You can try contacting your state representative's office. They sometimes have connections to get help with unemployment issues when you can't get through yourself. Just google your district rep and give their office a call.

Same thing happened to me back in December - zero warning, just suddenly hit zero effective days after being on UI for about 6 months. Turns out NY regular unemployment is exactly 26 weeks and that's it. No extensions available right now since the pandemic programs ended. I ended up having to scramble for temp work and food assistance. The lack of communication from NYSDOL is seriously messed up - they should at least send you a heads up when you're getting close to exhaustion. Really feel for you with rent coming up, that stress is real. Definitely try calling your local rep's office like someone mentioned above, sometimes they can at least clarify if you have any other options or help you get through to someone at DOL.

So I was about to throw my phone after 3 hours on hold when my neighbor told me about Claimyr. It's this service where they wait on hold for you and then call you when they get an actual human. It was the only thing that worked after weeks of trying. claimyr.com saved my sanity and got my claim fixed.

I've been dealing with this nightmare too! After reading all these comments about Claimyr, I'm definitely going to try it. Seems like multiple people here have had success with it. @Mateo - definitely try calling at exactly 8am like @Zoe suggested first, but if that doesn't work, the Claimyr thing seems legit based on all these testimonials. The fact that so many different people are vouching for it makes me think it's not a scam. Good luck with your claim!

After reading through this thread, it sounds like your back payments are likely stuck with a system flag or hold. Based on my experience and what others have shared, here's what I recommend: 1. Use Claimyr or keep calling until you reach an agent 2. Specifically request a tier 2 specialist who can check for payment holds 3. Ask them to check for quarterly review flags, payment blocks, or pending certifications 4. File the formal complaint as suggested above 5. If all else fails, contact your state representative The system is frustrating but persistence usually pays off eventually. Keep documenting everything and don't give up!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - been waiting 5 weeks for my backpay after they said it was "approved and being processed." Reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying! It sounds like there are so many different things that can go wrong in their system. I'm definitely going to try that formal complaint process that Olivia mentioned since I'm already past the 21 business day guideline. Has anyone had success with contacting their local assemblyperson or state senator? I'm wondering if political pressure helps move things along faster than just dealing with the DOL directly.

The whole system is ridiculous honestly. They make it so complicated when it should be simple - you lost your job, here's what you get based on what you made. Instead they have these weird quarter calculations and base periods that nobody understands. And good luck getting anyone at NYS Department of Labor to explain it clearly!

same boat here, trying to figure out my weekly amount before my first payment. the waiting is killing me

Contact your state assembly person!!! This worked for me when I couldnt get any help from unemployment directly. Google your district rep and their office will help escalate your case.

I went through this exact same situation last year! You absolutely should get those 3 weeks of backpay - that money is legally yours if you certified for those weeks before your BYE date. The fact that they show as "processed" with $0.00 payment is actually a good sign because it means they're in the system but just stuck. Here's what worked for me: I called right at 8am on a Tuesday (seems like less busy than Mondays) and got through after about 45 minutes. When I got an agent, I specifically said "I need help with outstanding payments from my previous benefit year that show as processed but never paid out." Having that exact phrase seemed to help them understand the issue faster. The agent was able to see the stuck payments immediately and released them with some kind of manual override. I got all the money within 2 business days. Don't let them tell you the money is gone - it's not! You just need someone with access to actually process the release. Also keep track of exactly which weeks you're owed (sounds like April 9th for sure, maybe others depending on your exact BYE date). Having specific dates ready helps speed up the call. Good luck! 🤞