NY unemployment phone lines constantly busy and website down - need help certifying benefits

I was in the same boat last month. The NY unemployment system is completely overwhelmed right now. Try certifying very early in the morning (like 6am) or late at night (after 10pm) when fewer people are on the website. As for calling, it's nearly impossible during regular hours. I found some success calling exactly at 7:58am, right before they officially open at 8am. Sometimes you can get in the queue before everyone else starts calling.

the website always does this!!! happens like every other month, its so frustrating. have u tried using ur phone instead of computer? sometimes that works better for me

The NYSDOL systems are experiencing technical difficulties due to high volume and scheduled maintenance. This happens periodically when they update their systems. For website issues, try using Microsoft Edge in incognito mode - their site seems optimized for it. Also, try clearing your browser cookies specifically for the ny.gov domain, not just general cache clearing. For phone contact, you need to understand their tier system. Tier 1 agents are overwhelmed handling basic claims. You need to get to a Tier 2 specialist who can actually resolve issues. The best approach is to call the alternate number (888-209-8124) and use the following sequence when prompted: press 1, then 6, then 1 again. This bypasses some of the initial screening. Try this between 8:05-8:20am or 4:45-5:00pm when their systems are less congested.

After weeks of struggling with the same exact issues (busy signals, website crashes), I finally got through to a real human at unemployment by using Claimyr. It's this service that holds your place in line and calls you when they get an agent on the phone. Saved me hours of frustration. Check out their demo: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The website is claimyr.com - it was honestly the only thing that worked after I spent days trying everything else. Got my certification issues fixed in a single call once I actually reached someone.

I've called unemployment 37 times this month. THIRTY SEVEN! And nothing. Website also keeps giving me some BS error code TC-40825 whatever that means. The whole system is designed to stop people from getting their benefits I swear. They hope we'll just give up.

my sister had same problem last week. she tried claimyr thingy someone mentioned and got thru. i think its like $20 or something but she said worth it. unemployment system is broken af right now

Important update: NYSDOL just announced on their Twitter that they're aware of the website certification issues and are working to resolve them. They're temporarily extending the certification window by 7 days for those affected. They also recommend using their automated phone certification system at 1-888-581-5812 for weekly claims if the website isn't working. For anyone who needs immediate resolution, call volume is typically 60% lower on Thursdays compared to Mondays and Tuesdays.

If you've tried everything and still can't get through, you might want to contact your state assembly member's office. They have direct liaisons with NYSDOL and can often expedite cases. My claim was stuck for weeks until I reached out to my assemblyman's office - they had it resolved in 2 days. Just search "[your county] NY state assembly member" to find your representative.

did u ever get thru?? im having same problem now 😭

Wow, glad to hear you finally got through @Zoe! Your situation sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with right now. I've been stuck in certification limbo for almost 3 weeks and it's getting really scary financially. The phone system is absolutely broken - I've called probably 50+ times and either get busy signals or that annoying "all representatives are busy" message before it hangs up. The website crashes every single time I try to submit my weekly certification. I'll fill out all the questions, hit submit, and then get some generic error page. It's like they designed the system to fail on purpose. Thanks everyone for all the tips in this thread - I'm going to try that early morning calling strategy and maybe look into the Claimyr thing if I get desperate enough. This whole system is such a nightmare when you actually need it to work.

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare right now! Been trying to certify for 2 weeks straight and getting nowhere. The website keeps timing out during submission and I've called the main number probably 80+ times with nothing but busy signals. It's absolutely maddening when you need these benefits to survive. I'm definitely going to try some of the strategies mentioned here - the early morning calling, that alternate number sequence, and maybe even the Claimyr service if nothing else works. The automated phone certification number might be my best bet since the website is completely useless right now. Has anyone had luck with the mobile app? I haven't tried that yet but wondering if it's any more stable than the website. This whole situation is making an already stressful time even worse - we shouldn't have to jump through these hoops just to access benefits we're entitled to!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now - it's been 3 weeks since I've been able to successfully certify and I'm getting really worried about making rent next month. The website crashes every single time right when I hit submit, and I've probably called 60+ times with nothing but busy signals or that automated hangup. Reading through all these comments gives me some hope though! I'm definitely going to try that early morning calling strategy tomorrow at 6am, and that alternate number sequence @Aaron shared sounds promising. The automated phone certification line (1-888-581-5812) might be my best bet since the website is completely broken for me. Has anyone tried contacting their local unemployment office directly? I'm wondering if showing up in person might be more effective than this phone/website nightmare, though I'm not even sure if they're open for walk-ins anymore. This whole system feels designed to exhaust people into giving up - which is exactly what we can't afford to do when we need these benefits to survive!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now and it's beyond frustrating! I've been trying to certify for the past week and a half with zero success. The website either crashes when I hit submit or gives me some random error message. I've tried calling probably 40+ times and can never get through - just constant busy signals or that automated message that hangs up on you. Reading through all these tips is really helpful though! I'm definitely going to try that early morning calling strategy at 6am tomorrow, and I'll test out that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) that @Aaron mentioned. The website is clearly broken so bypassing it entirely seems like the smartest approach. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to become experts in gaming a broken system just to access benefits we're legally entitled to. The stress of not being able to certify on top of already being unemployed is just brutal. Thanks everyone for sharing what's worked for you - gives me hope that I'll eventually get through this mess!

I'm going through this exact nightmare too and it's driving me absolutely insane! Been trying to certify for over 2 weeks now and the website crashes every single time I hit submit. I've called the main number probably 75+ times and either get busy signals or that stupid automated message that just hangs up on me after 2 minutes. The financial stress is getting really scary at this point - I've got bills piling up and rent due soon. It's like they've designed this system to be as difficult as possible on purpose. Reading all these comments though gives me some hope! I'm definitely going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) tomorrow morning since the website is completely useless. Also going to test out that early morning calling strategy at 6am and try that button sequence (1, then 6, then 1) that @Aaron shared. If those don't work I might have to bite the bullet and try the Claimyr service since so many people here have had success with it. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - it's nice to know I'm not alone in this mess and that people are actually getting through eventually! This system is broken but at least we're helping each other figure out the workarounds.

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who's been lurking and reading all these experiences. I'm dealing with the exact same issues - website crashes during certification and phone lines that are impossible to get through. It's honestly terrifying when you're unemployed and can't even access the benefits system that's supposed to help you survive. I've been stuck for about 10 days now and was starting to panic, but reading through all the solutions you've shared here is giving me hope! I'm going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) first thing tomorrow morning, and then attempt the early morning calling strategy with that button sequence if needed. The fact that so many of you have eventually gotten through after weeks of struggle is both depressing (that it takes this long) and encouraging (that it IS possible). Thanks for creating this thread and sharing all these workarounds - it's like a lifeline when the official system completely fails us. Will update if I have any success with these methods!

I'm in the exact same situation right now and reading through this thread has been both frustrating (knowing how widespread this problem is) and helpful (seeing all the solutions people have found). I've been trying to certify for about a week now with constant website crashes and phone busy signals. The stress of being unemployed and then not being able to access the benefits system is just overwhelming. I'm definitely going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) that @Aaron shared - seems like that's been the most reliable workaround for people when the website fails. Also planning to test the early morning calling strategy tomorrow at 6am. It's ridiculous that we have to become experts at gaming a broken system just to get our benefits, but I'm grateful for all the tips everyone has shared here. Will report back if I have any success!

Just found this thread after dealing with the EXACT same issues for the past 3 weeks - it's like reading my own nightmare! I've been stuck in certification limbo with constant website crashes and probably made 80+ phone calls with nothing but busy signals or that automated hangup. The financial stress is getting really scary when you can't access the benefits you desperately need. Thank you SO much to everyone who's shared solutions here - especially that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) that @Aaron mentioned. I'm going to try that first thing tomorrow morning along with the early morning calling strategy at 6am. It's absolutely insane that we need a whole community guide just to navigate a system that should work properly, but I'm incredibly grateful for all the tips and knowing I'm not alone in this mess. The fact that so many people have eventually gotten through after weeks of struggle gives me hope that persistence will pay off. Will definitely update if any of these methods work for me!

I'm dealing with this exact nightmare right now and it's honestly a relief to find this thread! I've been stuck trying to certify for almost 2 weeks with constant website crashes and have probably called 50+ times with nothing but busy signals or that automated system that just hangs up. The financial stress is getting really overwhelming when you're already unemployed and can't even access the help you're entitled to. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions here has been incredibly helpful though! I'm definitely going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) that @Aaron shared first thing tomorrow morning, along with the early morning calling strategy at 6am. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become experts at gaming a broken system just to get our benefits, but I'm so grateful everyone is sharing what actually works. The fact that so many people have eventually gotten through after weeks of struggle gives me hope that persistence will pay off. This community support is honestly a lifeline when the official system completely fails us. Will definitely update if any of these methods work for me!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare and just discovered this thread - what a lifesaver! I've been trying to certify for over 2 weeks now with constant website crashes and have made probably 70+ phone calls with nothing but busy signals or that automated hangup message. The financial stress is getting really scary when you're unemployed and can't even access the benefits system that's supposed to help you survive. Thank you everyone for sharing all these solutions! I'm definitely going to try that automated phone certification number (1-888-581-5812) that @Aaron mentioned first thing tomorrow morning, along with the early morning calling strategy at 6am using that button sequence (1, then 6, then 1). It's absolutely ridiculous that we need a whole community guide just to navigate a system that should work properly, but I'm so grateful for all the tips and knowing I'm not alone in this mess. Seeing so many people eventually get through after weeks of struggle gives me hope that persistence will pay off. This thread has been like finding a lifeline when the official system completely abandons us. Will definitely update if any of these methods work for me - fingers crossed!