NY unemployment benefits cut off after missing interview call - need that 835 phone number
After waiting almost 10 weeks to get my unemployment benefits started, everything was going fine until they scheduled a follow-up interview. Problem is they called when I was in the bathroom and I missed it. The agent left a voicemail with their number, which I called back twice over the next few days but never got a response. Then suddenly about 9 days later, my payments completely stopped. When I finally reached someone, they told me it was because I "didn't attend" my interview (even though they never rescheduled). That rep sent me a form to explain why I missed the call, which I filled out right away. Today I got an official letter explaining why my benefits were terminated and giving me a specific number to call to fix it. The number started with 835... but my dog knocked over my coffee onto the letter and now I can't read the full number. Has anyone else dealt with this specific situation or know what the callback number is for missed interview reinstatements? I'm desperate to get my payments going again.
59 comments

Haley Bennett
same EXACT thing happend to me last summer. The system is totally rigged against us. They call once, at a random time, and if you miss it they act like you're committing fraud or something. I had to use this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to finally get someone on the phone after being hung up on 20+ times. It was the best money I ever spent because I got all my backpay released the same day I talked to the rep. They also have a helpful video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Douglas Foster
Hmm sounds sketchy. Does this actually work? Im hesitant to use random services
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Haley Bennett
yeah I was skeptical too but I was desperate after 3 weeks with no money. It literally just calls for you and stays on hold, then connects you when a real person answers. saved me like 4 hours of hold music lol
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Nina Chan
another day another 'miracle solution' that probably doesn't work... 🙄
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Haley Bennett
believe what you want but after 2 months of getting nowhere, I had my case fixed in 20 minutes once I got through. Just sharing what worked for me 🤷♀️
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Ruby Knight
I used claimyr too and they actually got me thru. was shocked when my phone rang with a real live unemployment agent on the other end!
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Diego Castillo
The phone number is 835-905-5692. I got the same letter last month when I missed my interview because I was at a doctor's appointment. Seriously, who schedules important calls without confirming a time first??? The ny unemployment system is so broken.
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Rami Samuels
AuthorThank you so much!! You're a lifesaver! Did you end up getting your benefits back after calling?
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Diego Castillo
Yeah but it took another 3 weeks of processing time, which is total BS because they were the ones who messed up in the first place. Make sure you call first thing in the morning or you'll never get through.
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Logan Stewart
Wait that number is actually 835-905-5682. The 9 and 8 are switched in what you wrote. I just called yesterday.
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Diego Castillo
Oh crap ur right, my bad! Thanks for catching that typo!
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Mikayla Brown
This is classic NYSDOL. They make it IMPOSSIBLE to actually talk to someone and then penalize YOU when their system fails. I spent 6 months fighting a similar issue. You need to document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots, record calls (NYS is one-party consent), save emails. Get ready for a battle because they won't make this easy.
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Sean Matthews
I know EXACTLY how you feel right now. The anxiety of dealing with NY unemployment is worse than being unemployed itself sometimes! This happened to me in February. The number should be 835-678-4140 if it's the missed interview reinstatement line. But honestly good luck getting through... I called 47 times over 3 days before someone picked up.
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Rami Samuels
Author47 times??? omg I don't have the patience for that. Did you try calling at specific times when it's less busy?
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Sean Matthews
Early morning (like right when they open) or about an hour before they close seemed to have shorter wait times. But the whole system is just overwhelmed still. If you get the 'call volume too high' message, hang up and redial immediately. sometimes you can slip through.
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Ali Anderson
Ugh the whole NY unemployment system is designed to make people give up. Here's what you need to do: 1. Keep calling that 835 number (I think it's 835-905-5682 for missed interviews) until you get through 2. While you're trying to reach them by phone, also send a secure message through your online account explaining the situation 3. Contact your state representative/assembly person - they can sometimes expedite cases 4. Consider using claimyr.com to get through the phone lines - it costs a bit but they will wait on hold for you and connect when a human answers 5. When you finally talk to someone, ask for a supervisor immediately if they can't help you 6. Request that they backdate your payments once the issue is resolved 7. Document EVERYTHING - dates, times, names of representatives you speak with Don't let them wear you down. This is YOUR money that YOU are entitled to. The system is deliberately frustrating, but persistence is key. I went through this last year and eventually got all my money, including backpay for the weeks they wrongfully denied me.
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Rami Samuels
AuthorThis is INCREDIBLY helpful! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all this out. I'm definitely going to try contacting my assembly person, never thought of that!
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Zadie Patel
Just want to add that the assembly person trick WORKS. My case was stuck for months until I reached out to my local rep. They have dedicated contacts at unemployment who can flag your case.
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Ali Anderson
No problem! And yeah, contacting your assembly person is the secret weapon most people don't know about. They can't fix everything, but they often have direct channels to DOL staff that bypass the regular phone lines.
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A Man D Mortal
I can vouch for claimyr too. Used it last week when I was ready to throw my phone through a window after being on hold for 3+ hours. Got a callback with an actual agent in like 45 mins.
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Nina Chan
The 835 number is probably fake. All legit NY state numbers start with 888, 800, or 518. I'd be careful calling random numbers, could be a scam. Always go through the official website to get contact info.
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Logan Stewart
That's not true. NY unemployment has multiple area codes including 835 for some of their specialized departments. I've called them myself.
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Nina Chan
Are you sure? I've never seen an 835 number from them before. Just be careful giving out personal info to random numbers.
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Diego Castillo
The 835 numbers are real. They started using them after the pandemic when they expanded their call centers. I've called several times.
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Declan Ramirez
sorry bout your situation 😕 The unemployment system is such a joke. They expect us to be available 24/7 for their random calls but they NEVER pick up when we call them. like how is that fair????
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Ruby Knight
Try 835-905-5682. And if you get through, you better say a little prayer first. Honestly it's easier to win the lottery than to get a helpful person at NY unemployment. They'll probably make you verify your identity 500 times and then tell you to call a different number 🤡
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Rami Samuels
Authorthanks for the number! and lol yeah I'm bracing myself for the runaround. Did you have a similar problem?
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Ruby Knight
Oh yeah... they said I didn't respond to an email I never received, then cut off my benefits for 6 weeks. Pure chaos over there.
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Emma Morales
Pro tip: when you call, immediately ask for a tier 2 specialist. The first person who answers usually can't do anything except read scripts. Say "I need to speak with a claims specialist about a missed interview reinstatement" right away. Saves so much time.
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Rami Samuels
AuthorThis is great advice, thank you! I'll definitely try this approach.
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Katherine Hunter
100% this ☝️ The frontline reps can't actually fix anything. You need to get to tier 2.
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Logan Stewart
I'm gonna go against the crowd here and say something apparently controversial: the NY unemployment system actually works fine IF you follow all their rules exactly. They told you there would be an interview, you missed it, now there are consequences. That's how it works. They can't keep rescheduling for everyone who misses calls.
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Mikayla Brown
Found the unemployment office employee 🙄
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Ruby Knight
lmao okay bootlicker. They literally call with no warning at random times and if you're in the bathroom you lose your ability to pay rent. totally reasonable system!
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Logan Stewart
I'm just saying they have to have some kind of system. Millions of people apply. If everyone got unlimited chances to reschedule it would be even more backed up.
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Sean Matthews
The problem is they don't SCHEDULE anything. They just call whenever and if you miss it once you're screwed. That's not a functional system.
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Lucas Parker
The real number is 835-925-4682. I just dealt with this last week. But prepare yourself: they're going to make you reapply completely from scratch and you'll probably lose 2-3 weeks of benefits in the process. The system is designed to save the state money by making everything so frustrating that people give up.
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Katherine Hunter
Have you tried the general helpline? 888-209-8124? Sometimes they can look up your specific case and give you the right number to call. Be prepared to wait on hold for 2+ hours tho 💀
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Rami Samuels
AuthorI tried that first but kept getting disconnected after waiting for an hour 😩
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Katherine Hunter
Yup sounds about right. The system hangs up on you after a certain time limit. It's like they're doing everything possible to prevent you from getting help.
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Donna Cline
I know this sounds crazy but have you tried Twitter? @NYSLabor sometimes responds to DMs and can help escalate cases. I got desperate after 3 weeks of calling and DMed them, and they actually fixed my issue within 2 days.
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Ali Anderson
This actually works 👆 Social media teams have more power than the phone reps sometimes because they're trying to avoid public complaints.
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Harper Collins
check your spam folder! sometimes they send follow-up emails there. also the 835 numbers change frequently so even if someone gives you one it might be outdated by now. just fyi
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Kelsey Hawkins
this is y i always answer ALL calls when im on unemployment, even spam ones. you never know when its gonna be them. and they LOVE to call from random numbers that look like spam. the whole system is a trap designed to disqualify as many people as possible.
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Zadie Patel
fr fr I had an agent call me from her personal cell once when the office phones were down. Looked like a total spam number but it was actually legit.
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Dylan Fisher
WRITE TO YOUR STATE SENATOR!!! I cannot stress this enough. After 2 months of getting nowhere with unemployment, I emailed my state senator's office and they fixed everything in 3 days. They have special channels to DOL that regular people don't have access to.
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Rami Samuels
AuthorThat's amazing! Do you just find their contact info online and explain the situation?
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Dylan Fisher
Yep! Google "[your area] NY state senator" and their website will have a contact form. Explain your situation clearly, include your claim number, and mention you've tried all normal channels without success. They usually have staff dedicated to helping constituents with unemployment issues.
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A Man D Mortal
The number is 835-905-5682 but it's basically impossible to get through. I used claimyr.com after trying for 2 weeks on my own and they got me connected to a live agent in about 40 mins. Best decision ever since the agent was able to fix my similar issue and release all my back payments on the spot.
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Douglas Foster
Did you need to give them any personal info or just your phone number?
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A Man D Mortal
Just my phone number so they could connect the call when an agent picked up. They don't ask for any unemployment info or anything like that. It was super easy.
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Edwards Hugo
I'm too paranoid to try these services but my cousin used it and said it worked. Might be worth it if you're desperate.
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Gianna Scott
Might be 835-687-4820? That's the number I had to call for something similar. But tbh good luck getting through. I ended up having to physically go down to the local labor office to get it sorted out. If you live near one, sometimes in-person is the only way to actually resolve these issues.
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Rami Samuels
AuthorThere's an actual physical office you can go to?? I had no idea!
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Gianna Scott
Yep! NY has career centers throughout the state where unemployment staff sometimes work. Google "NY Career Center near me" - some require appointments but others take walk-ins.
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Paolo Longo
Oh wow, reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying at the same time! It sounds like I'm in for quite the battle. I'm definitely going to try multiple approaches - calling that 835-905-5682 number first thing tomorrow morning, reaching out to my assembly person AND state senator, and maybe even trying the Twitter DM thing. The fact that so many of you have been through similar situations makes me feel less alone in this mess, but also really frustrated that this is such a common problem. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get the benefits we're entitled to. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences and advice - this community is honestly a lifesaver when dealing with such a broken system!
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Amina Diallo
I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The stress is unreal when your benefits just disappear like that. Here's what worked for me: I called 835-905-5682 (which seems to be the consensus number from everyone's responses) but also simultaneously sent a message through the NY.gov unemployment portal explaining the missed call situation. The key is to be persistent but polite - I ended up getting through on my 15th call attempt by calling right at 8:02 AM. When I finally spoke to someone, I immediately asked for a tier 2 specialist and explained that I had called back the same day I missed the interview but never got a response. They were able to reinstate my benefits and even backdated the payments I'd missed. The whole process took about 3 weeks but I did get all my money. Don't let them intimidate you - you have every right to those benefits! Also keep calling that original number they left in the voicemail if you can still make it out, sometimes that direct line works better than the general callback number.
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Freya Pedersen
This is such great advice! I'm really glad to hear you got through the whole ordeal successfully and got your backpay. The stress of having benefits just cut off like that is absolutely terrible - I've been losing sleep over it honestly. I'm going to follow your strategy tomorrow morning and call right at 8:02 AM. Quick question though - when you sent the message through the NY.gov portal, did you get any kind of response or was it just radio silence? I'm wondering if I should do both at the same time or focus on the phone calls first. Also really appreciate the tip about asking for tier 2 right away - seems like that's the key to actually getting help!
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Luca Romano
The NY.gov portal message was basically radio silence for about 2 weeks, then I got a generic response saying they'd "review my case" - not super helpful. But I think it still helps to have it documented in their system that you tried to resolve it through official channels. I'd definitely do both at the same time since you never know which avenue will work faster. The phone calls are probably your best bet for immediate results, but having that paper trail through the portal could help if you need to escalate later. Also, when you call at 8:02, have your phone on speaker and start dialing the number at exactly 8:00 so you're one of the first in the queue. The first few minutes after they open seem to be the sweet spot before the lines get completely jammed. You've got this!
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