Fed up with contradictory NY unemployment advice - who actually knows what they're talking about?

The system is a complete disaster. If one more person tells me to "just keep trying" im gonna lose it. Like yeah thanks genius, hadn't thought of that 🙄

After weeks of getting nowhere with regular calling methods, I finally found something that worked. Used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual human being at unemployment. Talking to the agent got my benefits released within 48 hours after being stuck for almost 6 weeks! Seriously was worth every penny to finally get my money flowing. They have a demo video here too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Honestly no one really knows what theyre doing, not even the agents half the time. I've called 4 times and gotten 4 completely different answers about my claim. The whole system is broken beyond repair.

Look, the reality is that most of us are just sharing our own personal experiences, which may or may not apply to your specific situation. The unemployment system in NY is incredibly complex and constantly changing. Different claim types, different employment histories, different issues - all can lead to different outcomes. That said, there are some things that consistently work: 1) Getting through to an actual agent is the #1 most effective solution for most problems. After trying for weeks with no luck, I finally used Claimyr.com which got me connected to a real person. Explaining my situation directly led to immediate action. 2) Be extremely specific about your issue when you do reach someone. Vague questions get vague answers. 3) Document EVERYTHING. Names of agents, dates, times, what was discussed. This helps if you have to call back. 4) Online messaging system almost never resolves complex issues - it's designed for simple problems only. 5) If an agent can't help, politely ask to speak with a supervisor or specialist. It's frustrating, but persistence really is key. The system is overwhelmed but eventually you can get through to someone who knows what they're doing.

Unpopular opinion: nobody here is an expert. We're all just random people trying to figure this out. Anyone who acts like they know everything is probably the least reliable source. Even the actual unemployment agents contradict each other.

I had the EXACT same problem. Pending for 7 weeks with no explanation. Called every day at exactly 8:00am and still couldn't get through. Finally I talked to a live agent (used claimyr.com to get past the hold times) and discovered there was a simple identity verification flag on my account that nobody had told me about. Fixed in 10 minutes once I actually spoke to someone. The system is designed to be impossible to navigate without talking to an actual human.

The problem is that NY unemployment has different departments and claim types, so people get different experiences. Someone with a simple W2 claim might have a totally different process than someone who had multiple employers or was self-employed. That's why advice is all over the place.

i feel ur pain bro. the system is deliberately confusing to discourage people. took me 3 months to get my first payment. my only advice is GET A HUMAN ON THE PHONE. nothing else matters.

Former DOL employee here (not NY but similar system). The truth is that the unemployment systems in most states are running on ancient technology from the 1980s that barely functions. Many agents are undertrained because they were hired quickly during the pandemic surge. My advice: be extremely persistent, escalate to supervisors whenever possible, and document EVERYTHING.

u think the answers here are inconsistent, try talking to actual unemployment people! called 5 times, got 5 different answers 🤡 This one lady told me my claim was approved, called back next day and different person said it was denied. make it make sense!!!

Anyone actually get through on the phone lately? Been trying everyday for 2 weeks and the automated system just hangs up on me every single time. Is this happening to everyone?

For real tho, NY unemployment is like playing the lottery except the prize is just getting what you're already entitled to 😂 The process is completely random whether you get help or not.

Dude I feel this so hard. It took me 11 weeks to get my first payment and I literally just had to keep calling until I got someone who actually knew how to fix my issue. Half the time they would transfer me to a "specialist" and then I'd get disconnected. The NY unemployment system is basically designed to make you give up.

wanna hear something crazy? my neighbor and I both got laid off same day, same company. he got approved in 2 weeks, I'm still waiting after 2 MONTHS. makes absolutely no sense.

I've stopped believing there's any rhyme or reason to how NY unemployment works. It's basically a giant bureaucratic casino. Some people hit the jackpot and get their money right away, others (like me) spend months fighting the system for what we're legally entitled to. The only consistent thing is that talking to a human being is the only way to fix anything.

FWIW - the confusion is by design. State unemployment systems are deliberately made difficult to navigate to reduce the number of successful claims. It's called administrative burden and it's a documented strategy. So no, you're not going crazy - the system is actually built to confuse you.

After struggling for months, I finally found a strategy that works. Call right at 8:00am, press 1-9-2-1 when prompted (skips some menus), and if you get disconnected, call back immediately. Took me 38 tries in one day but finally got a human who fixed everything.

you wanna know who ACTUALLY knows what they're talking about? NO ONE. not even the unemployment office themselves. it's all a giant experiment and we're the lab rats.