NY unemployment claim stuck on pending for 2 weeks - can't certify weekly benefits online?

same exact thing happened to me last month. the system is completely broken. i was stuck in pending for almost 3 weeks and couldn't claim anything online. the only thing that worked was finally getting through to an actual person.

After trying for literally DAYS to reach someone at ny unemployment, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that basically waits on hold for you and calls you when they reach a person. It was the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid quickly. Check out this video that explains how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

The whole pending thing is a nightmare!!! I had to wait THREE WEEKS in pending status last Feb. What worked for me was calling right when they open at 8am - but you gotta hit redial like a maniac lol. I think I called 43 times one morning before getting through. Then they fixed it in like 10 minutes 🤡

Being stuck in pending is super common these days. Here's what you need to know: Unfortunately, most new claims are getting stuck in this pending limbo lately. The system seems especially buggy since they updated it a few months ago. When your claim is pending, the system won't let you certify for benefits because technically your claim hasn't been approved yet. Here are your options: 1. Keep calling repeatedly - early morning (7:55am) and late afternoon (3:45pm) tend to have slightly better odds 2. Try the online message center - some people get responses within 5-7 days 3. Contact your state assembly person - they can sometimes escalate unemployment issues 4. Use a service like claimyr.com - they call repeatedly for you and connect you when they get through to a rep (this is what finally worked for me after two weeks of trying) The most important thing is getting a live agent to look at your claim. They can usually tell you exactly what's causing the pending status (identity verification, employer response pending, etc) and often fix it right away. Don't give up! The system is definitely frustrating but once you get through to someone, they can usually resolve it pretty quickly.

u gotta call them!!! online is useless when ur stuck in pending. I know its frustrating but its the only way 2 fix it. try at 8:01 am EXACTLY trust me

The "pending" status usually means theres some issue with your claim that needs manual review. Could be identity verification, wage discrepency, employer protest, etc. You MUST talk to a human to get it fixed. Once its resolved, you'll be able to certify AND they'll let you certify for the weeks you missed.

so the lady told you to certify but the system won't let you certify? sounds about right for NY unemployment 😂 their right hand never knows what their left hand is doing

I had something similar happened to me back in November. Had to get through to an actual person because the system is garbage. What fixed it for me was going to my local library - the librarian knew someone at the unemployment office and helped me get through. Might be worth a shot! Local govt connections sometimes work miracles

If it makes u feel any better, once they fix the pending status they'll let u backdate all ur weekly claims, so u won't lose money for these weeks ur stuck. But yeah u gotta talk to a human to fix the pending limbo

Check if you have a MESSAGE in your account. Sometimes they send you message saying they need additional info, but they don't email you about it. So you don't even know there's a message waiting unless you specifically check that section.

Happened to me about 3 weeks ago! It's because they need to review your claim first before allowing you to certify. BUT the stupid system doesn't tell you that. Don't worry you'll get back pay for these weeks once it's approved.

Try calling your local state assembly person's office!! My claim was stuck for 5 weeks and my assemblyman's office fixed it in 2 days. They have direct contacts at unemployment. Seriously try this!!

have you tried the alternate phone number? 888-209-8124 sometimes works better than the main line. if that doesn't work, try this service I found called claimyr.com - they call for you and connect you when they get a person. it's the only way i finally got my claim fixed!

The unemployment system is a joke. took me 6 weeks to get my claim approved. cant beleve we pay taxes for this garbage service.

I know this sounds crazy but have you tried using a different browser? The unemployment site is SUPER buggy with certain versions of Chrome and Safari. Try firefox or edge if you haven't already

My claim was pending for almost a month, turns out my former employer contested it 🙄 but no one bothered to tell me until I finally got through to someone. You NEED to talk to a human to find out why it's stuck.

The NY unemployment system is literally the worst I've ever dealt with in my life. Their website looks like it was designed in 1995 and they never answer the phone. I feel ur pain

Pro tip: When you call them, press 1 for English, then 1 for existing claim, then 1 again, then 3 - this gets you to a different queue than the standard path most people take. Slightly better chance of getting through.

i work at a job center and we see this ALL the time. the system won't let you certify until your claim is approved. and no, there's no way to know how long that will take. could be days, could be weeks. your only option is talking to someone directly. if regular calls aren't working, try claimyr.com - it's a service that calls for you and gets you through to a rep.

Are you SURE you completed the ID verification part? A lot of claims get stuck because people miss the ID.me verification step. It should have been in an email they sent when you first applied.