Filed NY unemployment in May, 5 months with no response despite sending all documents

The same thing happened to me! I filed in April and didnt get a response until September. Keep calling them every day. I mean EVERY day. Sometimes 5-6 times until someone actually helps you. Its ridiculous that we have to do this but its the only thing that worked for me.

After spending weeks trying to get through to ny unemployment on my own, I tried a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me through to an agent in about 2 hours. It was the best money I've ever spent because I finally got my claim sorted out and received all my backpay within 2 weeks. They have a video explaining how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - definitely worth checking out if you're desperate like I was.

File a complaint with your state rep and senator. That's what finally got mine moving after 4 months of nothing. Suddenly they "found" my paperwork and processed everything within a week. Don't just rely on your councilman, go higher up!

As for your question about the $360 supplement - YES you will get all back pay you're entitled to once approved. Make sure to claim for every week you were eligible even while waiting for approval. I got a lump sum of over $11,000 when mine finally went through after sitting for 6 months.

NY unemployment is complete trash rn. I've been in the same situation since June. Called over 200 times (not exaggerating). Email them every week. Nothing helps. The entire system is broken and nobody seems to care that people are literally losing everything while waiting.

Here's what worked for me with NY unemployment after 3 months of waiting: 1. Call exactly at 7:58am (they open at 8). Their phone system starts accepting calls slightly before official opening. 2. If that doesn't work, try using Claimyr.com - it's a service that waits on hold for you and calls when an agent is available. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast. 3. Contact EVERY possible representative - state assembly, senator, governor's office, department of labor ombudsman. One of them will eventually help. 4. Keep documenting EVERYTHING. Every call, every letter, every email. You'll need this if you have to escalate. 5. Look for unemployment clinics or free legal aid in your area. Some nonprofits specialize in helping people navigate the system. Don't give up! It's designed to be frustrating, but persistence pays off. And yes, you WILL get all backpay including the $360 supplement for every eligible week once approved. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

have u checked ur online account? sometimes they dont call or email but theres messages in the system. i thought i wasnt approved but actually they needed additional docs and never told me. the message was just sitting in my account for weeks.

I know this sounds weird but try faxing them. I was stuck for 3 months with no response, sent a fax with my info and a brief explanation, and got a call back 2 days later. The old systems still work sometimes when the new ones are overwhelmed.

Withdrawing from your 401k was a tough move 😬 I get it tho, gotta survive. Just be prepared for the tax hit next year. I did the same thing and ended up owing way more than I expected.

Whatever you do, DON'T STOP CERTIFYING EACH WEEK even though you're not getting paid. If you miss weeks of certification, they might deny those weeks when you finally get approved.

anybody have the direct number for a supervisor at NY unemployment? the regular line is useless and i need to speak to someone with actual authority

I think there's a massive backlog issue happening. My neighbor works for the DOL and says they're still catching up on claims from months ago. The system wasn't designed to handle this many applications at once.

Just wanna say hang in there. I was in your exact situation for 7 MONTHS. Then suddenly one day everything was approved and I got all my backpay at once. It's like they completely forgot about me and then remembered.

Before you drain more of your retirement savings try calling using claimyr.com - it was the only way I could talk to a live agent. You shouldn't have to keep dipping into your future just because the system is broken!

check ur spam folder. deadass they sent all my important emails there and i almost missed the deadline to submit docs.

In case nobody mentioned it yet, there's a separate email specifically for backlogged claims: backlog@labor.ny.gov - it's not advertised but sometimes gets faster responses than the main channels.