I'm dealing with this exact nightmare right now too. Filed in late December and still showing "pending" with zero communication from NYSDOL. It's absolutely maddening that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get a basic response about our own claims. I've tried the early morning calling strategy about 15 times with no luck - just the same "high call volume" message every single time. Based on all the comments here, it's pretty clear that the system is intentionally broken to discourage people from collecting benefits they're legally entitled to. The fact that so many people are having success with services like Claimyr tells you everything you need to know - if a third party can get you through to an agent in minutes when you can't do it yourself after months of trying, then the system is rigged against regular people. I'm going to try contacting my assembly member this week, but honestly I'm prepared to pay for one of these callback services if that doesn't work. At this point I've wasted so much time trying to get through on my own that it would probably be cheaper to just pay someone else to handle it. This whole situation is infuriating and shouldn't be legal.

I'm in the exact same situation and it's driving me crazy! Applied in December, now it's March and still showing "pending" with absolutely no updates. I've called probably 30+ times at different hours - 7:59am, lunch time, late afternoon - and never once gotten past that stupid "high call volume" recording. What really gets me is that I know people who applied AFTER me and already got their determinations (both approvals and denials). So it's not like they're processing claims in order - it seems completely random which ones get looked at. I'm starting to think @Carmella Fromis is right about this being intentional. They're probably hoping we'll all just give up and find jobs so they don't have to pay out benefits. But like, I DID find a job! I just want to know if I'm entitled to the benefits for those months I was unemployed. Is that too much to ask?? Definitely going to look into that Claimyr thing people keep mentioning. At this point I don't even care about the cost - my time and mental health are worth more than whatever they charge. This whole system is absolutely broken.

Quick tip that worked for me: call your local state representative's office! I was shocked but when I explained my situation, their constituent services person made a call and got my account reset within 48 hours. Worth a try if you're desperate!

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! The NY unemployment system is absolutely broken when it comes to old accounts. Here's what finally worked for me after weeks of frustration: 1. Don't waste more time with the website - it's not designed to handle this situation 2. Call the main unemployment line at 8:00 AM SHARP when they open (888-209-8124) 3. If that doesn't work, try calling your local CareerCenter - they sometimes have direct lines to help with account issues 4. As a last resort, I actually drove to a physical unemployment office and they were able to reset my account on the spot The key is getting to a real human who can manually override the system. Once they do that, you can update your email and password and file your claim normally. The whole process took about 15 minutes once I actually got someone on the phone. Don't give up! This is a known issue and they deal with it all the time. You just need to get past their terrible phone system first.

check if you accidentally said you worked somewhere when you filed your weekly claim, even like 1 hour of work can trigger a hold until they verify it

Have you tried contacting your local One-Stop Career Center? They sometimes have direct lines to NYS DOL staff that can help resolve holds faster than the main helpline. Also, if you're facing financial hardship, you might qualify for emergency assistance programs through local social services while waiting for your unemployment to clear. I had a similar hold that turned out to be a system glitch - they were waiting for wage verification from an employer that had already been submitted. Keep documenting all your attempts to contact them in case you need to escalate later.

wait so if my employer contests will i have to pay back benefits if i lose?? i've been getting payments for 3 weeks now while my claim is being reviewed

The adjudication process typically takes 2-4 weeks but can be longer depending on case complexity. During this time, NYS Department of Labor will contact both you and your employer for statements and documentation. Make sure to respond promptly to any requests for information. Keep detailed records of all communications and submit any evidence that supports your case - work schedules, text messages, emails, witness statements if available. The key is proving that either the termination wasn't for misconduct under NY law, or that your employer didn't follow their own progressive discipline policies. Good luck with your case!

Just wanted to add that you should keep filing your weekly claims even while your initial claim is being processed. I made the mistake of waiting until my claim was approved and it delayed my payments by another week. The weekly claims are separate from your initial application status.

One thing that helped me was setting up text notifications through the portal. Go to your profile settings and enable SMS alerts - they'll text you when there are updates to your claim status or new messages. Also, if you're really stuck, try calling first thing in the morning right when they open at 8am. The wait times are usually shorter then. I finally got through after about 45 minutes on hold and the rep was actually really helpful in explaining what was happening with my claim.