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 😭