NYS Department of Labor claim suddenly on hold - why is my unemployment on hold?
I've been collecting unemployment for about 6 weeks with no problems, filing my weekly claims on time and everything. This morning I logged into my.ny.gov and my claim status shows 'on hold' with no explanation. I haven't changed anything about my job search or work situation. Last week my payment went through fine. Now it just says 'claim under review' but doesn't tell me what I need to do or what the problem is. Has anyone else had their unemployment suddenly put on hold like this? I'm really stressed because I have rent due next week.
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Beatrice Marshall
This happened to me too! Usually when NYS Department of Labor puts a claim on hold, it's because something in your weekly certification triggered a review. Could be anything - maybe you answered a question differently, or they're doing a random audit of your job search activities. Check if you have any messages in your account or if they sent anything to your mailing address.
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Mae Bennett
•I checked everywhere and there's no messages or letters. The only thing different is I might have said I was available for work on a day I usually say no because of my kids schedule but I was actually available that day.
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Melina Haruko
When your claim goes on hold, NYS Department of Labor is usually investigating something that doesn't add up in their system. Common triggers include: reporting work hours inconsistently, changes in your availability, or if they think you might have earned unreported income. The review process can take 2-4 weeks unfortunately. You should keep filing your weekly claims even while it's on hold.
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Dallas Villalobos
•Wait really? Keep filing even when it says on hold? I stopped filing when mine got put on hold last month.
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Melina Haruko
•Yes absolutely keep filing! If you stop filing weekly claims during a hold, you could lose benefits for those weeks even if the hold gets resolved in your favor.
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Reina Salazar
The NYS Department of Labor phone system is impossible to get through to when you need answers about holds. I tried calling for weeks when my claim got frozen. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at NYS Department of Labor. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my claim was on hold and what I needed to do to fix it.
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Mae Bennett
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already stressed about money with my benefits on hold.
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Reina Salazar
•It was worth it for me because I got my issue resolved in one call instead of weeks of trying to get through myself. Much cheaper than losing weeks of benefits.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
ugh this is exactly why i hate dealing with unemployment... they put your claim on hold for the stupidest reasons and then make it impossible to find out why or how to fix it!! i bet its just some computer glitch and your claim is fine but now you have to wait forever to get someone to look at it
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Demi Lagos
•I know right?! It's like they assume everyone is trying to cheat the system. Most of us just need our benefits to survive.
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Mason Lopez
Same thing happened to my brother in law. Turned out NYS Department of Labor was cross-checking with his previous employer about his separation reason. Even though he was laid off, HR at his old job reported it wrong initially. Took 3 weeks to straighten out but he got all his back pay once it was resolved.
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GalacticGladiator
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My claim was fine for 8 weeks and then suddenly went on hold last Tuesday. I've been calling the NYS Department of Labor number every day but can never get through - it just hangs up on me after being on hold for hours. The worst part is not knowing what triggered the review or how long it will take. I've been keeping detailed records of all my job search activities and haven't changed anything about my situation. Really hoping this gets resolved soon because like you said, bills don't stop coming just because the state decides to investigate your claim for mysterious reasons.
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Ryder Everingham
•I feel your frustration! The same thing just happened to me - 6 weeks of no issues and then boom, on hold with zero explanation. It's so stressful not knowing what you did "wrong" or how long you'll be waiting. Have you tried filing your weekly claim even though it's on hold? Someone mentioned above that you should keep filing to avoid losing those weeks if it gets resolved. I'm going to try calling first thing Monday morning when they open - maybe there's less phone traffic then? This whole system makes an already difficult situation so much worse.
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Rosie Harper
This is so frustrating and unfortunately pretty common with NYS Department of Labor. When claims go on hold suddenly like this, it's often triggered by something in your weekly certification that their system flagged for review - could be as simple as a different answer to the availability question or reporting different job search activities. The system is very sensitive to any changes. Since you mentioned the only difference was saying you were available on a day you usually aren't, that might be what triggered it. Keep filing your weekly claims even while on hold - this is crucial because if you stop filing and the hold gets resolved, you could lose those weeks of benefits. Try calling right when they open at 8am on Monday - you'll have better luck getting through early morning. Also document everything and keep records of your job search activities in case they ask for verification. The review process typically takes 2-4 weeks but can be longer. I know it's stressful with rent due, but most holds do get resolved if you haven't actually done anything wrong.
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