NY unemployment denied me because my name is too long for their system

Oh god the character limit thing happened to me too! My last name is Russian, 16 characters, and I had to abbreviate it everywhere. When I filed for unemployment last year they kept saying there was a "name mismatch" with my records. took me calling them 40+ times to finally get someone who could help.

After 2 weeks of trying to reach someone at ny unemployment, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that called the unemployment office for me and connected me with an agent when they answered. Talking to a real person finally got my similar issue resolved in one call. It was the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid quickly. They have a video about how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

The name field limitations are ridiculous in 2023. My friend with a hyphenated last name had the same issue but with her tax return. She ended up having to file an identity theft report because the IRS thought she was a different person than the one on her W2s.

This is actually a policy issue! I used to work in IT systems for government. Many legacy databases were built in the 70s/80s when memory was expensive, so they limited field sizes. They never updated the systems even though technology advanced. What you need to do is call and specifically ask for a "name reconciliation" between your records. Keep calling until you get someone who knows what that means.

You NEED to talk to an actual agent. Their online system can't handle exceptions like this but a real person can override it and fix it for you. Problem is good luck getting thru to anyone at NY unemployment these days 😫

Listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you because I literally just went through this exact same situation with my Vietnamese last name. Here's what you MUST do: 1. Do NOT reapply online - that will just create duplicate issues 2. You need to speak with a tier 2 specialist who can do a manual override in their system. Regular agents don't have this permission. 3. When you call, immediately ask for a supervisor or tier 2 agent when you get someone on the line. Tell them you have a "database format exception" issue. 4. Have ALL your documents ready: SS card, ID, proof of employment, etc. 5. Record the call name/time/date for your records I banged my head against the wall for weeks until I found a way to actually speak with someone using claimyr.com to get past the hold times. The agent was able to fix everything in a single call once I got to the right person. Don't give up! This is a known system issue they can fix manually!

the unemployment system is literally designed to be a bureaucratic nightmare to prevent people from accessing benefits they're entitled to. its absolutely criminal tbh

My coworker has a 22-character last name (she's sri lankan) and had the SAME issue. She ended up having to go to the actual office in person to get it resolved after 6 weeks of failed calls. If you can do in-person that might be your best bet.

I bet u got hit with the dreaded "we cannot process your claim at this time" message! Classic nysdol nonsense. My advice: call the second they open and choose the FRAUD option in the menu, not the regular benefit line. Fraud dept picks up faster and they can transfer you to the right place. I'm 99% sure a real agent can fix this for you in 5 minutes once you explain.

Its the same database issue affecting lots of govt systems. My friend who works for state IT says their main database was built in 1982 and still runs on COBOL! They spent millions to "upgrade" it in 2019 but really just put a modern web interface on top of the same ancient backend. Such a joke.

have u tried filing an appeal? u have 30 days from denial to do it. i did this when they denied me for a different reason and it actually worked

Try calling your state representative's office! They have special channels to unemployment and can sometimes work miracles. I was stuck in UI hell for months then my assembly member's office fixed it in 3 days.

Im in the same boat with a 16-character Polish last name 😭 Unemployment, DMV, social security, banks - none of their systems work properly with long names! For me I actually had to legally use an abbreviated version of my name for official documents and keep documentation from a lawyer about the full vs shortened version. It's ABSURD that this is still an issue.

Did you already try the backdoor number? 888-209-[rest of number removed] - it bypasses the main menu and sometimes gets you to an agent faster. Found this trick on another thread and it worked for me.

Try calling at EXACTLY 7:58am. The phones turn on at 8:00 but the queue starts accepting calls 2 minutes before. I got through first try doing this.

Make sure ur checking ur mail carefully! NY unemployment sometimes sends physical mail that requires a response even when everything else is electronic. My benefits got delayed cuz I missed a letter they sent.

After 3 weeks of trying to reach someone at NY unemployment i went nuclear and contacted my state senator's office. They have a constituent services team that can work magic with unemployment issues. Had my problem solved in 48 hours after weeks of getting nowhere on my own.

ny unemployment is a DISASTER. they're still using ancient systems that break constantly. My advice: 1) document EVERYTHING - save screenshots, write down who you talk to, 2) call early in the morning the minute they open, 3) try using claimyr.com if you can't get through - it actually worked for me, 4) contact your state rep as backup. good luck!!! 🍀

I've learned after YEARS of dealing with NY unemployment that the online system is just for show. The real work happens when you talk to an actual human. They have all these "automatic" systems that are supposed to process claims but they fail constantly and then you need a human override. Keep calling until you get someone who can actually help.

This is absolutely infuriating but sadly very common. I had a similar issue with my hyphenated name (18 characters total) when I applied for unemployment two years ago. The system kept rejecting my application because my full legal name didn't fit in their database fields. What finally worked for me was getting through to a Tier 2 specialist who could manually override the system. Here's what I recommend: 1) Keep calling right at 8:00 AM when they open - you'll have the best chance of getting through. 2) When you do get someone, immediately ask to speak with a supervisor or Tier 2 agent who can handle "database format exceptions." 3) Have all your documents ready - SS card, driver's license, pay stubs, etc. 4) Be persistent but polite - explain that this is a known system limitation issue, not fraud. The agent who helped me said they see this problem frequently with people who have long names, hyphenated names, or names with special characters. Once the right person overrides it in the system, it should process normally. Don't give up - you ARE entitled to these benefits!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same issue right now! My last name is 17 characters and the system keeps rejecting me. It's so frustrating that in 2025 we're still dealing with character limits from decades-old databases. I've been trying to get through to someone for over a week now with no luck. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like getting to a Tier 2 specialist is key. Going to try calling right at 8am tomorrow and asking specifically for someone who can handle "database format exceptions" - that's really helpful advice. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just because our names are "too long" for their ancient systems. Thanks for sharing your experience, it's good to know I'm not alone in this nightmare!

OMG this is happening to me RIGHT NOW! My hyphenated last name is 20 characters (Portuguese-Italian background) and I've been stuck in this exact loop for 2 weeks. The system won't accept my full name, but when I abbreviate it, suddenly nothing matches my SSN or tax records. It's like they designed this system specifically to frustrate people into giving up. I had no idea this was such a widespread issue until reading all these comments. Definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy and ask specifically for a "database format exception" or "name reconciliation" - those seem like magic words that might actually get me to someone who knows what they're doing. It's absolutely criminal that government systems in 2025 still can't handle names longer than 12 characters. Thank you for posting this - I was starting to think I was losing my mind!

This is absolutely ridiculous! I'm dealing with something similar but not quite as extreme - my last name is 14 characters (Polish) and I've been getting the runaround for weeks. The fact that in 2025 we still have government systems that can't handle basic name diversity is shameful. I tried abbreviating my name like you did but then got the same mismatch errors. It's like they want us to fail. Reading all these comments has been both helpful and infuriating - helpful because now I know specific terms to use like "database format exception" and "name reconciliation," but infuriating because this is clearly a widespread systemic problem they refuse to fix. Going to try the 8am calling strategy tomorrow and push to get escalated to someone who actually has the authority to override these ancient system limitations. Thanks for sharing your story - it's validating to know this isn't just me going crazy!