NY unemployment payment not released after reporting hours on phone system vs online

The same exact thing happened to me in January! The phone system seems to flag part-time hours differently than the website does. When I entered my hours on the phone, my payment got stuck in 'pending' for almost 2 weeks. I had to call the NYSDOL about 50 times before I finally got through to someone who could help. They told me the phone system sometimes triggers an automatic review when you report part-time work. Super annoying.

This happens because the phone system and online system process part-time work differently. When you switch between them, it can trigger a review flag in their system. Few things you can try: 1. Log into your NY.gov account and check if there are any action items or messages in your inbox 2. See if your payment history shows the certification as "pending review" 3. Try re-certifying online (though be careful not to double-certify) If none of that works, you'll need to speak with an agent to have them manually review and release the payment.

i had this probem 2 weeks ago dont worry itll fix itself, took 4 days for mine to go thru. the system is just slow sometimes

The phone system is GARBAGE!! I've been collecting since February and EVERY SINGLE TIME I've had to use the phone instead of the website, something goes wrong. Either it doesn't record my certification properly or it puts my payment on hold. The NYSDOL knows this is happening and they're doing NOTHING to fix it. They're probably HOPING people will just give up trying to get their benefits!!!

When you switch between certification methods, it can sometimes trigger a verification hold. This is particularly true when you report part-time hours on the phone system because the automated prompts don't capture the same level of detail as the online form. In most cases, this should resolve within 3-5 business days. However, if you need your payment faster, you'll need to speak with an agent who can manually review and release it. I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent when I had a similar issue. They have a service that helps you bypass the phone queue. Check out their demo video (https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE) to see how it works. Saved me hours of redial frustration.

This is a known issue with the system. When you switch between online and phone certification, especially when reporting part-time hours, it can trigger what's called a "method variance review." The computer system essentially flags your account because the change in reporting method combined with part-time hours looks suspicious to the algorithm. What you need to do: 1. Don't certify again - this will only complicate things 2. Contact an agent directly to explain the situation 3. They can override the automatic hold and release your payment Unfortunately, the only way to resolve this quickly is to speak with an actual NYSDOL representative who has the authority to release your payment. The system won't resolve this automatically in most cases.

did u report exactly the same hours on phone as u would online? sometimes the phone system askes things different and people answer different and that causes problems too

Quick update on this issue - the NYSDOL actually released guidance about this in March 2025. They've acknowledged there's a problem with their system when people alternate between phone and online certification. They're supposedly working on a fix, but in the meantime, they recommend: 1. Try to use the same certification method consistently 2. If you need to switch methods, call their technical support line at 888-209-8124 and use option 4, then 2 for "certification method changes" 3. If your payment is already delayed, request an "expedited method variance review" Hope this helps anyone dealing with this frustrating issue!

After you get this resolved, I'd recommend sticking with online certification whenever possible. The online system processes claims much more efficiently and has fewer error triggers. Also, set yourself a calendar reminder to certify on the same day each week - consistency helps avoid these kinds of flags in their system.

I went thru something similar last month n my friend told me to just wait it out. It eventually came through after like 5 days but it was super stressful! The whole time I was worried I did something wrong but it was just their stupid system being slow!!

Let us know if you get this fixed and how!! I bet tons of other people are having the same problem right now. The NYSDOL is probably swamped with calls about this exact issue!