Direct messaging NY unemployment on social media actually got me a callback after 5 months

This is actually good advice that not many people know about. NY DOL's social media team is separate from their call center staff, but they have direct channels to escalate urgent cases. When you message them, be sure to include your full name, last 4 of SSN, and a brief explanation of your issue. Don't include your full claim ID in public messages though - wait until they move you to a private message. Their Twitter response time is typically 1-5 business days right now due to high volume.

thx for this! been calling for 3 weeks straight with no luck

I tried this yesterday after reading your post. Got a DM asking for my info but no callback yet. How long exactly did it take you to get the call? And did they call from a recognized DOL number or was it unmarked? I never answer unknown calls but I don't want to miss them if they try to reach me.

It took exactly 8 days for me to get a call back. And heads up - it came from a BLOCKED number! I almost didn't answer it myself. They left a voicemail saying they'd try again, but I caught the second call an hour later. Good luck, hope you hear back soon!

I had a similar experience but with Facebook messenger instead! After 3 months of trying to resolve an issue with my backdated claim, I messaged them there and got a response within 3 days. The agent who called couldn't fix everything immediately but created a ticket that eventually got resolved 2 weeks later. Social media teams seem to have better escalation procedures than the regular phone lines.\n\nFor anyone who's been trying the regular phone method with no success, I also found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped a friend of mine get through. They have a system that navigates the phone tree and holds your place in line, then calls you back when an agent is available. Saved him hours of hold time. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE that shows how it works.

Does Facebook actually work better than Twitter? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point

In my experience, they were both responsive, but Facebook got me a slightly quicker initial response. I think it really depends on their current message volume. Try both if you can!

I work at a community assistance program that helps people with unemployment issues. Social media outreach has become one of our recommended strategies when traditional channels fail. Here's what we've observed works best:\n\n1. Be concise but include all relevant details (claim date, type of issue)\n2. Don't include full personal info in public posts - wait for private messages\n3. Follow up every 3-4 days if you don't get a response\n4. Document all communication attempts (screenshots with dates)\n\nIn addition to Twitter, we've seen success with LinkedIn messages to NY DOL staff and Facebook messenger. The key advantage is that social media teams typically have different escalation paths than regular call center staff.

Thanks for the tips! I wish I'd known about documenting everything from the start. Do you recommend any particular format for keeping track of all the communication attempts? I'm worried if my issue isn't fully resolved, I'll need to prove how long I've been trying to get help.

A simple spreadsheet works well. Create columns for date, method of contact (phone, email, social media), who you spoke with (if anyone), what was discussed, and the outcome. If possible, keep screenshots of online interactions and notes from phone calls with times. This documentation can be crucial if you need to escalate further or file a complaint with your state representative.

I tried messaging on Twitter last month and never got any response at all!! Just wasted more time. The whole system is BROKEN and they don't care about us. Been waiting since December to get my backpay and can't get ANYONE to help no matter what I try. Phone, email, social media, sent actual mail... NOTHING works. About to lose my apartment because of their incompetence!!

I'm sorry you're going through this. If social media didn't work, I'd recommend contacting your state assembly member or senator. They have dedicated staff who can escalate unemployment issues through special channels. Many offices have forms on their websites specifically for helping with unemployment claims. This has resolved even the most stubborn cases I've seen.

already tried my assembly person. they took my info three weeks ago and said they'd help but heard NOTHING back. seems like nobody can actually do anything

what do u even say when u message them? just like

I kept my initial message pretty simple - just said I'd been trying to reach someone for months about my claim issue (briefly mentioned it was about backpay), and asked if someone could please help. They responded asking for more details, which I sent in a private message. I think being polite but clearly desperate helped my case!

UPDATE: This actually worked for me too! I got a call yesterday (3 days after messaging them on Twitter). The agent said they're prioritizing cases that come through social media right now because it's a smaller queue. My issue isn't completely resolved yet, but I have a direct contact now which is a huge improvement. Thanks for sharing this tip!

That's awesome! So glad it helped someone else too! Did they give you any timeline for when your issue might be fully resolved?

They said it could take up to 2 more weeks for the backpay to process, but at least now I have confirmation it's being worked on and a case number. The agent also gave me her direct extension in case I need to follow up. Such a relief after months of uncertainty!

My cousin works for a completely different state agency and she says ALL the NY state departments are being told to monitor social media more closely because of bad publicity. Squeaky wheel gets the grease I guess.

makes sense. public complaints look bad for them. gonna try this right now

Just a quick tip - if you're going to try the social media route, make sure your profile isn't private or they might not be able to see your message. My friend had this issue and couldn't figure out why they never responded, turned out they couldn't even see his message request because of his privacy settings.

That's a great point I hadn't considered! I had my profile public which probably helped.

Anyone tried Instagram DMs? Their Twitter says they're not taking new messages right now due to

Yes, they occasionally pause intake on certain platforms when volume gets too high. If Twitter isn't accepting messages, try Facebook messenger next, then LinkedIn, and lastly Instagram. They tend to monitor these platforms in that order of priority based on what we've observed.

This gives me hope! I've been stuck in limbo for 7 weeks now with a PUA eligibility issue. Every time I call, I either get disconnected after 2+ hours on hold or get transferred to someone who says they can't help with my specific problem. I'm definitely going to try messaging them on Twitter today. Quick question - when you got the callback, were you able to speak to someone who could actually access your file and make changes, or was it more of a preliminary screening call?