My ny unemployment claim from October stuck in limbo - no updates for 2 months and about to lose everything

Same boat brother. Been stuck since September with no movement whatsoever. The system is completely broken. I've called like 30 times and get a different answer every single time. One rep told me 'just wait' another said 'we need more documents' then another said 'everything looks fine just be patient.' WHICH IS IT?!?! 😡

After being stuck in pending hell for 7 weeks, I finally got through to an actual claims specialist using that Claimyr service (claimyr.com). Game changer! Instead of being on hold forever, they called me when they got a real agent. The agent was able to see my claim had a simple verification flag that nobody bothered to clear. Money hit my account 3 days later. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast - it was the only way I could talk to a live agent who could actually help. Check out this video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Have you tried going to your local NY DOL office in person? Sometimes that's the only way to get answers. The online system and phone lines are completely overwhelmed. My sister waited for 6 weeks with no movement until she physically went to the office and got it resolved same day.

THE NYSDOL SYSTEM IS FUNDAMENTALLY BROKEN BY DESIGN. They're LITERALLY trying to make it so difficult that people give up. I'm a former state employee (not in DOL but worked adjacent) and I can tell you the systems are ancient and understaffed by design. They measure success by how LITTLE they pay out, not by how many eligible people get benefits. It's completely backwards and cruel.

I had a very similar situation happen last year. Here's what finally worked for me to get movement on my claim and get paid: First, document EVERYTHING. Every call, every email, names of representatives, dates, times. This will be crucial if you need to escalate. Second, try reaching out to your STATE SENATOR (not just congress person). My representative was useless but my state senator's office had a dedicated unemployment staff member who got my claim fixed in 3 days. Third, file a formal complaint with the NYS DOL Ombudsman office - they're required to investigate. Fourth, contact your local legal aid society. They often have free unemployment advocacy services and can sometimes work miracles when nothing else does. Fifth, if all else fails, I recommend trying claimyr.com which connects you with an actual claims specialist who can see exactly what's wrong with your claim. Their system got me a callback with a real agent who fixed my issue in one call. It's the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid quickly. Don't give up! The system is designed to be frustrating, but persistence pays off.

When u call the hotline what number are you using? The main one is useless. Try 888-209-8124 and use option 1, then 1 again, then 3. This gets you past the automated garbage and to an actual claims specialist faster.

yikes people still out here having to depend on unemployment? the economy is booming, get a job! there are help wanted signs everywhere. i see mcdonalds hiring for $18/hr

Make sure youre still certifying every week even tho you haven't been approved yet!!! When you do get approved they'll pay all the back weeks but ONLY if you've been certifying regularly. Huge mistake people make is not certifying while waiting for approval.

check ur spam folder!!! seriously. my wife's claim was "pending" for 7 weeks and turns out they had sent her an email requesting additional info that went to spam. once she provided it everything was processed in 3 days.

I worked for ny unemployment back in 2020-2021 (quit cuz it was a nightmare) and here's the inside scoop: the system flags about 40% of all new claims for "manual review" based on completely random criteria. Then those flagged claims sit in a queue that's prioritized by... wait for it... whoever screams the loudest. Call everyday. Email everyday. Contact representatives. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in this broken system.

Serious question - have you checked if someone is committing fraud with your SSN? My bro had similar issues and it turned out someone in Florida was claiming under his number. Took 3 months to untangle but he got all backdated payments eventually.

I know this sounds crazy but try reaching out on Twitter. Tag @NYSLabor in a polite tweet explaining your situation. Friend of mine did this after 5 weeks of nothing and got a DM from them within hours asking for her claim info. Fixed within 48 hours after that.

My claim was pending for 9 weeks until I finally used claimyr.com to get through to a real person. Turned out there was a flag on my account because my last employer disputed my claim (which was BS). The agent removed the flag and I got paid all my back weeks 3 days later. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who can actually see what's wrong in the system.

hang in there OP. i was in your EXACT situation last year. took 13 weeks (!!!) but i eventually got every penny. the system is awful but don't give up