I'm in week 12 now and FINALLY got some movement on my claim! After reading all these comments, I tried the Claimyr service that Emily mentioned and it actually worked - got connected to an agent within 2 hours. Turns out my claim was flagged because my employer reported my last day of work as a Friday but I had put Thursday on my application (I honestly couldn't remember which day it was). The agent cleared it immediately and said my payments should start processing within 48 hours. For anyone still waiting - don't give up! It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops, but once you get to talk to a real person they can usually fix whatever weird glitch is holding up your claim. @Ethan Wilson hang in there, based on what Yuki shared about the March-April security review, hopefully yours will get resolved soon too!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - week 7 of waiting and absolutely nothing! It's so reassuring to see I'm not alone, but also terrifying that some of you waited 10+ weeks. The stress is eating me alive. I've been calling every day but can never get through. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like most of these delays are just random system glitches that get fixed instantly once you talk to a real person. That's both encouraging and infuriating at the same time! Going to try some of the tips mentioned here - the alternate phone number, calling right at opening, and maybe that Claimyr service. Thank you all for sharing your experiences, it helps to know we're not going crazy and that there is hope! 💪

I wouldn't worry too much about your existing claim. Just make sure you're keeping up with your job search log and reporting any work accurately on your weekly claims. The NYS Department of Labor is required to pay benefits to eligible claimants regardless of how many people are claiming.

I was in a similar situation a few months ago when unemployment rates were climbing and I was convinced they were going to start cutting benefits. What I learned is that your individual claim is based on your work history and eligibility when you first applied - the statewide numbers don't change that. The only thing that might affect you is if you personally stop meeting the requirements (like not doing job searches or not certifying weekly). Keep doing what you're doing and don't let the headlines stress you out!

Just to give you some hope - I had the exact issue (wrong last work date) and finally got it resolved last month. Took about 3 months total but I did get ALL my back pay once they fixed it. Stay persistent and document everything!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My system shows I last worked in August 2020 but I actually got laid off in April. It's been 3 months of trying to get this fixed and I'm getting nowhere with the regular phone lines. Reading through these comments, it sounds like using claimyr.com or contacting my state rep might be my best bets. Has anyone had luck with the state rep route recently? I'm in Queens if that matters. Also @StardustSeeker - definitely try calling right at 8am like someone mentioned. I've had slightly better luck early morning vs afternoon calls, though still haven't gotten through to someone who can actually help yet. This whole situation is so frustrating when you know it's just a simple data error that should take 5 minutes to fix 😤

I work in HR and see this happen occasionally. As long as you contact NYS Department of Labor promptly and haven't received any benefit payments, it's usually a non-issue. Your employer might get a notice but most understand that people explore their options during uncertain times.

I went through this same exact situation about 6 months ago! Filed by mistake when I thought I was getting laid off, then my manager called me back for reduced hours. I was panicking thinking I'd get in trouble. Called NYS DOL and explained - they were actually pretty understanding about it. The rep told me it happens more than you'd think. They just marked my claim as "voluntarily withdrawn" and that was it. No issues with my employer either, they barely mentioned the notification they got. Don't stress too much about it, just call them ASAP and be honest about the mistake.

If u cant get through to anyone, contact your local news station. I swear this works. My cousin's unemployment fraud case was dragging on for months until she contacted the 'fighting for you' segment on channel 7. They did a story and her case was resolved in a week.

This is absolutely infuriating and unfortunately becoming way too common. I went through something similar last year - found out someone had been collecting my benefits for 3 months while I was struggling to pay rent. Here's what worked for me: 1. Document EVERYTHING - screenshot your account showing the fraudulent changes, save all emails/communications 2. Contact your state assemblyperson AND senator - not just one. Their offices have direct lines to the unemployment department 3. File complaints with both the NY State Attorney General and the federal DOL fraud hotline 4. If you have a local unemployment office, show up in person with all your documentation - sometimes physical presence gets results when calls don't I also ended up using one of those callback services (claimyr) that others mentioned - was skeptical but it actually got me connected to a real person who could escalate my case. Took about 8 weeks total but I did get all my stolen benefits back plus the ones I was owed. The system is broken but don't give up. Keep pushing from multiple angles - the squeaky wheel gets the grease with these agencies. Hang in there!