NY unemployment claim stuck under review for 6+ months with no decision

I was in a similar situation last month - my claim was under review for almost 4 months. What finally worked for me was using Claimyr to get through to an actual agent. I kept calling the regular number and getting nowhere, but with Claimyr (claimyr.com) I got connected to a real person in under 30 minutes. They were able to see that my claim was stuck because of an employer verification issue and pushed it through. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - definitely worth trying when you've been waiting this long!

six months is WAY TO LONG!!! the system is completely broken and nobody cares. ive seen ppl waiting 3-4 months but 6 is ridiculous even for NYSDOL!!!!!! somebody there probably lost your paperwork or it got stuck in some computer glitch. you need to DEMAND to speak to a supervisor not just the first person who answers.

I had to wait 2 months for mine so can't imagine 6! Did you have any weird issues with your claim? Like did you work out of state or have multiple employers?

Six months is definitely excessive, even with NYSDOL's current backlog. There are a few things you should do immediately: 1. Request a formal determination in writing through certified mail (not just through the portal). Address it to "NYSDOL UI Determination Request" and include your full name, last 4 of SSN, and claim ID number. 2. Contact your state representative or senator. They often have staff dedicated to unemployment issues and can initiate an inquiry that gets much faster responses. 3. If you haven't already, file for a hearing with the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board. Even though you don't have a formal denial, you can appeal the constructive denial based on excessive delay. 4. Check if your claim might be flagged for identity verification. Many long delays happen when the automated system flags something for manual review but it never gets assigned. The ID verification might need to be completed again. The multiple employers situation could indeed be causing part of the delay, especially if one of them has contested the claim or failed to respond to NYSDOL's inquiries.

For the formal determination request, there isn't a specific form. Write a letter that includes: - Your full name - Last 4 digits of your SSN - NY.gov ID and Claim ID (if you have it) - Date you filed your initial claim - Statement requesting a formal written determination on your claim status - Brief timeline of your attempts to resolve the issue Mail it certified with return receipt to: NYS Department of Labor PO Box 15130 Albany, NY 12212-5130 Keep the certified mail receipt and tracking number. This creates a paper trail that's important if you need to escalate further.

wait hang on have u been certifying every week while waiting? cuz my friend didn't and they told him he couldn't get backpay for the weeks he missed even tho his claim was pending the whole time

I'm in the same situation but only 3 months in. Starting to panic because my savings are almost gone. Has anyone here actually received backpay for all the weeks they were certifying while waiting for a decision? I'm worried they'll finally approve my claim but then not give me the money for these past months when I've been certifying.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP!!!! thats what they want. dont let them win. keep calling EVERY DAY and document every call with date time and who u talked to. threaten to call your state rep and the media. sometimes that scares them into action!!!

Just checking back - any updates on your situation? Were you able to get through to anyone?

I'm dealing with a similar situation - my claim has been under review for 4 months now and I'm starting to lose hope. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and terrifying at the same time. It's good to know I'm not alone but awful that so many people are going through this. I've been certifying every week religiously too, but the uncertainty is killing me. @Jamal Thompson - really glad to hear you finally got some answers through Claimyr! That gives me hope that there might actually be a specific issue holding up my claim too rather than just being lost in the system. I'm definitely going to try that service and also send the formal determination letter that @Giovanni Gallo outlined. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice - this community is a lifeline when you feel like you're drowning in bureaucracy.

Wow, 6 months is absolutely insane! I'm currently at 2.5 months waiting and feeling frustrated, but your situation really puts things in perspective. It's encouraging to see that you finally got some answers through Claimyr though - the fact that it was just an unresponsive employer holding everything up shows how broken the communication system is. You should have been notified about that issue months ago! I'm definitely going to bookmark that service and the formal letter approach from @Giovanni Gallo just in case my claim drags on much longer. Really hoping that expedite request comes through for you within those 7-10 days they promised. Please keep us updated - your experience is helping so many of us navigate this nightmare system. It's ridiculous that we have to rely on third-party services and community forums to get basic information about our own claims, but at least we're all helping each other out!

I've been following this thread closely as someone who went through a similar 5-month ordeal last year. What really strikes me is how consistent the pattern is - long delays with zero communication, then suddenly when you find the right channel (like Claimyr or formal letters), there's often a simple fixable issue that's been sitting there the whole time. @Jamal Thompson I'm so glad you finally got answers! The employer verification issue is incredibly common - I've seen it mentioned in probably half the delay cases I've encountered. For others still waiting, I'd also suggest checking if your claim got flagged for wage verification. Sometimes employers report wages incorrectly or late, and your claim gets stuck waiting for corrections that may have already been submitted but not processed. You can request a wage transcript through the NY.gov portal which sometimes shows discrepancies. Also, if anyone is dealing with the identity verification loop, make sure you're uploading documents in the exact format they specify - I know someone whose claim was delayed 3 months because they uploaded a PDF instead of individual JPEGs. The system is definitely broken in many ways, but there's usually a specific reason for the delay once you can get someone to actually look at your file. Don't give up!

I'm about 7 weeks into my own review process and this thread is both terrifying and incredibly helpful. Reading about @Jamal Thompson's 6-month wait makes me realize I need to be more proactive now rather than just hoping it resolves itself. The fact that it turned out to be something as fixable as an unresponsive employer after all that time is mind-blowing - the system should have flagged that for you months ago! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service this week and also send that formal determination letter. @Giovanni Gallo thank you for those detailed steps - having that specific address and knowing exactly what to include is so helpful. It's sad that we have to become experts in navigating bureaucracy just to get our own benefits, but at least this community is sharing the knowledge. For anyone else in early stages of waiting - start documenting everything now and don't wait as long as I did to take action!

I'm new here but have been lurking and following this thread closely as I'm currently 3 months into my own review nightmare. @Jamal Thompson your persistence and willingness to share updates is really inspiring - 6 months is absolutely unacceptable but I'm so relieved you finally got some answers! The employer verification issue seems to be incredibly common based on what I'm reading here. I tried calling the regular NYSDOL line again yesterday and got the usual runaround, so I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service that @Mei Chen mentioned. Has anyone had success with contacting their state representatives like @Giovanni Gallo suggested? I'm in Queens and wondering if reaching out to my local assembly member might actually help move things along. This community has been more helpful than any official resource I've found - thank you all for sharing your experiences and strategies. It's awful that so many of us are dealing with this, but at least we're helping each other navigate the system!