< Back to New York Unemployment

Daryl Bright

NY unemployment back pay delayed for 6 weeks - live agent impossible to reach

I'm at my wits' end with NY unemployment. I submitted my backdated certifications for the 6 weeks I missed filing (January 2-February 13, 2025) after my employer finally submitted the correct info. The system accepted all my certifications and said I'd get all payments within 3 business days. That was TWENTY-TWO days ago! My account just shows 'pending' for all those weeks with no explanation. I've called the claims center 47 times today alone. Either get a busy signal or the automated system says 'due to high call volume...' and hangs up. I can't pay my February rent and my landlord is threatening eviction. Has anyone actually managed to get through to a live person recently? Is there some trick to getting these backdated payments processed faster?

Sienna Gomez

I had the same problem last month. Spent 4 days trying to call before I discovered Claimyr. It's a service that basically holds your place in line and calls you back when they've got an agent on the line. Worked amazing for me - I was connected to a real person in about 30 minutes! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE and their website is claimyr.com. The agent resolved my backdated payment issue immediately once I reached them.

0 coins

-

Daryl Bright

Wow really? Never heard of this. Did they ask for a bunch of personal info? Seems kinda sketchy to use a third party service for something as sensitive as unemployment...

0 coins

-

4d

Sienna Gomez

It's not sketchy at all - they don't need your SSN or anything like that. They just need your phone number to call you back when they get through. The actual conversation with the unemployment agent is just between you and the agent. Just saved me hours of frustration.

0 coins

-

4d

Kirsuktow DarkBlade

Back pay issues often need manual review. Here's what you need to know: 1. Back pay for 6+ weeks almost always gets flagged in the system, even when it's legitimate 2. These claims typically need a supervisor override 3. The system showing 'pending' means it's in the queue for review Unfortunately, phone is the only real solution. Try calling exactly at 8:00 AM when the lines open. Also try the alternate number (888-209-8124) sometimes that has a different queue. If you do get through, ask for a ticket number for your back pay issue and request a supervisor callback.

0 coins

-

Daryl Bright

Thank you! This is helpful. I'll set an alarm for 7:55am tomorrow morning and try that alternate number. I didn't know about the supervisor override requirement - that explains a lot. Do you know roughly how long the manual review process takes once someone actually looks at it?

0 coins

-

4d

Kirsuktow DarkBlade

Once a supervisor actually reviews it, the payments usually process within 24-48 hours. The problem is just getting someone to look at it. The current backlog for manual reviews is about 2-3 weeks from what I've been hearing, but a phone call can expedite it significantly. Make sure to emphasize your hardship situation (potential eviction) as that can get it prioritized.

0 coins

-

4d

Abigail bergen

i had this exact thing happen!!! waited 5 weeks before i got my money. the system is COMPLETELY BROKEN and they don't care at all. good luck getting a human on the phone lol. i ended up having to borrow money from my parents. such garbage.

0 coins

-

Daryl Bright

UGH this is not encouraging. I don't have family I can borrow from. Did you end up getting your backpay eventually without talking to anyone, or did you finally reach someone?

0 coins

-

4d

Abigail bergen

it just randomly showed up in my account one day. never actually talked to anyone. no email, no notification, nothing. just magically appeared after 5 weeks of stressing

0 coins

-

4d

Ahooker-Equator

Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? My cousin was having a similar issue with backdated claims from December 2024 to January 2025, and after weeks of trying to get through on the phone, he contacted his local assembly member's office. They have special channels to unemployment and were able to get his case expedited. He had his money within a week after that.

0 coins

-

Daryl Bright

I didn't even think of that! That's a great idea. Do I just look up who my state assembly person is and call their office?

0 coins

-

4d

Ahooker-Equator

Exactly! Just Google "NY State Assembly member [your neighborhood]" and you'll find your rep. Most have a section on their websites specifically for constituent services or have staff dedicated to helping with government agencies. Be prepared with your NYSDOL ID number, the dates of your claims, and a timeline of your attempts to contact them.

0 coins

-

4d

Anderson Prospero

Is there any particular reason you didn't file for those weeks when they were actually happening? Just wondering because I'm in a similar situation where I might need to backdate some claims and I'm worried about delays.

0 coins

-

Daryl Bright

My employer initially contested my claim saying I quit (I was laid off), so my account was on hold. It took them 6 weeks to correct the information with NYSDOL, and then my account was unlocked. The system allowed me to go back and certify for those weeks, but now they're stuck in pending.

0 coins

-

4d

Anderson Prospero

Oh wow that's awful! Thanks for explaining - I'm dealing with an employer who's being difficult too. Hope your situation gets resolved soon.

0 coins

-

4d

Tyrone Hill

just sayin the website chat feature workd for me last week when i needed to fix a issue. most ppl dont know its there. click on 'contact us' at the very bottom of the main page then look for live chat option. i waiting 25 min but got a person

0 coins

-

Daryl Bright

Whoa I didn't know there was a chat option! I definitely didn't see that. I'll check it out right now, thank you!

0 coins

-

4d

Toot-n-Mighty

I tried the chat last week and it just kept saying 'all agents are busy' for 3 hours before automatically disconnecting me. Maybe it depends on the time of day?

0 coins

-

4d

Toot-n-Mighty

The NY unemployment system is DELIBERATELY understaffed and designed to be frustrating!!!!! They WANT people to give up so they can save money. I waited 9 WEEKS for my back pay last year and almost became homeless. The whole system needs to be investigated. Wouldn't be surprised if some politician is getting kickbacks from all the money they save by making it impossible to actually get benefits we're entitled to!!! This is a DISGRACE!

0 coins

-

Ahooker-Equator

While I understand your frustration, the delays are typically caused by outdated computer systems and staffing shortages rather than deliberate obstruction. The NYSDOL modernization project is supposed to address many of these issues by late 2025, but that doesn't help people struggling now.

0 coins

-

4d

Kirsuktow DarkBlade

One thing I should mention - make sure you're answering "no" to the question about whether you've refused any work. Some people accidentally answer "yes" to this when certifying multiple weeks at once, and it automatically flags your account for review. If you did this, it would explain the extended delay.

0 coins

-

Daryl Bright

I'm positive I answered all the questions correctly, but that's good to know. I triple-checked everything before submitting because I was worried about making mistakes with the backdate process.

0 coins

-

4d

Sienna Gomez

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to anyone? Did any of these suggestions work for you?

0 coins

-

Daryl Bright

Update: I tried calling at 8am sharp but still couldn't get through. Then I tried the Claimyr service someone mentioned above, and it actually worked! Got connected to an agent in about 40 minutes. The agent was able to see that my backpay was stuck in the system due to a "multi-week certification review flag" and they expedited it. Just got notification that all payments should process within 48 hours. THANK YOU everyone for your help!

0 coins

-

4d

Related Posts