NY unemployment website saying I'm 'not authorized' when trying to certify weekly benefits?

Yeah the same thing happened to me last week. The system is totally broken. I think they're doing updates or something because I kept getting different error messages. Try again tomorrow morning, that's what I did and it suddenly worked again. The ny unemployment site always has technical issues on sundays for some reason.

I was having the exact same issue a couple weeks ago! After trying for days to reach someone on the phone with no luck, I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual person at unemployment. They were able to fix whatever was causing the authorization issue on my account in like 5 minutes. Best decision ever - talking to an agent got my benefits flowing again immediately instead of waiting weeks for them to maybe notice the problem. There's a video about how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Check if your benefit year expired. That happened to me and I suddenly couldn't access anything. Had to file a new claim even though I still had money in my account from the original claim. The system is dumb AF.

This authorization error usually means one of three things: 1. Account security issue - someone might have tried to access your account too many times with wrong info 2. Your benefit year ended and you need to reapply 3. There's a pending identity verification issue The best fix is getting on the phone with them. I know it's nearly impossible to reach NY unemployment by phone, but I finally got through using Claimyr.com - it's this service that waits on hold for you then calls when there's an agent. Got my issue fixed in one call after weeks of frustration. The website glitches are getting worse since they did that big system update in February. If you can't get through by phone, try emailing them at their support address, but honestly that takes forever to get a response. You could also try contacting your state representative - sometimes they can escalate unemployment issues. Don't panic though - even if you miss a week's certification due to this error, you can usually backdate it once the system access is restored. Just document everything - take screenshots, note the times and dates of the errors, and any reference numbers from your calls.

Have you checked your email? Sometimes they send notices about account issues there and not in the portal. Also check your spam folder because ny unemployment emails often end up there.

its definitely a glitch. the site was doing maintenance last night, saw it on their twitter. give it till tomorrow before you freak out 👍

Someone might have tried to hack your account. This happened to me after someone filed a fraudulent claim in my name. Call them ASAP and explain the situation so they can put a fraud alert on your account.

Try using a different browser! Their site hates Chrome for some reason lol. Firefox worked for me when I got weird error messages.

Don't panic - this happened to me and turned out to be a 24-hour system flag because I had logged in from a new device. Wait a day and try again.

this is WHY I ALWAYS SCREENSHOT EVERYTHING when dealing with ny unemployment!!! they're systems are garbage and when something breaks you need proof. document EVERYTHING.

Sounds like your account might be under review. They do random audits and sometimes lock accounts while reviewing. It's annoying but usually gets resolved in 2-3 days without you doing anything.

another day, another unemployment system failure 🤡 I've been dealing with these clowns for months and the only thing that works is getting a real person on the phone. Try calling right when they open, that's your best chance.

Did you try to log in more than once? Sometimes if you enter password wrong too many times it locks you out but doesn't tell you that's why 🤦‍♂️

Go to your account settings and see if your personal information is still there. Sometimes when this error happens it means your profile info got corrupted somehow.

The same thing happened to me and I had to go to an actual unemployment office in person to get it fixed. They told me there was a fraud flag on my account because someone else tried to claim benefits using my SSN. Scary stuff.

I've been dealing with this exact same issue for the past few weeks and it's been a nightmare! What finally worked for me was realizing that NY unemployment had flagged my account for "suspicious activity" because I had been logging in from different locations (home vs library). Here's what I learned from my experience: 1. The "not authorized" message is super vague but usually means there's some kind of security hold 2. Try logging in from the EXACT same device/location you normally use 3. Clear ALL your browser data, not just cache - cookies, saved passwords, everything 4. If that doesn't work, it's probably an account-level issue that only a human can fix I ended up having to call them (took forever to get through) and they had to manually reset some security flag on my account. The agent said this has been happening a lot more since they updated their fraud detection system. Super frustrating when you're just trying to get your benefits! Don't wait too long to call - if there really is a security issue, it won't resolve itself. Good luck! 🤞

I had this exact same "not authorized" error last month and it turned out to be a timeout issue on their end. The NY unemployment system automatically logs you out after a certain period of inactivity, but sometimes it doesn't handle the session properly and you get stuck in this weird authorization limbo. What worked for me was completely closing all browser windows, waiting about 10-15 minutes, then trying again. Also make sure you're not using any browser extensions that might interfere with their site (ad blockers, VPNs, etc.). Their system is super finicky about that stuff. If the simple fixes don't work, it could be that your weekly certification window expired and you need to call to get it reopened. They usually give you a 7-day window to certify, and if you miss it, the system locks you out until an agent manually resets it. Either way, definitely don't panic about missing rent money - even if there's a delay, they'll backpay you once the issue gets resolved. Document everything with screenshots in case you need to prove you tried to certify on time.

This happened to me about a month ago and it was so stressful! Turns out my account got flagged because I had tried to log in too many times when the site was being glitchy one day. The system interpreted that as suspicious activity and locked me out with that same vague "not authorized" message. What finally fixed it for me was calling the technical support line (not the regular claims line) - the number is 1-888-581-5812. It's still hard to get through but usually has shorter wait times than the main number. The tech support person was able to see the security flag on my account and clear it immediately. In the meantime, try logging in from an incognito/private browser window - sometimes that bypasses whatever cookies or session data is causing the problem. Also double-check that you're using the right URL (labor.ny.gov/ui/claimantinfo) because there are some fake unemployment sites out there that look similar. Don't worry about missing your certification window - they can always backdate it once you get access restored. I missed a whole week due to this issue and still got paid for it. Just keep trying and document when you attempted to certify in case they ask later!

I'm having the exact same issue right now! Been trying to certify since yesterday and keep getting that "not authorized" error. It's so frustrating because like you, I've been claiming without problems for months. Reading through all these responses is really helpful though - sounds like it could be anything from a system glitch to a security flag. I'm going to try the incognito browser window first, then maybe that technical support number someone mentioned. Really hope we both get this sorted out soon! The stress of not knowing if your benefits will come through is the worst part of this whole process.

I'm dealing with this exact same "not authorized" error right now too! Started happening yesterday when I tried to do my weekly certification. I've been collecting unemployment for about 4 months with zero issues until now. Really scary seeing that message pop up when you're counting on these payments. I tried all the usual stuff - different browsers, clearing cache, restarting my computer - nothing worked. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really helpful though. Sounds like it could be anything from their system maintenance to some kind of security flag. I'm going to try that technical support number someone mentioned (1-888-581-5812) since it supposedly has shorter wait times. Also going to try the incognito browser window trick. Really hoping this gets resolved quickly because like many of you, I have rent due soon and can't afford any delays with my benefits. Will update if I find a solution that works!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Got the "not authorized" message when trying to certify this morning and nearly had a panic attack. Been claiming for about 2 months with zero issues until today. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually making me feel a bit better - sounds like this is happening to a lot of people lately which suggests it might be a system-wide issue rather than something specific to individual accounts. I'm going to try the incognito browser window trick first since that's the quickest fix, and if that doesn't work I'll call that technical support number (1-888-581-5812) that someone mentioned. Really appreciate everyone sharing their solutions and experiences - this community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with NY unemployment's terrible system! Will definitely update if I figure out what's causing it or find a fix that works.