NY unemployment benefits filled out but not being released for payment - 3 weeks and counting

This happened to me back in January. There are a few possible reasons for the hold-up: 1. Your claim might be flagged for a random audit/review 2. There could be an identity verification issue 3. If you reported any income during those weeks, even small amounts, it might trigger a manual review 4. The system sometimes flags accounts if your IP address changes (like if you certified from a different location) Unfortunately, speaking with an actual agent is probably the only way to resolve it. In my case, I had to keep calling for almost two weeks before getting through.

OMG I'm dealing with the EXACT SAME THING right now!!! I've certified for 4 weeks and nothing has been paid out. The system keeps saying "pending" with no explanation. I'm freaking out because my rent is due next week and I was counting on that money. Did you try contacting them through the message center on the website? That's what I'm trying next because the phones are IMPOSSIBLE.

This is almost certainly what's called a "hold" or "pending review" status. The DOL doesn't make this clear to claimants, but they regularly place temporary holds on benefits for various verification purposes. The timing (3 weeks) suggests it might be the quarterly wage review, where they cross-check your reported wages with employer data. Here's what you should do: 1. Continue certifying weekly as normal 2. Check your online account for any messages or requests for additional documents 3. Try calling right when they open (7:30 AM) or in the last hour before they close 4. If you have access to your previous employer's HR contact, sometimes they can help verify that everything's been submitted correctly on their end The good news is that if your claim is still showing as valid, you'll almost certainly get all back payments once the hold is lifted.

same thing hapend to me last month. took them 5 weeks to fix it. turns out they were doing some kinda review and nobody bothered to tell me. got all the money at once when they fixed it tho

After spending WEEKS trying to reach someone at NYSDOL about a similar issue (benefits suddenly stopped with no explanation), I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in under an hour. I was skeptical at first but desperate after trying for days. They basically hold your place in line and call you when they've got an agent on the phone. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE When I finally spoke with the agent, they told me my account had been randomly flagged for a quarterly review and they were able to release all my payments immediately. The whole thing took about 10 minutes once I actually got through to someone. Worth checking out their website (claimyr.com) if you're as frustrated as I was with the endless busy signals.

The unemployment system is DESIGNED to be frustrating and difficult to navigate!! They WANT people to give up trying to get their benefits. I've been through this before and they always have some excuse about "system reviews" or "verification processes" but never bother to tell you about them until AFTER you've been stressing for weeks. It's part of their strategy to save money by making it so hard to get benefits that people just give up.

did u work at all during those weeks? even a little bit? that'll do it sometimes

I wanted to follow up - did you have any luck getting this resolved? I've been tracking similar issues for people in my job assistance group, and it seems like there's been an increase in these unexplained holds lately. Most people have been getting their issues resolved within 3-4 weeks, but it almost always requires actually speaking to someone at NYSDOL.

I just wanted to update - I got through this morning after trying for an hour! The rep told me my account was flagged because I had logged in from a new device (got a new phone last month). They had to verify my identity, which took about 10 minutes on the call, and then they released all my payments! She said they'll be in my account within 3 business days. So definitely keep trying to call - once you get through, it's a quick fix!

UPDATE: Finally got through today! Turns out my account was flagged for a random quarterly review (just like some of you suggested). The agent was able to verify everything and release all my payments while I was on the phone. She said the money should be in my account within 48-72 hours. Such a relief! Thanks to everyone for your advice and support!

Congratulations on getting it resolved! Your experience is really helpful for others going through the same thing. It's such a relief when you finally get through and realize it was just a routine review that they never bothered to tell you about. The fact that they can fix it instantly once you actually reach someone just shows how broken their communication system is. Hopefully your money shows up quickly - thanks for updating us with the good news!