Got an email from ny unemployment but can't reach anyone by phone to complete my claim

OMG i had the same issue last month. I spent like 4 days calling over and over again and getting nowhere. It's like they deliberately make it impossible to reach them! I started calling at EXACTLY 8:00am and still got the same stupid message about high call volume. How are we supposed to meet their deadlines when they make it impossible to even talk to them?? The system is completely broken 😡

After two weeks of trying to call with no luck, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that basically calls for you and connects you when they get through to a real person. Saved me so much time and frustration! Got connected to an actual human in about 2 hours instead of the endless busy signals I was getting before. Worth every penny to finally get my benefits sorted. They've got a video explaining how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Welcome to the wonderful world of NY unemployment! This is their standard operating procedure - send urgent emails requiring action while making it impossible to contact them. Their phone system is GARBAGE. Have you tried their callback feature? Sometimes it works but sometimes they just never call back lol.

Literally everyone on this sub has this same problem. The NY unemployment phone system might be the worst thing ever created by humans. I swear they designed it to make people give up. Your best bet is to hit 1-2-3-2-1-2 when you get into the menu to try to skip some of the recorded messages. And just keep calling back to back to back for HOURS. Eventually you might get lucky.

This happens to EVERYONE and it's totally BY DESIGN. They want people to miss deadlines so they can deny claims. I'm convinced it's intentional. Try contacting your state representative's office - sometimes they can intervene for you. That's what finally worked for me after 3 weeks of calling hell.

Pro tip from someone who works adjacent to the system: They're usually most understaffed from 11am-2pm because that's when all the employees take lunch breaks in shifts. Try calling at 8:01am exactly when they open or after 4pm when call volume drops off. Also, Wednesdays tend to be their lightest call days for some reason.

I always laugh when they send those "respond within X days or else" emails while making it physically impossible to respond. Classic NY unemployment move. 🤡 But seriously, document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots of your call logs showing you tried repeatedly. If they try to deny your claim for "not responding," you'll have proof you tried.

The NYS unemployment system is criminally understaffed and they seem to operate on the hope that people will just give up. Here's what I did that FINALLY worked after 2 weeks of calling: 1) Call right at 8:00:00 AM - like literally time it to the second they open 2) If that doesn't work, try the online message center instead of calling. Sometimes they respond faster there. 3) Contact your state assembly person's office - they can often intervene 4) If you're truly desperate and have tried everything, use a service like claimyr.com that will wait on hold for you and connect you when they get a human The whole system is designed to be frustrating. Don't give up! Even if you miss their arbitrary 7-day deadline, keep trying. Document all your attempts to contact them. When you finally reach someone, explain that you've been trying consistently since receiving their notice. Also, once you do get through, get the agent's name and ID number, and ask them to make notes on your account about your conversation. This helps if you have to call back again. Stay persistent! The system is broken but you'll get through eventually.

Did you check if you can submit the info they need online? Sometimes those "call us" emails actually have an online option if you log into your account. Worth checking before you waste more time on their phone system from hell.

ive been on unemployment 3 times in NY and its the same story everytime. they really expect us to sit on the phone all day just to talk to them for 5 minutes. if ur really desperate try this weird trick: call, then immediately press # # # # in succession. sometimes it bumps you to a different queue. worked for me twice but not always.

Have you tried emailing them? Sometimes they actually respond to emails faster than calls. I was in the same boat as you last year and after 9 days of calling, I sent a desperate email and got a response the next day with a direct number to call. Worth a shot.

THIS IS WHY THE NY UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IS A JOKE. They send threatening emails with deadlines then make it impossible to meet them! I had to wake up at 5am and start dialing at exactly 7:59:45 to have any chance of getting through when they open at 8. And even then it took 3 days of trying. The system is designed to deny as many claims as possible by making it impossible to comply with their requirements. It's a disgrace.

After struggling for days I used claimyr.com and finally got through to someone at ny unemployment. Talking to an agent got my benefits unlocked so fast - totally worth it compared to the weeks of frustration and thousands in benefits I would have missed out on.

I had this exact problem in April. Called 97 TIMES over 5 days. You know what finally worked? Calling their TTY/TDD line for hearing impaired people (I'm not hearing impaired but was desperate). Way less traffic on that line and they can still help with regular claims. Worth a shot if nothing else is working.

This isn't just a NY problem, its every state unemployment system. They're all designed in the 1980s and never updated. My cousin in California had the exact same experience. These systems are DESIGNED to be hard to use so people give up. It's disgraceful how we treat people who just need help between jobs.

try using the online message center! I had the same issue and after days of calling I sent a message through my online account explaining that I'd been trying to call without success and couldn't meet their 7-day deadline. They actually responded and gave me a direct number to call that bypassed the main system. This was about 2 months ago.

Ok I'm going to share a secret trick that a former NY unemployment worker told me. Call the regular number, then when the menu starts, press 9 then 2 then 7 in sequence. It *sometimes* takes you to a different queue with shorter wait times. Not guaranteed but worth a try if you're desperate!

I know this sounds crazy but have you tried reaching out on Twitter? I was in the same situation and after tweeting @NYSLabor with my problem (no personal details!), they DM'd me asking for my contact info and called me back the next day. Worth a shot if you've tried everything else.

not falling for another unemployment 'hack'... these never work. the system is designed to make us fail. i spent 3 weeks trying to get through last year and eventually just gave up. lost out on thousands of dollars i was entitled to. the whole system is a scam to save the state money.

For identity verification issues (which is what this sounds like), try calling their fraud department directly instead of the main number. The fraud dept number should be on their website and usually has shorter wait times because fewer people know about it. If it's actually an ID verification issue they can help you just the same as the main line.

I feel your pain! Same exact situation happened to me 3 months ago - got the dreaded "call within 7 days" email and spent literally 6 days straight trying to get through. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: 1) Called at exactly 7:59 AM (before they officially open) and somehow got in queue early, 2) Used redial on my phone so I could call back faster when it disconnected, and 3) Had multiple phones going at once (mine + borrowed my roommate's). I know it sounds extreme but I was desperate. Also document EVERYTHING - screenshots of your call log, the original email, etc. When I finally got through the agent said they see this all the time and they know their phone system is trash. Don't give up! Even if you miss the 7-day thing, keep trying and explain you've been calling nonstop. The agents are usually understanding about it since they deal with these complaints all day. You've got this! 💪