NY unemployment payments suddenly stopped for 3 weeks - can't reach anyone

Same boat here. I've been waiting for 5 weeks with no payment. The system is completely broken. I've called like 80 times and either get hung up on or stuck in that stupid automated loop. Try reaching out to your state assembly person - that's what I'm doing next.

This happened to me last month - turns out there was a "verification issue" they never bothered to tell me about. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent. Talking to an agent got my payments released within days. Best decision I made after wasting weeks trying to call on my own. Here's a video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

When mine stopped, it was because they flagged my account for "additional review" 🙄 The only way I got it fixed was by sending a message through the online portal AND emailing my state senator. Try both - the more pressure from different directions, the better.

CALL AT EXACTLY 7:58 AM!!!! This is the ONLY way I've been able to get through. The system resets at 8am and if you call right before, you can sometimes get in before the queue fills up. Worked for me twice.

Look for a message in your account inbox. That's where I found out they needed additional documents from me. They never sent an email or txt notification - just silently put a message in the portal inbox and then stopped my payments when I didn't respond to something I didn't know existed.

I've been dealing with NY unemployment for way too long and learned some tricks. Here's what actually works: 1. First, check your online account to see if there are any notifications or action items. They're terrible about communicating when they need something. 2. If you need to call, use a service like claimyr.com - it keeps dialing for you and connects when a human answers. Saved me hours of frustration and my payments got fixed same day I talked to someone. 3. Contact your state assembly person AND state senator. Send them a detailed email with your situation, claim number, and contact info. They have direct channels to unemployment office. 4. File a complaint with the Department of Labor ombudsman. 5. Check if your ID.me verification is still valid - sometimes this expires and they don't tell you. The system is completely overwhelmed. Getting a human on the phone is your fastest solution, which is why I recommend Claimyr first. After trying for weeks on my own, I had my issue resolved in one day after speaking with an agent.

Had the same issue back in February. Random payment stop with no explanation. Turned out they had a question about my employment history and instead of telling me, they just stopped paying. Classic NY unemployment efficiency 🙄

Try tweeting at NYSDOL too. Sometimes public shaming is the only thing that works lol. I got a DM from them within an hour after tweeting about my issues.

Do u have 2 factor authentication set up on ur account? There was a system update in May and some ppl got locked out without realizing it. Check if ur phone number is still correct in the system.

Make sure you're answering those work search questions correctly. If you say you didn't look for work or weren't ready and able to work, they'll stop payments without telling you why.

So I had a similar issue and wasted WEEKS trying to get through on the phone. Finally used Claimyr.com after seeing it recommended here and got through to an agent in about 90 mins. Turns out they had flagged my account because I accidentaly entered wrong employer info. The agent fixed it immediately and I got backpay for all missed weeks the next day. Talking to a human is literally the only way to fix these issues.

Check if u answered something different when certifying. Even a slight change from previous weeks (like saying u worked when u didnt or vice versa) can trigger a hold. The system is super sensitive to any changes.

Have you checked your spam folder for emails? Sounds dumb but my friend missed an important verification email and it was hiding in spam for weeks.

anybody else notice these payment stops tend to happen right when rent is due??? seems SUS to me... almost like they intentionally make it hard to reach them 🤔

This exact same thing happened to me in March! Payments just vanished with zero explanation. After reading all these comments, I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and also contact my assembly person. It's insane that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get our own benefits. The fact that so many people are recommending the calling service makes me think it's legit. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know I'm not alone in this nightmare!