NY unemployment claim filed 3 weeks ago still pending - can't reach anyone

I was in the same boat last month. The whole system is BROKEN. I called for TWO WEEKS straight and couldn't get through to anyone!!! It's ridiculous that they expect people to wait with no income coming in. The website is useless and they don't respond to messages. Good luck getting any help from them.

Try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM. That's how I finally got through after trying for days. Also make sure you've submitted all required documentation - sometimes they're waiting on something and don't tell you. Double check your NY.gov account messages just in case they sent something that didn't come through email.

i had this happen and it turned out i needed to verify my identity. check if theres an ID.me link somewhere in your account you might have missed. took me like 4 weeks to figure that out lol

I went through this back in February. The three-week mark is actually when you should start to worry a bit because standard processing is supposed to be 2-3 weeks for straightforward claims. Here's what I would do: 1. Continue certifying weekly even while your claim is pending 2. Check if there's a "Request for Information" document in your message inbox 3. Look for any items in your "To-Do" list that might be incomplete 4. If your previous employer is contesting the claim, it can add weeks to the process If none of those apply, then yes, you need to speak with an agent. The phone system is deliberately overwhelming right now due to staffing issues.

After trying for weeks to get someone on the phone, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a NYSDOL agent. It costs money but it worked - they got me connected to an actual person in about 20 minutes after I'd spent DAYS trying on my own. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent told me my claim was stuck because my former employer hadn't responded to their verification request. Once I talked to the agent, they pushed it through and I got paid the following week with all my back payments.

Sometimes pending claims get randomly selected for extra verification - it happened to me and there was literally nothing wrong, just bad luck. Once I finally reached someone, they cleared it in like 2 minutes. The system is incredibly frustrating but keep trying to get through on the phone. If you absolutely can't get through, you can try contacting your state assembly member's office. They sometimes have special channels to help constituents with unemployment issues.

my claim took 5 weeks lol just keep waiting. the backpay will come eventually

btw if ur really desperate for $ while waiting, u can apply for emergency assistance from HRA. it's not much but might help with rent until unemployment kicks in

Update us if you manage to get through! The pending status is frustrating but once they approve it, you'll get all the back weeks paid at once. I had 6 weeks of backpay when mine finally processed.

One more thing to try: sometimes the NYSDOL regional offices have better response times than the main call center. If you search for your county's NYSDOL office, they might have a direct line that's less swamped than the main number.

Did you ever get through to someone? My claim got approved yesterday after 4 weeks of pending. Turned out there was a flag on my account because I had worked in another state last year. But nobody bothered to TELL ME that was the issue until I finally got through to a person!