Contacting state senator fixed my NY unemployment pending claim in just days
FINALLY got my NY unemployment benefits after being stuck in pending hell for almost a month. What worked? Contacting my state senator's office! After weeks of trying to reach someone at NYSDOL with zero luck (I swear I called 50+ times), I was desperate. My friend suggested I reach out to my state senator since constituent services is literally their job. I found my rep online, sent one email explaining my situation, and followed up with a call to their office. Their staff was super helpful and said they'd escalate my case. Three days later, I got a call directly from someone at DOL who fixed my issue on the spot! Money was in my account 48 hours after that. If you're stuck in pending status and getting nowhere with regular channels, CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES. They can actually get things done!
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Jamal Washington
omg THANK YOU for posting this!!!! ive been stuck in pending for 3 weeks now and losing my mind. which senator did u contact? do u just google them?
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•Yes, just Google "find my NY state senator" and put in your address. It'll show you who represents your district. Their websites always have a contact form or direct email for constituent services. Make sure to include your claim ID and contact info!
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Mei Wong
This is excellent advice. As someone who worked in a state representative's office, I can confirm this is exactly what their constituent services departments are designed to do. When you contact them, be sure to include: 1. Your full name 2. NY.gov ID and claim ID number 3. A brief description of the issue 4. Dates you filed/when your claim went pending 5. Any confirmation numbers from previous calls They have direct channels to special units at NYSDOL that can expedite resolution. The standard processing time for these inquiries is typically 5-10 business days, but urgent cases (like potential eviction or utility shutoffs) can be prioritized.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Wow this actually works? The system is so messed up that you need political connections to get your own money? SMH I'm gonna try it though, been waiting 5 weeks with no payment and rent due again soon 😡
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PixelWarrior
Just adding - I did this last year when my benefit rate was calculated wrong. Called my Assemblyman (not Senator) and their office fixed it in about a week. State reps deal with unemployment issues ALL THE TIME and they have staff dedicated to these problems. Much faster than waiting on hold forever.
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Amara Adebayo
•Assembly members can help too? Thats good to know! I've been trying to fix my issue for weeks - the system shows I earned $5,240 less than I actually did last year and it's affecting my weekly benefit amount. Calling is impossible!!
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Giovanni Rossi
i did this exact thing 2 weeks ago and nothing happened lol. emailed my senator, called, left messages. crickets. maybe depends which district ur in?? some senators probably care more than others
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Mei Wong
•It can definitely vary by office. If you're not getting a response from your senator, try your Assembly member as well. Sometimes one office is more responsive than the other. Make sure you're following up by phone after sending an email, and specifically ask to speak with whoever handles constituent services or unemployment issues.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
Has anyone tried using that Claimyr service instead? My cousin used it last month to get through to an actual person at unemployment after being stuck on pending for weeks. It cost money but he said it was worth it to actually talk to a live agent instead of getting disconnected. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - just wondering if anyone here has experience with it before I try the senator route?
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•I actually tried Claimyr first before contacting my senator! It did get me through to someone, but the agent I spoke with couldn't fix my specific issue - they said it needed to be escalated to a specialist. That's when I tried the senator route. But for simpler problems, Claimyr might be faster if you're willing to pay to skip the phone queue.
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Jamal Washington
•wait u can PAY to skip the phone line?? checking this out right now, would literally pay anything to not spend 4 hours on hold again
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Amara Adebayo
I can confirm this approach works! My claim was stuck in pending since February with the dreaded "we need to verify your identity" message. Called my state senator's office last Tuesday, got a call back from DOL on Friday, and my full backpay of $4,830 hit my account yesterday morning. Wish I'd known about this months ago! The staff explained that they have special liaisons at various agencies specifically to handle constituent issues.
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Giovanni Rossi
•u got 4,830 in backpay? how many weeks was that for? im at almost 6 weeks of waiting now, starting to worry they'll never pay me 😫
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Amara Adebayo
•That was for 6 weeks at the maximum benefit rate ($805/week). They paid everything at once after fixing my claim. Don't worry, when they do fix your issue, they'll pay all the weeks you're eligible for in one lump sum!
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PixelWarrior
Another tip: when contacting your representative, be super specific about what's wrong with your claim if you know. Is it identity verification? Missing wages? Employer dispute? The more details you provide, the faster they can route your issue to the right department at NYSDOL.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•That's a really good point. I made sure to include screenshots of my pending status page and the exact error message I was getting. I think that helped them understand my issue faster.
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Liam Fitzgerald
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO FAIL!!!! They WANT us to give up so they don't have to pay! I've called 200+ times, emailed every address I could find, contacted my senator AND assemblymember and STILL stuck in pending after 7 WEEKS!!! This is a SCAM to deny us benefits we PAID FOR through our taxes!!!!!
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Mei Wong
•I understand your frustration, but I can assure you the system isn't designed to fail intentionally. The NYSDOL is still dealing with outdated technology and unprecedented claim volumes. When you contacted your representatives, did you follow up with phone calls? Sometimes emails can get lost in the shuffle. Also, certain complex issues (especially those involving multiple employers or out-of-state wages) take longer to resolve.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•YES I followed up 3 times! My "case worker" at the senator's office keeps saying "we're waiting to hear back from our contact at DOL" but nothing happens! Meanwhile my landlord is threatening eviction and I'm living on credit cards!! Easy for you to defend the system when YOU'RE not the one suffering!!!
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Jamal Washington
just emailed my senator!! fingers crossed this works, will update if i hear anything
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•Good luck! Be sure to follow up with a phone call tomorrow. Ask to speak with whoever handles constituent services or unemployment issues specifically.
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Amara Adebayo
Update on my situation - got another call from DOL today. Turns out my backpay wasn't completely correct. They're adding another $1,610 that was miscalculated based on my base period wages. The senator's office is still helping me sort through it all. So don't just assume everything is fixed with the first call!
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Giovanni Rossi
•ur so lucky. wish my senator would actually call me back 🙄
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Dylan Evans
My cousin works at NYSDOL (not in claims processing) and she says they're still super understaffed in 2025. The pandemic backlog never fully cleared and then the new recession hit. They prioritize cases flagged by elected officials because there's accountability there. So going through your senator/assembly member is legitimately the fastest track. The phone system can only handle a fraction of the incoming calls.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•That makes so much sense. When the DOL person finally called me, she mentioned she was from the "legislative liaison unit" or something like that. Seems like they have special teams just to handle cases that come through political offices.
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