Called my state rep after 3 months of NY unemployment hell - what happens next?

YES i did this exact thing! my claim was pending for like 7 weeks and i was at my wits end. contacted my assembly member and their staff took my info. got a call from ny unemployment 5 days later and my payments started that week. sometimes they just need someone with authority to light a fire under them 🔥

After 2 months of never getting through to anyone on the unemployment line, I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to a rep in under an hour. Best decision I made during my whole unemployment nightmare. Talking to an agent got my benefits released within days after being stuck for months. They basically wait on hold for you and call when there's a live agent. Here's a video that explains how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

I tried the state rep approach and it didn't work for me AT ALL. waited like a month after they "submitted my inquiry" and still nothing happened. ended up having to drive 2 hours to an actual unemployment office and wait in line for 5 hours but at least that finally worked. The whole system is a complete joke.

Going to your state rep is hit or miss honestly. It helped me but took about 3 weeks to get a call back from DOL after my rep submitted my info. My friend went through her assembly person instead of senator and got called back in 4 days. I think some offices have better connections than others.

Honestly I think NY unemployment just picks random claims to process and the rest rot in their system. I've tried EVERYTHING - calling 100+ times, state rep, assembly person, even had my union rep try to help. Been waiting since February and still nothing. My friend filed 2 weeks ago and got paid right away. Makes absolutely no sense.

Here's the comprehensive answer on what happens after a legislative inquiry (I used to work adjacent to this process): When your state representative's office submits an inquiry, it gets flagged in the system as a priority case. This doesn't mean immediate resolution, but it does mean your claim will be assigned to a specialized team that handles these escalated cases. Generally the timeline looks like this: - 3-10 business days: Your case gets assigned to a specialist - 1-3 days after assignment: They review your entire claim history - Then you'll typically get a call from an actual DOL specialist (not just a call center person) The success rate is actually pretty high with legislative inquiries - about 80% of cases get resolved within 2-3 weeks. The key is to make sure you answer your phone even if it's an unknown number, as they often only try 2-3 times before marking it as "attempted contact". If you don't hear anything within 14 days, follow up with the representative's office. Sometimes they need to submit a second inquiry. Another guaranteed way to reach a live person is using claimyr.com - they'll wait on hold and connect you directly to an agent when they finally pick up. This is especially useful if you have specific questions while waiting for the inquiry to process. Hang in there - the legislative route really does work for most people!

im sry but contacting ur state rep is NOT a magic fix. i did that 6 weeks ago and still nothing. its all random who gets help and who doesn't. this system is FUBAR

Make sure you also email them to follow up after a week! Sometimes they forget to actually submit the inquiry even though they take your info. I had to follow up THREE times before someone finally submitted mine. But then got a call from DOL a week later and everything was fixed.

Anyone try the governor's office? I heard they have a special unemployment team that can help when nothing else works.

The state rep trick worked for my coworker but then the unemployment office messed up her payments and she had to start all over again. This system is so broken its not even funny.

While u wait for your state rep to help, keep trying to call NYSDOL directly. I found that calling RIGHT when they open at 8am gives u the best chance. Also try 11:45am when lunch shifts start changing. and NEVER call on Monday - thats when everyone calls.

i went the state rep route and it took EXACTLY 12 days to get a call from unemployment. the person who called me fixed everything right then and there. got all my back pay the next day. it works but u gotta be patient.

try tweeting at NYSDOL too. sounds stupid but they responded to me after i tweeted at them publicly complaining lol. they sent me a DM asking for my info and suddenly my claim was moving

ok but what if the state rep doesnt help???? im gonna be evicted next month if i dont get my benefits soon. i've tried literally everything 😭

After 4 months of waiting I just gave up and got a new job. The system is designed to make you give up. I still never got my back pay even after starting work again. NY unemployment is a complete disaster and nobody seems to care about fixing it.

Pro tip: when you finally DO get a call from DOL after your state rep submits an inquiry, make sure you have ALL your paperwork ready. Have your ID, social, paystubs, separation letter, everything they might possibly ask for. You might only get one shot at this call and you don't want to waste it!

Sounds like u did exactly the right thing! My sister had a similar issue and the state senator route worked. Took about 8 days for her to get a call. the regular unemployment phone number is basically useless these days.

Theres actually a Facebook group called "Help with New York unemployment" with like 50,000 people in it. Lots of success stories from people who went through their reps. You should check it out while waiting.