Contacting NY unemployment through your Assembly member - does it actually work?

Yes! Contacting my Assembly member was literally the ONLY thing that worked after 3+ weeks of getting nowhere with NYSDOL. Find your Assembly rep at nyassembly.gov using your address. Email them with your full name, claim ID, last 4 of SSN, and brief description of your issue. Their office has direct contacts at DOL. I heard back within 48 hours and my issue was resolved a week later. Way faster than any other method!

This actually works pretty well for many people. Assembly members have dedicated liaisons with various state agencies including DOL. Make sure you provide: - Full name as it appears on your claim - DOL ID number - Brief description of your specific issue - Contact information - When you first filed/when problem started Be patient though - while they can help, it's not instantaneous. Expect 1-2 weeks for resolution after they get involved.

tried this last yr didnt work for me, i emailed 3x and called twice, their office just send automated responses saying theyre 'looking into it' lol. maybe depends on which district ur in or how busy they are idk

I think everyone on here is GREATLY exaggerating how much these politicians actually care about helping us!! Assembly members are just going to forward your info to the SAME DOL people ignoring us in the first place. NOBODY in government actually cares about regular people trying to get their benefits. The whole system is designed to be impossible to navigate so they can deny us what we're owed!!!

I contacted my Assembly member in January 2025 when my benefits suddenly stopped with no explanation. Their office asked for all my claim details, ID verification, and employment history, which made me nervous at first (sending all that info to someone's email). But within 2 weeks, I got a call from an actual DOL supervisor who fixed everything! Backpay came through 3 days later. Definitely worth trying.

Assembly member outreach works best if you've already attempted normal channels and documented those attempts. Before contacting them: 1. Make note of dates/times you tried calling DOL 2. Save screenshots of any online claim errors 3. Have your claim ID and dates ready 4. Prepare a clear, concise explanation of your issue This helps them advocate more effectively on your behalf. Their offices deal with many constituent issues, so the more organized your request, the better they can help.

Just to add more context about how this works: Assembly members have staff dedicated to constituent services who handle these requests. They compile cases and submit them directly to specialized DOL staff who are assigned to work with government offices. This bypasses the regular call centers entirely. Success rates vary by office and the complexity of your case, but it's definitely a legitimate option worth pursuing.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I just emailed my Assembly member with all my info. Will update this thread when/if I hear anything back. In the meantime I'm still going to keep trying the regular DOL number just in case. This whole process is so stressful.

my cousin works for state govt (not DOL) and says if u really wanna get attention call both ur assembly person AND state senator. double the chances someone helps u

UPDATE: So I emailed my Assembly member yesterday and got an auto-reply saying they'd review my case. Still waiting on actual human contact. In the meantime I've called DOL 23 times today and can't get through at all. This is ridiculous!

Been lurking here for a while but finally making an account because I'm in the exact same boat as OP. Filed my claim 6 weeks ago and it's been "pending" ever since. Can't get through to anyone at DOL no matter what time I call. This Assembly member route sounds promising - I had no idea that was even an option! Going to look up mine right now. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences, gives me hope that there might actually be a way to get this resolved.