NY unemployment website missing 'file a claim' option - am I going crazy?

The UI system is super confusing. Try going to "My Online Services" first, then look for "Unemployment Services" and there should be a option that says "File A Claim". If you dont see it, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser (Chrome worked best for me). Sometimes the site just crashes during high volume times too. Keep trying at odd hours like early morning.

After wasting 2 full days trying to get through on the site, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me a callback with an actual agent. They helped me file my claim over the phone since the website was bugging out for me too. Talking to an agent got my benefits processed so much faster than trying to figure out the website. They even have a demo video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

I've worked with NY unemployment for 3 yrs (not anymore thank god). Most common issue: people accidentally create an NY.gov ID instead of going through the unemployment portal directly. Try going directly to https://unemployment.labor.ny.gov and click "File A New Claim". If that doesn't work, your account might be flagged for identity verification. Only solution then is calling unfortunately.

the site is literally broken half the time lmao. welcome to ny unemployment hell 💀

Sometimes there's a maintenance message that doesn't actually show up but the site is down. I've learned that if you don't see what you expect, try again in a few hours. Also strangely the mobile version sometimes shows different options than desktop. Have you tried on your phone?

Honest opinion from someone who went through this last month: CALL THEM. The website is a disaster, filled with broken links and missing options. I spent 5 days trying to file online before I finally got through on the phone and finished my claim in 15 minutes. The phone wait is horrible but once you get a person, they can actually fix things.

Real talk: literally EVERY SINGLE PERSON I know has had problems filing for NY unemployment. The system is completely broken. It took me 3 weeks to finally get my claim submitted. If the website isn't working, your only options are to: 1. Keep trying the website at different times (early morning seems to work better) 2. Call repeatedly until you get through (be prepared to spend hours) 3. Use a paid service like Claimyr.com that will wait on hold for you 4. Contact your state representative's office - they sometimes have direct lines Don't give up! The system is designed to frustrate people into giving up on their rightful benefits.

There's a weird bug where if you logged into other state services before, the cookies mess up the unemployment portal. Try clearing ALL cookies from your browser or use incognito mode!

check if your address has a mismatch. i had EXACT same issue, turns out my address in the system had 'street' abbreviated as 'st' in one system but spelled out in another. agent told me system flags accounts with ANY info mismatches and hides the file claim button 🤦‍♂️

ive been on unemployment 3 different times in NY. each time the system changed and got worse lol. but what worked for me last time (december) was using Internet Explorer (yes seriously). chrome and firefox both had weird glitches where buttons disappeared, but good old IE showed everything correctly. worth a try if nothing else is working!

u might hav accidently signed up for the employer portal instead of the claimant portal. happened to me. you need to make a whole new account with different email. the system wont tell u this btw, it just silently fails.

I just went through this EXACT issue!! Here's what I had to do - go to the NY labor department page first (not ny.gov), then click on 'individuals', then 'unemployment benefits', THEN 'file a claim'. Any other way and the option disappears. The site navigation is completely broken. If that doesn't work, try this direct link: https://applications.labor.ny.gov/IndividualReg/ (I saved it after I finally found it

Someone else mentioned claimyr and I jus wanna second that it works. I was LOSING MY MIND trying to file when the website kept erroring out. Paid for their service and had an agent on the phone within an hour who filed everything for me. My claim is now processing. claimyr.com saved me weeks of frustration

just remember that the site does maintenance every night from like 12-7am and sometimes features disappear during that time even though the site seems to be working still