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NY unemployment approved in July but no payments received since - what's next?

I filed for NY unemployment back in July 2025 and got my monetary determination letter about a week later saying I qualified. The letter showed my weekly benefit rate would be $594. But it's now September and I haven't received a single payment or any further communication from them. My online account just says 'pending' with no explanation. I've been certifying weekly like I'm supposed to. This is getting really stressful - I'm draining my savings and bills are piling up. I've tried calling but can't get through to anyone. What should I be doing at this point? Is there someone specific I should contact or some form I need to fill out? Has anyone else experienced this long of a delay?

Serene Snow

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This is unfortunately pretty common with NY unemployment right now. There are a few possibilities for the delay: 1. Identity verification issue - check if there's any message in your online account about submitting additional documentation 2. Employer dispute - your former employer might be contesting your claim 3. Eligibility review - random claims get pulled for additional verification 4. System backlog - NYSDOL is still working through a major backlog You need to keep calling persistently. Try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM or just before closing at 4:30 PM. Also check your online account messages and spam folder for any emails they might have sent requesting information.

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Asher Levin

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Thanks for the response. I've checked my spam folder and message center daily - nothing there. How long should I reasonably wait? It's been over 8 weeks now with zero communication from them.

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same exact thing happened to me, waited 9 weeks b4 i got anything. no explanation, just suddenly got backpay all at once. keep certifying every week no matter what!!!

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Asher Levin

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Did you do anything special to get it resolved, or did it just randomly start working? 9 weeks is such a long time to wait with no income...

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Romeo Barrett

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Have you checked if there are any outstanding questionnaires in your account? Sometimes they need additional information but the notification system doesn't work properly. Log in and look under "My Documents" or "Questionnaires" section. This happened to me - waited 6 weeks before realizing I needed to complete a form about my previous employment that never showed up in my email notifications!

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Asher Levin

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I just checked again and there's nothing under documents or questionnaires. Everything seems to be in order from my end. It's so frustrating that they expect us to wait indefinitely with no explanation or timeline. I'm getting really worried...

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NYSDOL is a COMPLETE DISASTER in 2025!!! I had to wait 11 WEEKS for my first payment and was never given a reason why!!! Their system is broken and they DON'T CARE about people struggling to pay bills. I called 67 TIMES before getting through to someone who basically told me "just keep waiting" - USELESS!!!! The whole department needs to be investigated!!

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Justin Trejo

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ya this is why I tell everyone to have at least 3 months savings before quitting a job, the system is designed to make u suffer

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Alana Willis

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I worked at NYSDOL until recently, and I can tell you that unfortunately these delays are often due to the automatic fraud detection system flagging accounts. You absolutely need to speak with an agent to resolve this, as many holds require manual removal. I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. It's a service that calls NYSDOL for you and connects you when they get through. Saved me hours of frustration when I had my own issue. They have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Once you get through, specifically ask if there's a "hold" on your account and what documentation you need to provide to remove it. Make sure to get the agent's ID number and note the date/time of your call.

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Asher Levin

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Thanks for the insider perspective! I've never heard of Claimyr before but I'm definitely going to check it out. I've spent so many hours trying to get through on the phone with no luck. At this point, I just need to talk to a real person who can tell me what's going on with my claim.

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Tyler Murphy

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Two additional things you should do immediately: 1. Contact your state assembly member or senator's office. They have dedicated staff who can escalate unemployment issues. Google "[your county] NY state assembly member" to find yours. 2. File a formal complaint through the NYSDOL website - go to the Contact page and look for the complaint form. This creates an official record. Keep certifying weekly without fail. If you miss even one week, it can complicate things further. When you do eventually get paid, you should receive all back payments for weeks properly certified. Last year they had a similar backlog and many claims were resolved in batches around the 10-12 week mark. It's frustrating but keep persisting.

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Asher Levin

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I didn't think about contacting my assembly member - that's a great suggestion. I'll do that tomorrow morning. And I definitely won't miss any certifications. Thank you!

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Justin Trejo

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my cousin works for unemployment and she says theres a secret backlog they dont tell anyone about lol

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Romeo Barrett

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That doesn't surprise me at all. I bet they're understaffed and overwhelmed but won't admit it publicly. Has your cousin mentioned how long the current backlog is taking to process?

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Sara Unger

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I was in your exact position in February, approved but no payments for weeks. What I learned is that NY unemployment has different departments handling different stages of claims, and they don't communicate well with each other. My issue was that my identity verification was completed but not properly marked in the system. After I finally got through to someone, they fixed it in 5 minutes and my payment arrived 2 days later. Btw I had a similar issue last month with a different claim and used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. Got through in about 25 minutes instead of spending days redialing. Worth every penny when you're dealing with thousands in held payments.

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Asher Levin

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This gives me hope that maybe it's just a simple administrative error on their end. I'm going to try everything suggested here - calling with Claimyr, contacting my assembly member, and filing a formal complaint. Something has to work!

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check ur payment history section on the website, sometimes they say its coming but doesnt show in ur bank for a while

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Asher Levin

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I've been checking the payment history section daily - it's completely empty, not even showing pending payments. Thanks for the suggestion though!

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Serene Snow

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One more thing to try - check if your banking information was entered correctly in the system. I've seen cases where people had their direct deposit info entered wrong or the account number had a typo, and the payments were being rejected by the bank but the system wasn't notifying them. You can verify this when you speak with an agent.

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Asher Levin

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I actually double-checked my banking info when I first applied, but I'll definitely confirm this with an agent if I can ever get through to one. Starting to feel a bit more hopeful with all these suggestions.

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