Husband laid off 3 months ago still waiting on NY unemployment approval

Same thing happened to me, waited 12 weeks with no movement at all. I got so frustrated trying to call and never getting through. Those automated systems are hell and I kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold for 2+ hours. Veteran status doesnt make a difference unfortunately.

I was stuck in limbo for 11 weeks and tried everything until I found this service called Claimyr. It basically calls the unemployment office for you and then connects you to an agent when they pick up. Honestly it was the best money I've spent - I got through to someone who fixed my claim immediately and my backpay hit my account two days later. Check them out at claimyr.com or watch this explainer: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

As a fellow veteran, he should reach out to his county Veterans Service Office. They sometimes have emergency financial assistance and can help navigate benefits. Also try contacting the American Legion or VFW in your area - they often have resources for vets in need.

The ny unemployment system is completely broken. I was in the exact same situation last year and the only thing that worked was contacting my state senator AND assemblyperson. Don't just contact one - do both! Email and call their offices every single day until someone helps you. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with these people.

Here's what you need to do to get this resolved: First, while continuing to certify weekly, document EVERYTHING. Write down every call, who you spoke with, what they said, dates, times. Next, you need to pursue multiple channels simultaneously: 1) Call unemployment first thing Monday morning right when they open (8:00am). Keep redialing if needed. 2) Contact BOTH your state senator AND assembly person. Don't just email - call their offices directly and explain that this is an urgent financial hardship. 3) Try reaching someone through their social media accounts - sometimes the public visibility gets faster responses. 4) If he's a veteran, contact your county Veterans Service Agency immediately. They have dedicated resources and sometimes emergency funds. 5) If all else fails, I highly recommend using claimyr.com to get through to an agent. It's the most reliable way to actually speak with someone who can help unlock the benefits. Hang in there - the system is overwhelmed but you WILL get your benefits, including all backpay owed from when he first filed. Don't give up!

Check if his claim has an ID verification hold. My husband's claim was stuck for MONTHS because they needed additional identity verification but never notified him! He only found out when he finally got someone on the phone.

Sadly this is super common rite now with ny unemployment. The system is drowning. You need to call every single day until you get through.

Not sure where you live but many counties have emergency rental assistance programs that might help while you're waiting for unemployment to come through. Google your county name + "emergency assistance" or call 211 for referrals.

i waited 16 weeks before my claim was approved. the backpay was nice but the stress almost killed me. keep certifying every week and DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.

Call at exactly 8:00am on Monday morning. Not 8:01, not 8:05. EXACTLY when they open. That's how I finally got through after weeks of trying.

After 9 weeks of nothing, I used that claimyr service mentioned below and got through to someone who fixed my claim in 10 minutes. Was approved that same day and had my money 2 days later. I was super skeptical but it actually works.

have you tried the online message center in your account? sometimes thats faster than calling.

I know everyone's talking about contacting state reps, but if you've already done that with no luck, try reaching out to your FEDERAL representatives too (Congress member or Senator). They sometimes have staff who help with benefit issues.

Make sure he's answering his phone even if it's unknown numbers!!! My claim was held up because they tried to call me for verification 3 times from different numbers and I ignored them thinking they were spam calls! 🤦‍♀️

not to scare you but my nephew waited 5 months for his claim to process. the system is a complete disaster right now. your husband should be looking for ANY work he can get in the meantime because waiting on unemployment is a gamble.

sounds like he might have a 'pending determination' on his claim, which means they're investigating something. Unfortunately these can take forever to resolve without intervention. Did his employer contest the claim maybe?

I used claimyr.com after banging my head against the wall for 2 months. Got connected to an agent in about 45 minutes and had my issues fixed that same day. Worth every penny when you're watching your savings drain away.

You NEED to talk to someone. Period. Nothing will happen until you get a live person who can look at the claim. Try calling every morning at 7:58am and hitting the right options the second they open. That worked for me after dozens of failed attempts.

is your husband checking his spam/junk email folders? sometimes the DOL sends important emails that get filtered out. also check physical mail - they sometimes send letters requiring response within a certain timeframe.