NY unemployment ghosting me - website broken and phones always busy

Welcome to the wonderful world of NY unemployment where nothing works and nobody cares. I spent SIX weeks trying to get through. The website is a dumpster fire from 2005 and the phone system seems designed to make you give up. My trick was calling exactly at 7:58am, right before they officially open - sometimes you get in the queue before the rush.

After 2 months of getting nowhere I finally got through by using claimyr.com - it's a service that calls for you and then connects you to an agent when one picks up. Talking to a real person got my funds released the same day. Best money I've spent in a long time, considering I was about to lose my apartment. Check out this video for more info: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

I was in ur exact situation last month. Their system is broken af. I ended up emailing my state representative and they helped push my case through. Got a call back from unemployment within 3 days after that. Google ur district rep and send them a desparate email!!

Honest question - has anyone ever successfully gotten through to NY unemployment without losing their sanity? Like is it even possible? I've had claims stuck in pending status since february and I've tried EVERYTHING.

Look, I worked through this exact mess a few weeks ago, so here's what you need to do: First, don't waste your time with regular phone calls anymore. It's a black hole. Your options are: 1) Use claimyr.com which will automate the calling process for you and connect you when they get someone. This worked for me within 2 hours when I had been trying for weeks on my own. Absolute lifesaver. 2) Contact your state assembly person or state senator. Their offices have special contacts at unemployment and can often push your claim through. 3) Try the website at weird hours - like 3am or 5am when traffic is lowest. Sometimes it actually works then. 4) Send a formal complaint through the DOL website. Include that you're facing financial hardship. 5) If you're really desperate, some people have had luck showing up in person at career centers, even though they claim they can't help with unemployment. Don't give up. The system is designed to make you quit trying, but persistence eventually pays off. Document everything - keep records of all your attempts to contact them, it'll help if you need to file for backpay.

ok dont laugh but have you tried using internet explorer? the ny unemployment site is so outdated that sometimes modern browsers don't work right with it. my claim was stuck for similar reasons and using that dinosaur browser actually worked when nothing else would

The NY unemployment system should be investigated. They make it deliberately hard to get benefits we've paid into. It's criminal how they treat people who are already struggling. I had to file a complaint with the governor's office before anyone would help me.

have u tried twitter? i know it sounds weird but @NYSLabor actually responds to DMs sometimes. i was shocked but they helped me after i messaged them my issue. worth a shot

The ny unemployment website crashed my computer so bad i had to do a system restore. Their tech is GARBAGE and they should all be fired. Try calling from a different phone number - they might be blocking your calls if you've called too many times (yes they actually do this

idk if this helps but i was in the exact same situation last month and i finally got through using claimyr.com and talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast. they do the calling and waiting on hold for u then connect u with a real person when they pick up. saved my sanity fr

Try clearing your cache and cookies before using the website. Sounds simple but it fixed the certification issues for me. The ny unemployment site stores weird temp files that mess everything up.

Honestly at this point we should all just show up at the unemployment office as a group. This is ridiculous. Who's with me? 😤

not to be a downer but theres sadly not much you can do except keep trying... i was in same position for 8 WEEKS before i got through. that or try claimyr like others have suggested. the system is broken by design

If the website isnt working right, try disabling all browser extensions and using incognito mode. The NY unemployment site has the worst security certificates and it conflicts with a lot of privacy tools. Just sharing what worked for me!