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Aileen Rodriguez

Finally got through to NY unemployment claim center - what worked for me

Finally 👏🏼🙌🏼 was able to get through & finish my claim I started calling at exactly 8a 😉 thank u everyone for all the advice and suggestions. After 3 weeks of trying random times and getting busy signals or disconnects, I finally completed my UI claim today! For anyone still struggling, I called right when they opened (8am sharp) and only had to wait about 20 minutes. The agent was super helpful and fixed all the pending issues on my account. Payments should start processing in 3-5 business days. Don't give up!

Zane Gray

Congrats! Calling exactly at 8am is definitely the pro move. I've found Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to have slightly shorter wait times too. Did they say anything about why your claim was hung up for so long?

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Aileen Rodriguez

Thanks! They said there was an employer verification issue that needed manual review. Apparently my last employer didn't respond to their initial inquiry within the timeframe. The agent was able to override it after verifying my employment history.

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Maggie Martinez

8AM DOESNT WORK FOR EVERYONE!!!! I've tried calling at 8am FIVE TIMES and still get the stupid automated message saying 'due to high call volume' and then it hangs up on me! This system is BROKEN and they don't care about us!!!

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Alejandro Castro

Try 8:15am instead. Most people call right at 8, but there's sometimes a sweet spot right after the initial rush. Also try calling from a different phone number if possible - sometimes the system recognizes numbers that have called multiple times and routes them differently.

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Monique Byrd

This is exactly why I recommend Claimyr to people struggling to get through. I was in the same boat last month - couldn't get through for weeks. Claimyr got me connected within an hour. Their system monitors the NYSDOL lines and calls you when they get through. Saved me so much frustration. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE and their site is claimyr.com if anyone's interested.

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Jackie Martinez

does it actually work? seems sketchy tbh

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Monique Byrd

It worked for me! Got through to an agent after trying on my own for almost 2 weeks. They just notify you when they get a connection and then transfer you to the agent - you still talk directly with unemployment.

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Lia Quinn

i waited 4.5 hours on hold yesterday and then got disconnected right when someone finally picked up lol might try this next time

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Haley Stokes

Thank you for sharing what worked! I've been trying for days and getting nowhere. Quick question - when you called at 8am, did you use the regular claims number or the alternate one? Also, did you select any specific options in the menu system?

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Aileen Rodriguez

I used the main claims number (888-209-8124). Then pressed 1 for English, then 1 again for claim questions, then 2 for existing claims. That seemed to get me to a real person quicker than other combinations I tried previously.

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Alejandro Castro

Calling at opening time is definitely effective. Other strategies that have worked for my clients include: 1. Call on Wednesday afternoons (surprisingly less busy) 2. Have all your documents ready before calling 3. Be very specific about your issue when you reach an agent 4. If disconnected, call back immediately as their system sometimes has brief openings after dropped calls Also, for complex issues, note the agent's ID number in case you need to reference the conversation later.

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Aileen Rodriguez

Great tips! I did have all my docs ready which definitely helped speed things up. The agent I spoke with (didn't catch her ID) said they're adding more staff in April 2025 to handle the call volume.

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Lia Quinn

congrats! i'm still waiting since jan... tried calling like 20 times but maybe i'll try the 8am thing tomorrow

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Zane Gray

Definitely try the 8am approach. Set an alarm for 7:55am and have the number ready to dial exactly at 8:00:00. Every second counts during that morning rush.

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Jackie Martinez

did u use ur cell or a landline? i heard they prioritize landlines sometimes

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Aileen Rodriguez

Used my cell phone. I don't think the type of phone matters, but I did make sure I was in an area with full signal strength so the call wouldn't drop.

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Maggie Martinez

Anyone else notice they NEVER answer if you're calling about a specific problem with your account??? If you select the option for general questions they pick up faster but then transfer you and you wait FOREVER again!!! The whole system is designed to make us give up!!

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Alejandro Castro

There's some truth to this. The general questions queue often has more staff. If your issue isn't highly specific, you can sometimes get help faster through that route. However, for account-specific problems requiring access to your file, you'll need the claims specialists.

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Zane Gray

One thing that helped me was filling out the callback request form on their website. They actually called me back within 2 days. This was back in February though, so not sure if they're still processing those requests efficiently now.

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Maggie Martinez

CALLBACK FORM IS USELESS!!!! Filled it out TWICE already with no response!!!! They just ignore those forms completely!!!

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Aileen Rodriguez

Update: Just got an email notification that my payment is being processed! Should hit my account by Monday. So relieved this nightmare is finally over. Thanks again everyone for the support and suggestions!

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Lia Quinn

nice! let us know when it actually hits ur account. mine said processing for like 2 weeks before anything happened

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