NY unemployment still showing $0 after 3 weeks - can't get through on phone

Same boat man. Been waiting for 5 weeks now and everything still says $0. The system is completely broken, they dont care about us at all.

After banging my head against the wall for WEEKS trying to reach someone at ny unemployment, I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual human at the unemployment office! Got my issues fixed in one call and my money hit my account 2 days later. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast, wish I'd known about it sooner. Here's a video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

I had the same issue back in June. One thing that I didn't realize - make sure you're completing the weekly certifications even if your account shows $0. If you're not certifying, they won't process any payments even after your claim gets approved. Learned that the hard way 😭

Have you tried sending a message through the 'Contact Us' form on their website? I know it sounds useless but I actually got a callback after doing that (though it took 4 days). Better than nothing I guess.

When you look at your claim status, does it say "pending" or "under review" or anything? Or just $0? There's a difference between a claim that's being processed vs one that has an issue they need to resolve.

Try calling right when they open at 8am. Like literally be dialing at 7:59. Thats the only way I ever got through. And keep redialing if it disconnects you. Took me like 45 attempts but eventually got in the queue.

This is going to sound crazy but try reaching out to your state representative's office. My claim was stuck for weeks, I called my assemblyman's office, and magically my claim was processed 2 days later. They have special contacts at unemployment.

Here's what I've learned after dealing with NY unemployment for way too long: 1. The phone system is completely broken by design. They don't have enough staff to handle the volume of calls, so they just disconnect people instead of having honest wait times. 2. Your $0 balance likely means one of three things: a) they're still processing your initial claim, b) there's an identity verification issue, or c) there's a dispute with your former employer about why you were terminated. 3. The fastest ways to get it resolved (in order of effectiveness): - Use Claimyr.com to get past the phone system. It costs money but honestly worth every penny if you're about to miss rent/bills. They keep calling until they get through, then connect you to a live agent who can fix most issues immediately. - Contact your state assembly person or senator's office. They have special channels to unemployment. - Send a direct message to NYSDOL on Twitter. Sounds weird but they actually respond there sometimes. 4. Make absolutely sure you're doing your weekly certifications even while showing $0. If you miss these, you'll lose those weeks permanently. Hang in there. The system is frustrating but once you get through to someone, most issues can be fixed in minutes.

check ur spam folder, they might have sent u an email saying they need more info to process ur claim

I had a similar issue. My claim was stuck at $0 because apparently my identity couldn't be verified automatically. Had to upload my drivers license and SSN card. But they never told me this - I only found out after finally getting someone on the phone.

The latest trick is to press 2 for Spanish then 9 for English when you get the menu. For some reason this routes you to a different queue with shorter wait times. Idk why it works but it does sometimes.

i dunno wat ur getting so worked up for, its normal to take 6-8 weeks for a new claim. just wait it out.

Sometimes the $0 is a website glitch. Try logging in from a different device or clearing your cache and cookies.

Did your employer contest your unemployment claim? If they said you quit or were fired for cause, that would explain the delay and $0 balance.

After WEEKS of trying, found out from a friend that works at nysdol that they're massively backlogged because of their new computer system rollout. It's creating a ton of $0 claims that need manual review. The only way to get it fixed is to talk to a human.