Landlords are required to accept bank statements showing deposits as proof in NY state due to the pandemic tenant protections. Print those out and highlight the unemployment deposits. He can't legally reject that as proof.

I went through this exact situation in December! The key is getting the "Benefits Verification Letter" directly from a rep - it's different from the determination letter and shows your current active status plus weekly amount. I tried calling for days with no luck, then used the claimyr service that others mentioned here. Cost like $20 but I got connected to someone in under 2 hours instead of the endless busy signals. The agent emailed me the verification letter immediately while I was still on the phone. Saved my housing situation! Don't waste more time trying to find it online - it literally doesn't exist there. The phone route with claimyr is your best bet to meet that Friday deadline.

everyone saying 'keep calling' but that literally doesnt work anymore. the phone lines are designed to keep us out. after 2 months of trying, i used claimyr.com and got through in ONE DAY. it was the only way I could talk to a live agent who fixed my claim on the spot.

This is exactly what happened to me! I was stuck at $0 for 8 weeks with the same "under review" status. What finally worked was getting through to a supervisor-level agent who could actually see what was blocking my claim. Turns out there was a simple discrepancy in my employment dates that was flagging everything for manual review. Once they fixed that one thing, my entire backpay was deposited within 48 hours. The regular call center agents couldn't see this level of detail - you need someone with actual system access. Don't give up! Keep pushing to speak with someone who can actually look at your specific case details.

I feel ur pain big time. I decided to just show up in person at the local career center. The security guard said they couldn't help with claims BUT he gave me a direct number to call that actually worked. Try going in person to any DOL office and ask nicely.

@76edea107492 I totally feel your frustration! I went through the exact same nightmare last year - calling hundreds of times, getting hung up on, watching my savings disappear while stuck in "pending" hell. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: I used that claimyr service people mentioned (totally worth it, got connected in 2 hours after weeks of trying), AND I contacted my assembly person's office for backup. The key is having multiple approaches going at once. Also document everything - screenshots, call logs, dates. When you do get through, ask for their direct extension so you don't have to go through the main number again. Hang in there, the system is broken but you WILL get your money eventually!

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to anyone? Did any of these suggestions work for you?

That's amazing news! So glad the Claimyr service worked for you and you were able to get through to someone who could actually help. The "multi-week certification review flag" explains everything - it's frustrating that the system doesn't give you any indication of what's causing the delay. Hopefully your payments come through as promised and you can get caught up on rent. Thanks for updating us on what worked - this will definitely help others in similar situations!

Just to summarize what we've discovered for anyone else who might have this issue: 1. When you report being unavailable for work on any day during weekly certification (even for illness), it can trigger an availability review 2. During this review, the system may show contradictory information like "already certified" and "file new claim" simultaneously 3. A phone interview (sometimes called a hearing) may be scheduled to verify the reason for unavailability 4. You should continue to certify weekly while waiting for this process to resolve 5. Benefits will typically be reduced by 1/4 for each day you were unavailable (in a 4-day work week system) 6. The temporary hold on payment should resolve once the review is complete The key is to keep certifying and be available for any scheduled phone interviews. Most of these situations resolve within 2-3 weeks.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my payment was delayed after I reported being sick for two days during my weekly certification. The system is showing the same confusing messages you described. Reading through everyone's responses, it sounds like this is pretty common when you report any unavailability. I found a notice in my documents section about a "determination interview" scheduled for next week. At least now I know what to expect and that I should keep certifying while I wait for it to be resolved. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really reassuring to know this isn't as scary as it initially seemed!