Anyone reach a real person at NY unemployment by phone? Been trying for 3 months with no luck
Does anyone have a phone number that they actually talked to someone at NY unemployment? I have been trying for 3 months and it keeps saying they are busy 🙄 I've tried calling at different times - early morning, late afternoon, midday - nothing works! Always get the automated message saying high call volume and to try again later. I need to discuss why my payments suddenly stopped in February but can't get through to a human. This is so frustrating. Has anyone successfully gotten through recently? What's the trick?
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Ethan Scott
same boat here 😫 been calling for WEEKS and can't get anyone. i tried pressing different options in the menu thinking maybe some departments have shorter waits but nope, always ends with 'we're experiencing high call volume' then hangs up on me.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Exactly! What are we supposed to do? My rent is due next week and I'm seriously panicking now.
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Lola Perez
They dont want u to talk to anybody. System is designed to frustrate people so they give up. I called over 200 times last month no joke. My cousin said he got through at exactly 8:03am but I tried that and still nothing.
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Nathaniel Stewart
•That's what I think too! It feels like they're purposely making it impossible to reach them. Has anyone tried emailing instead? I sent three emails last week and still nothing back. This whole system is garbage!
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Riya Sharma
The regular unemployment number is nearly impossible to reach during peak times. Try calling the alternate claims center at (888) 209-8124 during off-peak hours (before 8:30am or after 4:00pm). Their phone systems update overnight, so Wednesdays and Thursdays typically have shorter queues than Mondays. Also, be aware that the NYSDOL is dealing with a new claim system rollout in 2025, which is causing additional delays across all their services.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Thanks for the suggestion. I've actually tried the 888 number at different times without any luck. Is there any specific option in the menu that works better? And do you know anything about this new system? I wonder if that's why my payments suddenly stopped.
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Riya Sharma
•For the menu options, try selecting 2 for payment issues rather than 1 for claims questions - the payment department is usually less busy. Regarding your payments stopping, this is likely related to either the quarterly review (happens automatically every 3 months) or the new system migration. When payments stop suddenly without notification, it's usually a technical flag rather than an eligibility issue.
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Santiago Diaz
After spending weeks trying to get through like you, I finally used Claimyr and got connected to an agent in about 17 minutes. It's a service that basically calls unemployment for you and gets you past the busy signals. I was skeptical at first but seriously it worked when nothing else did. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - it was the only thing that actually got me through to fix my claim issue. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•I've never heard of this before. Does it actually work? I'm desperate at this point so willing to try anything. Did they help you resolve your issue once you got through?
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Santiago Diaz
•Yes, once I got connected to an agent, they were actually really helpful. My issue was that they needed additional verification documents that I didn't know about, and the agent was able to tell me exactly what to upload. Got my payments back on track within a week. The service just helps you get past the busy signals - you still talk directly with the unemployment agent yourself.
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Ethan Scott
does anyone know if the local career centers can help? theres one near me but their website doesnt say if they can help with payment issues
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Millie Long
•I work with unemployment claims professionally, and it depends on the issue. Career centers can help with basic account problems but don't have access to the payment systems. For payment stops, you need to speak with someone at the main unemployment office. A helpful tip: if your payments stopped suddenly in February, it may be related to the quarterly wage review that happens in the first quarter of 2025. Many claims are being flagged for additional verification during this period.
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KaiEsmeralda
I got through last Tuesday! Called exactly at 8:00am, got the busy message, hung up, called again immediately, and somehow got in the queue. Was on hold for 1.5 hours but finally talked to someone. They fixed my issue in like 5 minutes once I actually got through. So frustrating that it took weeks of trying just for a 5-minute fix!!
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Wow, you got lucky! I've tried the call-hang up-call again method too but no success. Did you press any specific options when you called? And was it the main number or a different one?
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KaiEsmeralda
•I used the main 888-209-8124 number. I pressed 1, then 1 again, then 3 for payment issues, then 2 when it asked about existing claims. Might have just been lucky timing though honestly.
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Nathaniel Stewart
Has anyone tried contacting their state representative's office? My friend in Buffalo said her state senator's office helped her get through to unemployment when she had been trying for weeks. They apparently have special contacts or something. Might be worth a try if nothing else is working!
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Genevieve Cavalier
•That's a great idea! I hadn't thought of that. I'll look up my representative today. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Lola Perez
the whole system is broken. i gotta certify every week but cant talk to nobody when theres a problem?? make it make sense!!!
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Millie Long
Based on your description of payments stopping suddenly in February, this is likely related to the quarterly wage verification process that runs automatically in the system. For quickest resolution, log into your NY.gov account and check your messages and document section - there's often a request for additional verification that causes the payment pause. If nothing appears there, you absolutely need to speak with an agent. One effective method: use the 'request callback' feature on the website rather than calling directly. It became available in late 2024 and though it can still take 2-3 days, it's much more reliable than trying to call in. You'll find it under Account Settings > Customer Support > Request Callback.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•I checked my messages and documents section yesterday and didn't see anything! I'll try the callback feature right now. Thank you so much for this specific advice. I had no idea there was a callback option.
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