NY unemployment benefits approved a year ago but still no payments - desperate for help

omg same thing happened to me back in december!! try calling right when they open at 8am thats the only way i finally got through

This is definitely not normal - there must be some kind of issue with your claim that needs manual intervention. When you log into your account, does it show any messages or alerts? Any section marked 'Action Required'? Sometimes there are pending identity verification or employment verification issues that aren't obvious but prevent payment. Check the 'Determination Status' section carefully.

the whole system is a JOKE. they do this on purpose to make people give up. i was in the same situation and had to contact my state assembly person to get it fixed. DONT GIVE UP thats what they want!!!!

After waiting for 3 months with a similar issue, I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent. It basically calls for you and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent picks up. Saved me hours of frustration. Check out their video demo: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent found that there was a flag on my account because of a previous employer's dispute that I didn't even know about. Once they cleared that, I got all my back payments within a week.

Based on what you've described, you're experiencing what we call a "ghost claim" - it appears active but something in the background is preventing payments. This happens for several reasons: 1. Income verification issues (even if you submitted documents) 2. Former employer disputed the claim 3. System flag from previous benefits 4. Cross-state claim complications 5. Banking information verification problems You absolutely need to speak with a claims specialist. Regular call center representatives often can't see or fix these deeper system issues. When you do reach someone, specifically ask for your claim to be escalated to a claims specialist or supervisor with level 2 access. Also, request that they check for any "payment release holds" - sometimes there's a manual approval needed that's just sitting in someone's queue.

Have you tried going to an in-person career center? I had a similar problem and going to the office on Varick Street finally got it resolved. Bring all your documentation, especially any claim confirmation numbers and ID. Sometimes face-to-face is the only way to cut through the red tape. The wait can be long but at least you'll get a definitive answer.

UPDATE: I was finally able to get through to a real person at NYSDOL! I used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above, and it worked perfectly. The agent found the problem right away - turns out there was a flag on my account because I had an old claim from 2023 that had some kind of unresolved issue. The system was holding ALL my new payments because of this old problem that no one ever told me about! The agent removed the flag and said I should receive ALL my back payments within 3-5 business days. I'm trying not to get too excited until I actually see the money, but this is the first real progress I've made in a year! Thank you to everyone who offered advice. I'll update again once the payments come through.

FINAL UPDATE: All my back payments came through today!!! Over $19,000 in total (minus taxes). I almost cried when I saw the deposit. Thank you again to everyone who helped - especially the suggestion to try Claimyr to get through on the phone. If anyone else is stuck in payment limbo, don't give up!