the detailed info! As someone new to this whole unemployment system, this thread is incredibly helpful. @Dmitry Ivanov that breakdown is exactly what I needed - gonna screenshot that for reference. Quick follow up question: when you report part-time income, do you report gross or net earnings? And does freelance/contract work count the same as regular part-time employment? I do some web dev consulting on the side and want to make sure I'm reporting everything correctly.
0 coins