How to get PIN for NYS Department of Labor unemployment account - system won't let me in
I'm trying to access my unemployment benefits account but I can't figure out how to get my PIN for unemployment claims. I filed about 2 weeks ago and got some paperwork in the mail but there wasn't a PIN anywhere. The my.ny.gov website keeps asking for a PIN when I try to log in to check my claim status. I've been calling the NYS Department of Labor but their phone lines are always busy. Does anyone know the process for getting your PIN? I'm worried I'm missing something important and my claim will get delayed.
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Samantha Hall
Your PIN should have been mailed to you within 7-10 business days after you filed your initial claim. Check all the paperwork you received - it's usually on a separate card or letter labeled 'Personal Identification Number.' If you haven't received it after 2 weeks, you'll need to contact NYS Department of Labor to request a replacement PIN.
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Noah Torres
•I've looked through everything they sent me multiple times. There's the monetary determination letter and some other forms but no PIN card. Should I be worried they have the wrong address?
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Ryan Young
same thing happened to me last year - never got my pin in the mail! had to call like 50 times before getting through to someone at nys department of labor. they said it got lost in the mail and had to send a new one
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Noah Torres
•How long did it take to get the replacement PIN? I'm already behind on filing my weekly claims.
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Ryan Young
•took another week and a half but they said i could backdate my weekly claims once i got access
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Sophia Clark
If you can't get through to NYS Department of Labor by phone, you can also try visiting a career center in person. They have staff who can help with PIN issues and other unemployment account problems. You'll need to bring ID and your Social Security card. The wait times are usually shorter than trying to call.
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Katherine Harris
•This is good advice! I went to the career center in Albany when I had PIN problems and they sorted it out in about 30 minutes.
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Madison Allen
I had major issues getting through to NYS Department of Labor about my PIN too. Ended up using Claimyr to actually reach an agent. It's a service that calls unemployment offices for you - they have a demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI and their site is claimyr.com. Got through to someone at NYS Department of Labor the same day and they expedited a new PIN to me.
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Joshua Wood
•Never heard of this before. Did they actually help you get your PIN issue resolved quickly?
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Madison Allen
•Yeah, the agent they connected me with was able to verify my identity and send a replacement PIN via expedited mail. Saved me weeks of trying to call myself.
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Justin Evans
THE WHOLE PIN SYSTEM IS RIDICULOUS!!! Why can't we just use the same login as my.ny.gov for everything? I've been waiting 3 weeks for my PIN and my bills are piling up. The NYS Department of Labor needs to modernize their systems instead of making us jump through all these hoops.
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Katherine Harris
•I feel your frustration but the PIN is for security purposes since unemployment benefits involve sensitive financial information.
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Ava Williams
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim 3 weeks ago and still no PIN in the mail. I've been checking my mailbox religiously every day. The worst part is not being able to file my weekly claims while waiting - I'm afraid I'm going to lose out on benefits because of this delay. Has anyone had success getting through to the NYS Department of Labor early in the morning? I'm thinking of trying to call right when they open at 8 AM.
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KhalilStar
•Yes, calling right at 8 AM is definitely your best bet! I had the same issue and finally got through on my fourth try calling exactly at opening time. The agent was really helpful and explained that there's been a backlog with PIN mailings lately. They were able to expedite a replacement PIN and it arrived within 5 business days. Don't worry about missing your weekly claims - they told me you can backdate them once you get access to your account. Just make sure you have all your paperwork ready when you call (Social Security number, confirmation number from when you filed, etc.) to speed up the verification process.
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Omar Fawaz
•@KhalilStar That's really encouraging to hear! I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM strategy tomorrow. Did you have to go through the whole automated phone system or is there a direct number to reach an agent? I've been getting stuck in those endless phone menus and then it just hangs up on me when the call volume is too high.
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