Anyone get their NY unemployment tourism industry refund yet?

I worked at a restaurant near Times Square and applied for the same thing back in April. Still nothing. Status says "approved" but no money in my account. When I call it just rings forever or disconnects me. NY unemployment system is a joke.

After trying to reach someone for WEEKS about my tourism relief payment, I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got a callback with a real person from unemployment! Best money I've ever spent to finally get my issue resolved. They actually did the calling and waiting on hold part for me, then connected me when an agent picked up. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my payment was delayed (missing document they never told me about) and how to fix it. Got my payment 10 days later! Here's a video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

My coworker just got hers last week! She applied in early April so it took about 14 weeks total. She said there was no notification - the money just appeared in her bank account one day. Maybe check if they have your correct direct deposit info?

I've been checking daily and nothing yet. Applied April 3rd, status has been "under review" forever. I called my state assembly person's office and they said they're getting TONS of complaints about this program. The rep told me they're completely overwhelmed and understaffed. Typical NY unemployment mess. 🤦‍♀️

GUYS I FINALLY GOT MY PAYMENT YESTERDAY!! Applied April 2, status never changed from "pending review" but money showed up in my account! $3,362 after taxes. There's hope! Keep checking your accounts even if the status doesn't update.

This is literally the BIGGEST scam ever. I was a hotel manager for 10 years, lost my job in 2021, applied for this in April, and just got a denial letter saying I "didn't provide sufficient proof of employment in tourism sector" even though I literally sent them W2s from a MAJOR HOTEL CHAIN. The whole thing is a PR stunt to make it look like they're helping tourism workers. 😡

I'm an unemployment counselor (not official, just help people navigate the system). Here's what I know about the tourism relief payments: - They are MASSIVELY backlogged. The program got about 4x more applications than they anticipated. - Payments are going out in batches each Friday, but they're only processing about 5,000 applications per week (out of over 100,000 received). - Direct deposit is MUCH faster than paper checks. If you didn't provide direct deposit info, expect additional 2-3 week delay. - The "pending review" status often doesn't update even after they've approved you. Many people are seeing money before their status changes. - If you need to speak with someone urgently, normal calling methods won't work. Either use claimyr.com to get a callback or contact your local state assembly person's office. - They ARE verifying employment details extensively, so if anything on your application doesn't match your unemployment records, that will cause delays. Hope this helps! The system is frustrating but payments ARE going out slowly.

anyone trying to call the 888 number they provided is wasting their time. i worked at DOL before (not anymore thank god) and they literally don't have enough staff to answer those calls. they just go to a queue that nobody monitors.

I received mine last week. Took exactly 13 weeks from application to payment. I never got any update emails or status changes - the money just showed up. One thing I noticed - I had a friend who applied same day and he hasn't gotten his yet, but I had uploaded more documentation than required (not just W2s but also my termination letter and last paystub). Think that might have helped my case get processed faster?

they sent me a determination letter yesterday saying im eligible but the payment is "pending final verification." whatever that means. been 15 weeks since i applied. NY unemployment making us jump through hoops for money they promised us 🤦‍♂️

My cousin works for the state (not DOL but another agency) and she said they've had MASSIVE fraud with this program which is why they're being so slow and careful. Apparently a lot of people who never actually worked in tourism are trying to claim the money.

PROTIP: If your status has been stuck on pending for more than 12 weeks, try logging in and clicking the "Contact Us" button, then selecting "Application Status Inquiry" from the dropdown. I did this last week after being stuck since April, and miraculously got my payment 3 days later. I think it flags your application for review.

after TWO MONTHS of calling that stupid number every day, i used claimyr.com and got connected to an agent in like 90 minutes. the agent told me my application had a "technical flag" because my employer used a different industry code on my w2 than what they were looking for. he removed the flag and i got paid the next week. nobody wouldve told me this if i hadnt finally gotten through!

i think the whole program is a scam tbh. ny state announced this big relief program to look good in the press but never had a plan to actually distribute the funds efficiently. classic government move - big promises, garbage execution.

I'm a former tour guide who applied on April 5th. Just got my payment today (August 12th). So it took just over 4 months total. Hang in there everyone, they ARE slowly processing them!