Filed NY unemployment claim 2 months ago but can't reach anyone by phone - trying assemblyman

Welcome to the group! Reaching out to your Assemblyman was actually a smart move. That's one of the more effective ways to get NYSDOL to prioritize your claim when you've been waiting a while. A couple things to try while waiting for the Assemblyman's office to help: 1. Call right when the phone lines open at 8:00 AM - sometimes you can get through before the system gets overwhelmed 2. Make sure you're still certifying every week even though you haven't received benefits yet 3. Check your message inbox on the NY.gov account - sometimes they request additional information but don't notify you by email or phone 4. If your claim says "pending" with no other status, it usually means they're still reviewing your employment history or wages Hang in there! The system is definitely frustrating but most claims do eventually get processed, especially once an elected official gets involved.

ya i had the same problem last month couldnt get anyone on the phone for like 6 weeks. the assemblyman thing works sometimes but mine didnt do anything tbh

I had a pending claim for almost 3 months! It was a nightmare. My savings was almost completely gone before it finally got processed. Hang in there!

The NY unemployment phone system is absolutely BROKEN by design! They don't want to talk to us! I've been dealing with this garbage system for years now and it only gets WORSE every time they "upgrade" it. I was pending for 11 weeks back in December and January - ELEVEN WEEKS with ZERO income and ZERO explanation! The assemblyman route sometimes works but it's still so slow. They're all overwhelmed with unemployment cases right now. The whole system is a JOKE and nobody in Albany cares enough to fix it!!!

I was in your exact situation back in November. My claim was pending for 7 weeks with no explanation. What finally worked for me was using Claimyr to get through to an agent. It's a service that basically calls DOL for you and connects you when an agent picks up. Saved me hours of redial frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Once I actually got to speak with someone, they told me there was a small discrepancy between the wages I reported and what my employer reported. They fixed it on the spot and my payments started coming through about 3 days later, including all my backpay. The assemblyman route is good too, but in my experience, talking directly to a claims specialist is faster if you can actually get through.

Sometimes your claim gets stuck in pending if there's an issue with your identity verification. Did you get an email asking you to verify your identity through ID.me? Sometimes those emails go to spam. I would check your spam folder just in case. Also do you have any work search activities documented? You need at least 3 per week and they're being more strict about checking those in 2025.

In my experience working with clients navigating the NY unemployment system, claims that stay pending for more than 6 weeks usually have a specific issue that needs attention from a claims specialist. The most common issues are: 1. Identity verification problems 2. Employer dispute (if they contest your eligibility) 3. Multi-state wage investigation (if you worked in multiple states) 4. Prior overpayment issues 5. System glitches in the DOL database The assemblyman approach is often effective, but typically takes 2-3 weeks to get results. For faster resolution, speaking directly with a claims specialist is crucial. Make sure you have all your documentation organized: past pay stubs, separation notice from employer, work search records, and any correspondence from DOL. When you do finally get through to someone, having this information ready will help resolve your case much more quickly.

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at NYSDOL this morning! After trying for weeks! The agent confirmed that my claim was held up because I had worked in both NY and NJ, just like someone here suggested. They needed to verify my wages from the NJ employer, and apparently they sent a request to NJ's unemployment office weeks ago but hadn't received a response. The agent put a note in my file to expedite the process and said she would personally follow up with the interstate unit. She told me it should be resolved within 7-10 business days. Just wanted to update everyone and say THANK YOU for all the suggestions and support. This group has been so much more helpful than the other forum I was in!

hey just checking in did u ever get ur money?? im in a similar situation now