Can't reach New York Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live NYDOL agent in minutes.
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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 :)
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I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now and honestly, finding this thread feels like discovering a lifeline! I've been stuck trying to certify for the past 2 weeks with constant website crashes and have made probably 60+ calls with nothing but busy signals or that automated system that just hangs up on me. The stress of being unemployed and then not being able to access the benefits system is just overwhelming. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful though - I'm definitely going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) that @Aaron shared first thing tomorrow morning, along with the early morning calling strategy at 6am. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need to become system experts just to access our own benefits, but I'm so grateful everyone is sharing what actually works. The financial anxiety is so real when you're already struggling and then the safety net itself is broken. But seeing so many people eventually break through this mess gives me hope that persistence will pay off. This community support has been amazing when the official system completely fails us. I'll definitely update if any of these methods work for me - fingers crossed!
@KingKongZilla I just joined this community after dealing with the exact same frustrating situation for the past week and a half! 60+ calls with nothing but busy signals is absolutely maddening, and I completely understand that overwhelming stress when you're unemployed and can't even access the system that's supposed to help you. I've been having identical issues - website crashes every time I try to submit my certification and phone lines that are completely inaccessible. It's both heartbreaking and oddly comforting to see how many of us are trapped in this broken mess together. I'm also planning to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) at 6am tomorrow based on all the success stories here, plus @Aaron's button sequence strategy. The fact that we need an entire community playbook just to access our own benefits is completely absurd, but I'm so grateful this thread exists when the official system totally abandons us. The financial anxiety is so real when your safety net is broken, but reading about everyone's eventual breakthrough gives me real hope that we'll figure this out too. This community support has been incredible - please keep us posted on how it goes for you tomorrow!
I'm in the exact same boat right now and this thread has been such a lifesaver to find! Been trying to certify for almost 3 weeks with constant website crashes and I've called probably 85+ times with nothing but busy signals. The financial stress is getting really scary when you can't even access the benefits you desperately need. Thank you everyone for sharing all these solutions - I'm definitely going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) that @Aaron mentioned at 6am tomorrow, plus that button sequence strategy. It's absolutely insane that we need a whole community guide just to access our own benefits, but seeing so many people eventually break through this broken system gives me real hope. The fact that this thread exists shows how completely failed the NY unemployment system is right now, but at least we're all helping each other survive this nightmare. I'll definitely report back if any of these methods work for me - fingers crossed!
@Andre I just joined this community after being stuck in the exact same nightmare for the past 10 days! 85+ calls is absolutely brutal and I completely feel your panic about the financial situation - being unemployed and then having the safety net itself be completely broken is just devastating. I've been dealing with identical issues: website crashes every single time I try to certify and phone lines that are totally unreachable. It's both horrible and somehow reassuring to see how widespread this problem is. I'm also planning to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) at 6am tomorrow with @Aaron's button sequence strategy based on all the success stories here. You're absolutely right that it's insane we need an entire underground support network just to access our own benefits, but this community has been a real lifeline when the official system completely abandons us. The fact that so many people have eventually broken through this mess gives me genuine hope that persistence will pay off for all of us. Please keep us updated on how the automated phone line works for you - we're all rooting for each other in this broken system!
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I've been lurking on this thread because I'm dealing with the exact same "outstanding issue" problem that everyone's describing. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this nightmare! Based on what I'm seeing here, it sounds like Claimyr might be my best bet since multiple people have had success with it. I'm hesitant about the service fee when money's already tight, but if it can get me connected to an agent in under an hour versus waiting 2-3 weeks for an appointment, it seems worth it. Has anyone who used Claimyr had any issues with the service itself? Also wondering if there's a best time of day to try calling through them - I know the regular NYSDOL lines are supposedly less busy early morning or late afternoon. Really appreciate everyone sharing their stories here - it's given me hope that this can actually be resolved relatively quickly!
I totally understand your hesitation about the service fee - I was in the same boat! But honestly, after reading all these success stories, I think it's worth trying. From what I've seen in this thread, most people got through within 30-60 minutes which is incredible compared to the weeks we'd otherwise wait. I haven't used Claimyr myself yet but I'm planning to try it first thing tomorrow morning. From what I remember reading somewhere, early morning (like 8-9am) tends to be less busy for unemployment calls in general, so that might be the best time to try. The stress relief alone of potentially getting this resolved quickly seems worth the fee when you're dealing with rent and bills. Keep us posted if you end up trying it - would love to hear how it goes!
I used Claimyr about two weeks ago and had a really good experience! No issues with the service itself - they send you text updates throughout the process so you know where you are in the queue. I tried it around 9:30am on a Wednesday and got connected to an agent in about 40 minutes. The agent was super helpful and cleared up my "outstanding issue" which turned out to be a simple documentation problem. Honestly the peace of mind was worth every penny - I had been losing sleep over this for weeks! I'd definitely recommend trying it in the morning like others have suggested. The worst that happens is it doesn't work and you're back to waiting for an appointment, but at least you'll know you tried everything. Good luck!
I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and this thread has been so incredibly helpful! My claim has been stuck with an "outstanding issue" for about 2.5 weeks and I was starting to panic about my rent payment. Reading all these success stories with Claimyr is giving me hope - it sounds like most people are getting through within an hour instead of waiting weeks for appointments. I'm definitely going to try it first thing tomorrow morning based on everyone's recommendations. It's so frustrating that the system is this broken, but I'm grateful that people like Leo, Fatima, and Zoe took the time to share their positive experiences. Sometimes you just need to know there's light at the end of the tunnel! I'll try to update this thread once I've tried Claimyr in case it helps anyone else who finds this post in the future. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and advice - this community support means a lot when you're dealing with bureaucratic nightmares!
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Had a similar situation last month. Definitely notify them beforehand - I sent a secure message through the NY.gov portal explaining my travel dates and reasons. Also made sure to NOT certify while I was out of the country. When I got back, I called to handle that week's certification. The rep said as long as you're transparent about it upfront, they're usually understanding. Just don't try to certify from abroad or they'll flag your account for sure.
@Rachel Clark Really appreciate you sharing this! I m'dealing with the exact same situation right now. One more question - did you mention the specific reason for your travel in the secure message, or did you just say you d'be out of the country? Trying to figure out how detailed I need to be when I contact them.
@Rachel Clark This is really reassuring to hear! I m'actually in a similar spot - need to travel internationally for a family situation. Did they ask you to provide any documentation when you called back, like boarding passes or anything? Also wondering how far in advance you sent that secure message - was it like a week before or just a couple days? Thanks for being so helpful with all these questions!
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Reading through all these responses is both eye-opening and infuriating! I had no idea so many people were dealing with this exact same issue. The NY unemployment system is clearly broken when missing a single phone call (for completely reasonable reasons like being in the bathroom!) can cut off someone's lifeline. I've been in a similar situation for the past 3 weeks - they called during my dentist appointment and even though I called back within an hour, my benefits got suspended. The stress of not knowing when your next payment is coming while bills pile up is absolutely brutal. From what everyone's shared here, it sounds like 835-905-5682 is definitely the number to try, and the strategy of calling right at 8:00 AM sharp seems crucial. I'm also going to try that assembly person contact trick - never knew that was an option! @Rami Samuels - you've got an amazing support system here with all this advice. Don't let the system wear you down. Based on everyone's success stories, persistence really does pay off. We shouldn't have to become unemployment experts just to get basic benefits we're entitled to, but at least this community has our backs! Sending good vibes that you get through tomorrow and get this sorted out quickly! 🙏
This whole thread has been such an eye-opener for me too! I'm new to this community but going through my own unemployment nightmare right now. It's honestly shocking how broken the NY system is - like they've designed it to fail people on purpose. The fact that so many of us have nearly identical stories (random unscheduled calls, immediate benefit cuts, impossible phone lines) really shows this isn't just bad luck but systemic dysfunction. I'm taking notes on all these strategies everyone has shared - the 8AM sharp calling, asking for tier 2 immediately, contacting assembly reps, using multiple phones. It's ridiculous that we need a PhD in unemployment bureaucracy just to get basic help, but I'm grateful this community exists to share these hard-won tips. @Rami Samuels hope your coffee-stained letter photo trick works and you can confirm that 835 number! We re'all in this fight together against a system that clearly doesn t'want to help us. 💪
Wow, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - they called me while I was at my kid's school pickup and by the time I saw the missed call and called back 20 minutes later, it just went to voicemail. Two weeks later my benefits were suspended for "failure to participate in required interview." Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm going to try calling 835-905-5682 first thing tomorrow morning at exactly 8:00 AM. The tip about asking for tier 2 specialists immediately seems crucial - I've wasted so much time with tier 1 reps who just read scripts and can't actually help. @Rami Samuels - definitely try that photo contrast trick on your coffee-stained letter! Even if you can only make out a few more digits, it might help confirm which number is correct. Also really hope the assembly person contact works out for you - several people here have had success with that approach. It's absolutely mind-boggling that the NY unemployment system operates this way. Making people available 24/7 for random unscheduled calls and then cutting off benefits immediately when life happens is just cruel. But seeing all these success stories gives me hope that persistence really does pay off. Thanks everyone for sharing your strategies - this community is a lifesaver! 🙏
Andre Moreau
My brother did this and got his benefits no problem. The voluntary part doesn't matter - what matters is WHY the layoff happened. If it's because the company needs to reduce headcount, you're good. Just document everything!
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Samantha Hall
I actually just went through the NYS Department of Labor website and their handbook specifically mentions that voluntary layoffs are eligible for benefits as long as the separation is due to "lack of work" on the employer's part. The key is that you're not quitting your job - you're accepting an offer to be laid off because the company needs to reduce staff. I'd recommend calling the Department of Labor directly at 1-888-209-8124 to confirm your specific situation, especially if your severance package has any unusual terms. Also make sure to file your claim as soon as your last day of work, don't wait!
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Ava Rodriguez
•That's really helpful information about the handbook! I didn't know they had specific guidance on voluntary layoffs. Quick question - does the severance package timing affect when you can start collecting benefits? Like if I get 2 months severance pay, do I have to wait until that runs out to file my claim?
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