Been stuck in pending for 9 months with NY unemployment - can't get through to anyone

I hear ya. Dealing with NY unemployment is like talking to a brick wall. Have you tried contacting your local state representative? Thats what finally worked for me after 4 months in pending hell.

After weeks of failed attempts to reach NY unemployment, I found this service called claimyr.com that got me through to a live agent! Literally saved my sanity. They call for you, wait on hold, then connect you when a real person answers. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast after months of nothing but automated messages. Here's a video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

i have the EXACT same issue. been stuck since november!!! they fixed my id verification in february but its still just sitting there. ny unemployment system is broken beyond repair at this point 😤

Have you tried calling right when they open? That's what worked for me after 7 months in limbo. Started calling at 7:58am and kept redialing until I got in queue.

Look. Here's what you ACTUALLY need to do to get this resolved. I went through this exact nightmare for 5 months and finally got it fixed: First, document EVERYTHING. Every time you call, every message you get. Take screenshots of your account status. Second, contact your state assembly member AND state senator simultaneously. Don't just email - call their offices directly. Explain that you've been waiting for 9 months with no resolution after already resolving the identity verification issue. Third, file a complaint with the NYS Department of Labor Ombudsman office. They're supposed to investigate cases that have gone unresolved for too long. Fourth, if you're desperate to speak with someone right now and can't wait for the political channels to work, honestly claimyr.com is the only reliable way I found to get through the phone system. They have some tech that keeps dialing and gets you past the endless hold times. Lastly, when you DO get through to someone, be super detailed but polite. Ask for a supervisor immediately if the first person can't help. Get badge numbers or employee IDs for everyone you speak with. The system is absolutely broken but these steps will maximize your chances of getting through. Good luck - I know how soul-crushing this wait can be.

NYSDOL is completely useless. I filed an appeal in March and still nothing. I'm convinced nobody actually works there 🤡

Have u checked ur spam folder? they sent me crucial emails there and i almost missed them

The ONLY thing that worked for me was sending a message through the secure message center on the website every single day for two weeks straight. Eventually someone must have gotten annoyed enough to fix my account lol. Just kept asking for updates and explaining my situation.

Did u already do the ID verification through [ID.me](https://ID.me)? That was my issue - had to verify twice for some reason.

this exact thing happened to me too!!! finally got thru by using claimyr.com - its this thing where they call for you and then connect you when someone answers. was ready to give up before i found it. got my case resolved in ONE call after months of nothing

you might have a fraud hold. happened to me too and unless you specifically ASK about it, they wont tell you. when you eventually get through, ask if there's a fraud hold on your account.

why does ny unemployment make everything so complicated?? its almost like they WANT us to give up and go away 😫

For real have u tried reaching out to your local news station? Sometimes the bad publicity makes them move faster on cases.

After 3 months of nothing but busy signals, i broke down and paid for claimyr. Got through to an agent who fixed my claim on the spot. Sometimes you gotta spend money to get your money 🤷‍♂️

Try this direct number I found: [redacted]. Its not the main line and sometimes gets you to a different department who can transfer you to claims. Worked for me last week.

I know this sounds crazy but try calling your local unemployment office directly instead of the main number. Each county has their own office and sometimes they can help even tho they're not supposed to take direct calls.

check ur work search requirements!!! even if ur in pending status, if you havent been documenting your work search they can deny you retroactively. make sure ur doing the minimum searches every week and logging them

honestly the whole ny unemployment system is a joke. i applied in december, got approved right away, then NOTHING for 8 weeks. finally called using claimyr.com and found out they had some random flag on my account that nobody bothered to tell me about. fixed in 5 minutes once i actually talked to someone.

u try the twitter method? @NYSLabor sometimes responds if u tweet at them enough (make sure ur tweet is public not a DM