How to fix unemployment claim issues with NYS Department of Labor - account showing problems
My unemployment claim has been a mess for the past month and I don't know how to fix it. I was laid off from my warehouse job in December and filed right away, but something went wrong during the application process. My claim shows as 'pending' but when I try to certify for weekly benefits it says there's an issue that needs to be resolved. The my.ny.gov portal doesn't give me any details about what's wrong. I've tried calling the NYS Department of Labor customer service line dozens of times but either get disconnected or sit on hold for hours without getting through. Has anyone dealt with this kind of situation? I'm behind on rent and really need to get this sorted out.
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Emma Thompson
This sounds like your claim might be stuck in adjudication. When NYS Department of Labor needs to verify information about your separation from employment, they put claims on hold while they investigate. Check if you received any mail or messages in your online account asking for additional documentation. Sometimes the system doesn't clearly show what documents they need, but there should be some indication of what's causing the delay.
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Javier Cruz
•I haven't gotten any mail from them yet, but I'll double check my online account for messages. How long does adjudication usually take?
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Malik Jackson
Had the exact same problem last year! Turns out my employer disputed my claim and NYS Department of Labor needed me to provide proof that I was laid off and didn't quit. You need to log into your account and look under 'correspondence' or 'messages' - sometimes they send requests there instead of by mail. If you can't find anything, try calling early in the morning around 8:15 AM right when they open, that's when you have the best chance of getting through.
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Javier Cruz
•Thanks for the tip about calling early! I've been trying in the afternoons when they're probably swamped.
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Isabella Costa
ugh the NYS Department of Labor phone system is TERRIBLE. I spent weeks trying to get through and finally used this service called Claimyr that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo that shows how it works (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI). Saved me so much frustration and I got my claim issue resolved the same day I finally talked to someone.
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StarSurfer
•Never heard of that service before but might be worth trying if the regular phone lines keep failing.
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Ravi Malhotra
Make sure you're still certifying for your weekly claims even while your initial claim is pending! A lot of people don't realize this and lose out on back pay. As long as you keep certifying every week, you'll get all the money retroactively once they approve your claim. Also check that your employer didn't contest the claim - that's usually what causes these long delays.
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Javier Cruz
•Good point about the weekly certifications - I was worried about doing them while the claim was pending but I'll start doing them again.
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Freya Christensen
been there! took me 6 weeks to get my claim fixed because of some stupid paperwork issue. just keep calling and eventually youll get thru
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Oliver Fischer
I went through something similar a few months ago and it was incredibly frustrating. One thing that helped me was contacting my local state assembly member's office - they have caseworkers who can sometimes expedite issues with state agencies like the Department of Labor. Also, if you haven't already, try logging into your account from a different browser or clearing your cache, sometimes technical glitches prevent you from seeing important messages or documents they've requested. Don't give up on the phone calls either - I know it's exhausting but persistence really does pay off with these situations.
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