Can't reach anyone at NY unemployment, been trying for weeks - what actually works?

I had this EXACT problem last month and wasted like 2 weeks trying to get through. Ended up trying this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that basically calls for you and connects you when a real person answers. Talking to an agent got my payments unlocked so fast. Best decision I made during this unemployment nightmare. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

I'm in the same boat! Been trying to reach them for almost a month! The system is completely broken. I've tried calling at exactly 8:00am, 11:45am, 2:30pm... always the same "high call volume" message. I even tried using my mom's phone to call from a different number thinking maybe they were filtering my calls or something 😅 No luck.

For anyone struggling to get through to NY unemployment, here's what I've learned after dealing with them for months: First, understand that their phone system is absolutely overwhelmed - it's not just you. The regular phone approach rarely works unless you get extremely lucky. What worked for me: 1) Use the callback service at claimyr.com - they keep dialing and connect you when they reach a rep. Talking to an actual human solved my issue in 15 minutes after weeks of frustration. 2) Contact your state representative's office - they often have direct channels to unemployment offices and can escalate your case. 3) Try the TTY/TDD line if you're truly desperate (though this should really be reserved for those who need this service). 4) Send detailed messages through your online account every few days - sometimes they respond. 5) Document EVERYTHING - dates you called, who you spoke with, confirmation numbers. The system is frustrating by design, but persistence pays off. Don't give up - remember that these are YOUR benefits that YOU qualify for.

Pro tip: Try calling exactly at 7:57am. Thats when the system lets people through before the official 8am opening time. Worked for me last week after trying for days.

Have you tried the backdoor number? 888-[redacted]. It goes to a different call center that sometimes has shorter wait times. I had to call 43 times but eventually got through.

If ur claim was already approved and then stopped, theres probably an identity verification issue. Happened to me too. I couldn't get anyone on the phone for 5 WEEKS! Finally used Claimyr after my friend recommended it (claimyr.com) and when I finally talked to someone, they just needed to verify something simple. Got my backpay in 2 days after that. The system is a joke.

so like do they even answer the phones?? or is it just an endless loop of despair by design? 🙃 asking for a friend (the friend is me, im depressed

Ya'll I just got through after 31 days of trying!!! Here's what finally worked: called the spanish line (I speak basic spanish) and then when I got to a person I just asked if they spoke english. The rep was totally fine switching to english and fixed my claim issue right away. Try it if youre desperate!

Nobody at NY unemployment answers bro 😂 you gotta file a complaint with the governor's office to get anywhere these days. Try: https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

So I was about to throw my phone after 3 hours on hold when a friend told me about Claimyr. I was super skeptical but tried it out of desperation. It actually worked and got me connected to a real person! They handled my issue in like 10 minutes - turns out there was just a flag on my account that needed to be removed. Whatever you do, don't give up on getting your benefits! claimyr.com was clutch for me.

I've been on unemployment 3 times over the past 5 years and EVERY TIME there's some issue that requires calling. The system is designed to be frustrating so people give up. My advice: be persistent and try different methods. The phone isn't the only way - try reaching out to your state senator's office too.

this is why the system is broken intentionally. they make it impossible to get help so people just give up trying to get benefits they're entitled to. but keep voting for the same politicians who refuse to fix it lmao

Listen I work in software and the ny unemployment system is running on ancient technology from like the 80s. It literally can't handle the call volume. Your best bet is to try at weird times like Tuesday at 2:47pm when most people aren't calling.

Try using claimyr.com to get a callback. I was skeptical but it worked for me after weeks of failing to get through. Worth every penny when I was about to lose my apartment.

Wow, reading through all these responses really shows how broken the system is. I'm in a similar situation - got cut off after 6 weeks and can't get through to anyone. The fact that so many people are mentioning Claimyr makes me think it might actually be legit, even though I'm usually skeptical of these services. At this point I'm willing to try anything since I've been calling for 2 weeks straight with no luck. Going to give it a shot tomorrow and also try that Tuesday 2:47pm tip from Danielle. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not alone in this nightmare!

I feel your pain so much! I went through the exact same thing last year - payments just stopped out of nowhere and then it's like the unemployment office vanished into thin air. After reading all these comments, I'm definitely going to try Claimyr since so many people are saying it actually works. It's ridiculous that we have to pay a service to access our own benefits, but if it gets me through to a real person I'm willing to try it. Also going to attempt some of those off-peak calling times people mentioned. The stress of not knowing when (or if) your benefits will resume is unbearable, especially when bills keep coming. Hang in there - it sounds like persistence really does pay off eventually, even if the system is completely broken.

This is absolutely insane that we're all going through the same nightmare! I've been reading through everyone's experiences and it's both comforting and infuriating to know I'm not alone. I'm in week 4 of calling every single day with no luck - my payments stopped randomly in January and now I'm down to my last few hundred dollars. The stress is keeping me up at night. I have to admit, I was really skeptical about services like Claimyr at first because I've been burned by scams before, but seeing SO many people here say it actually worked for them is making me reconsider. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third party just to access our own benefits, but if it means I can actually talk to a human being and get my payments restored, it might be worth it at this point. I'm also going to try some of those off-peak calling strategies people mentioned - Tuesday at 2:47pm, Wednesday afternoons, etc. Anything is better than the endless busy signals and automated hangups I've been getting. Thank you all for sharing your stories and tips. This system is completely broken but at least we're helping each other navigate it. I'll report back if any of these methods work for me!

Reading through all these comments is both reassuring and terrifying - I had no idea so many people were dealing with the exact same issue! I'm on week 2 of calling daily and getting nowhere. My benefits stopped abruptly last month with that same vague "call to resolve" message, and it's like they designed the phone system to be impossible on purpose. I have to say, I was super skeptical about services like Claimyr when I first heard about them (sounds too much like those "one weird trick" ads), but seeing so many different people here vouching for it is making me seriously consider it. The fact that multiple people went from weeks of frustration to getting their issues resolved in minutes is pretty compelling evidence. I'm definitely going to try some of those off-peak calling strategies too - Tuesday 2:47pm, Wednesday afternoons, etc. Also might attempt that backdoor number Adrian mentioned if I can find it. The stress of not knowing when your benefits will come back while bills pile up is absolutely crushing. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and actually helpful advice instead of just "keep calling" like everyone else says. Will update if anything works!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the exact same thing happened to me last month and I know how frustrating and scary it is when your benefits just stop with no explanation. I tried calling for THREE WEEKS straight using every trick I could find online - calling right at 8am, during lunch, late afternoon, you name it. Always got that same "high call volume" message and automatic hangup. What finally worked for me was using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - I was super skeptical at first because it sounds too good to be true, but I was getting desperate. They basically keep calling the unemployment line over and over until they get through to a real person, then connect the call to you. I got connected within a few hours and the agent fixed my issue in literally 10 minutes - turned out to be a simple identity verification flag that was blocking my payments. I know it sucks having to pay for something that should be free, but when you're facing eviction/bills piling up, sometimes you just need to do whatever works. Got my backpay within 2 days after that call. The system is completely broken but don't give up on getting what you're entitled to!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare - it's absolutely infuriating how broken the NY unemployment system is! I've been following this thread and I'm honestly shocked at how many people are going through the exact same thing. Your situation sounds incredibly stressful, especially with rent due and bills piling up. From what I'm reading here, it seems like a lot of people have had success with that Claimyr service that keeps getting mentioned. I was skeptical at first too (it does sound too good to be true), but seeing so many different people vouching for it across all these comments is pretty convincing. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third party just to access our own benefits, but when you're facing eviction, desperate times call for desperate measures. I'd also suggest trying some of the timing strategies people mentioned - calling on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons at random times like 2:47pm instead of the usual peak hours. The system is clearly overwhelmed during "normal" calling times. Don't give up! Your benefits are rightfully yours and you deserve to get them. The system is designed to be frustrating so people give up, but persistence seems to pay off eventually. Hang in there and please update us on what ends up working - we're all rooting for you!

This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare and it's such a relief to know I'm not alone! My payments stopped 3 weeks ago with that dreaded "call to resolve" message and I've been getting nowhere with the phone system. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm honestly amazed at how consistently people are mentioning Claimyr. I was super skeptical at first (it really does sound too good to be true), but the sheer number of people vouching for it across all these comments is pretty compelling. When you're staring down eviction notices and empty bank accounts, you have to try everything, right? I'm planning to give it a shot this week along with those off-peak calling strategies people mentioned. It's absolutely insane that we have to pay a third party service just to access our own benefits, but if it means getting through to an actual human being after weeks of frustration, it might be worth every penny. Thanks to everyone sharing real solutions instead of just "keep calling" - this community is a lifesaver!

Ugh, this is giving me flashbacks to my own unemployment nightmare last year! I went through the EXACT same thing - payments just stopped out of nowhere and then it's like the entire unemployment office disappeared into another dimension. I probably called 200+ times over 6 weeks and got nowhere. What finally saved me was actually using one of those callback services that people keep mentioning here (I used Claimyr too). I was super skeptical because honestly it sounds like a scam, but when you're about to lose your apartment you'll try anything. Turned out my issue was something ridiculous - just needed to confirm my address or something - and the whole thing was resolved in like 5 minutes once I actually talked to a human. The most frustrating part is that these are OUR benefits that we're entitled to, but the system is designed to be so impossible that people just give up. Don't let them wear you down! Try the callback service, try those weird off-peak calling times people mentioned, contact your representatives - whatever it takes. The money is there waiting for you, you just need to get past their broken phone system. Hang in there - I know how scary it is when bills are piling up and you can't get answers. But based on everyone's stories here, persistence really does pay off eventually!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - I can feel the desperation in your post and I completely understand! I went through something very similar a few months ago where my payments just stopped with that vague "call to resolve" message. I spent weeks calling every day, sometimes 20+ times per day, and got nowhere but busy signals and hangups. After reading through all these comments, I'm really struck by how many people are mentioning Claimyr. I'll be honest, I was super skeptical when I first heard about it because it sounds like one of those "too good to be true" services, but the consistent positive feedback from so many different people here is pretty convincing. When you're facing eviction and have bills piling up like you are, sometimes you just have to try everything available. I'd also definitely recommend trying those off-peak calling strategies people mentioned - Tuesday/Wednesday afternoons at random times instead of the usual rush hours when everyone else is calling. The system clearly can't handle the volume during peak times. Don't give up on getting what you're entitled to! The system is frustratingly broken but your benefits are rightfully yours. I know the stress is overwhelming when you're down to your last few hundred dollars, but based on everyone's experiences here, there are ways to get through eventually. Wishing you the best of luck and please update us on what works!

This whole situation is so frustrating and I really feel for you! I've been in a similar spot where my unemployment payments just stopped randomly and getting through to anyone felt impossible. After reading through all these comments, I'm honestly considering trying that Claimyr service that so many people are mentioning. I was really skeptical at first because it does sound too good to be true, but seeing all these different people say it actually worked for them is pretty compelling. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third party just to access our own benefits, but when you're facing eviction and bills are piling up, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm also going to try some of those off-peak calling strategies people suggested - maybe Tuesday afternoon at random times instead of the usual peak hours. The stress of not knowing when your benefits will resume while watching your bank account drain is really terrible. Don't give up though - your benefits are rightfully yours and it seems like persistence really does pay off eventually. Please keep us posted on what ends up working for you!