How do I speak to a representative at NYS Department of Labor unemployment office?
I've been trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor for two weeks now about my claim status and I'm going crazy. Every time I call the main number I either get disconnected after waiting on hold for an hour or the system hangs up on me. My weekly claim certification is showing some kind of error and I can't figure out what's wrong. I tried the online chat but it just gives me automated responses that don't help. Does anyone know the best time to call or if there's a different number that actually works? I'm worried my benefits are going to get messed up if I can't talk to someone soon.
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Nia Davis
The phone system is absolutely terrible right now. I had the same problem last month when my claim went into adjudication. Best times to call are right when they open at 8am or around 4:30pm before they close. Keep hitting redial and don't give up. Also make sure you're calling the correct number - the main UI line is different from the tech support line.
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Luca Ferrari
•Thanks! What's the difference between the numbers? I've just been calling the main one I found on their website.
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Mateo Martinez
ugh same thing happened to me, took forever to get through and when i finally did they told me i had to mail something in instead of doing it over the phone
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QuantumQueen
I actually found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to NYS Department of Labor when I was having issues with my job search requirement verification. You basically give them your info and they call for you and get you connected to an actual person. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was honestly worth it because I was spending hours every day trying to call myself.
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Aisha Rahman
•How much does something like that cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay to talk to our own government agencies
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QuantumQueen
•I totally get that frustration but for me it was worth not losing days of work trying to call. The alternative was potentially having my benefits delayed even longer.
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Ethan Wilson
The WHOLE SYSTEM is broken!! I've been waiting 3 months for them to process my appeal and every time I call they say there's nothing they can do. Meanwhile I'm behind on rent because they disqualified me for something that wasn't even my fault. NYS Department of Labor is the worst run agency in the state.
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Yuki Sato
•feel you on this, the appeals process is a nightmare
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Nia Davis
For your specific error with weekly claim certification, you might need to speak to someone in the adjudication unit rather than general customer service. They handle issues with claim processing and can usually see what's causing the error in your account. When you do get through, ask to be transferred to adjudication if the first person can't help.
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Luca Ferrari
•That's really helpful! I didn't know there were different departments. I'll try asking for adjudication specifically when I call tomorrow.
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