NY unemployment payment stuck at 'pending' for 3 weeks - no answers from anyone

Same thing is happening to a ton of people right now. The system got 'upgraded' in May and it's been a mess ever since. My payments were stuck in pending for almost 4 weeks before they suddenly appeared all at once. No explanation, no nothing. Just keep certifying every week like normal and eventually they'll process the backlog. The NYSDOL is absolutely overwhelmed with these issues so getting through to someone is nearly impossible.

did u check ur payment history page? sometimes the main dashboard shows pending but the actual payments went through. worth checking

This EXACT SAME THING happened to me during the last system upgrade! They ALWAYS mess something up when they touch the system. I was pending for 5 weeks and lost my apartment because of it. Then they had the nerve to tell me it was because of a 'routine verification' that got stuck in their system. FIVE WEEKS of 'routine verification' while I'm calling every day!!! The system is DESIGNED to make you give up!!!

The pending status is usually due to one of several issues: 1) Identity verification flag, 2) Employment verification delay, 3) Reported earnings review, or 4) System backlog. Right now the most likely cause is the backlog from the May system upgrade. Continue certifying weekly, but you should also: - Check your message inbox daily for any requests for information - Verify your direct deposit info hasn't changed - Look for any notices about mandatory ID verification If you need to reach an agent quickly, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) when I had a similar issue last month. They got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent I spoke with was able to release my pending payments within 24 hours.

probably just the system being slow. mine took almost 2 weeks once but then caught up. just be patient.

Quick update: I tried the Claimyr service that was suggested and it actually worked! Got connected to an agent in about 30 minutes (which is a miracle compared to my 50+ failed attempts). The agent said there was a random identity verification flag on my account that never triggered a notification to me. She manually reviewed it, confirmed my identity, and said my payments should process within 2-3 business days. Would never have known what was happening without getting through to someone. Worth every penny for the peace of mind.

I find it suspicious that whenever the system fails, the burden is always on US to figure it out and fix it. They have our phone numbers, emails, and addresses. Why can't they proactively notify people when there's an issue with their claim instead of making us chase them down? My sister had payments pending for 6 weeks last year because of some employer response issue and she had NO IDEA why until she finally got through to someone. The system is broken by design.

Another update: Just checked my account and all three pending payments have now been processed and should hit my bank account tomorrow! Such a relief. For anyone facing similar issues, definitely try to speak with an agent directly - it made all the difference for me. The online messaging system seems to go into a black hole.