Need phone number for NY governor's office to escalate unemployment claim issues - anyone have it?
Does anyone know the direct phone number to the NY governor's office specifically for DOL/unemployment issues? I've been trying to reach someone at unemployment for 3 WEEKS about my claim problems! I've called the regular NY unemployment number at least 30 times, spent hours on hold, and either get disconnected or speak to someone who can't help me. I heard somewhere that there's a special number at the governor's office that can help escalate DOL issues when you're getting nowhere. Has anyone successfully used this to get their unemployment problem fixed? I'm desperate at this point!
23 comments


Yuki Kobayashi
The Governor's Office of Constituent Services is (518) 474-8390. They can sometimes help escalate DOL issues, but they're not directly connected to unemployment services. Before trying that route, have you tried contacting your local state assembly member or senator? They often have staff dedicated to helping constituents with unemployment issues and can be more effective than going through the governor's office. Also, when you're calling the regular DOL number, what time of day are you calling? I found that calling right when they open (8:00 AM) gives you a much better chance of getting through.
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Ethan Moore
•Thank you!!! I'll try that governor's number tomorrow. I've been calling DOL at different times - morning, afternoon, even tried right at 8am but still end up waiting forever. I'll also look up my assembly person - didn't think of that. At this point I'll try anything!
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Carmen Vega
dont bother with governors office lol they just take ur info and say theyll pass it along. never heard back from them. waste of time
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Ethan Moore
•Really? Ugh that's so frustrating. Did you ever get your issue resolved?
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QuantumQuester
I was in the same situation last month. Couldn't get through for weeks and my claim had been pending for over 45 days. What finally worked for me was using Claimyr.com - it's a service that gets you through to an actual NY unemployment agent without the endless waiting. Seriously, I was connected in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE After trying everything else, this was the only thing that actually worked. My claim was fixed that same day once I finally spoke to someone.
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Andre Moreau
•is that some kind of paid service? why should we have to PAY to talk to unemployment when our tax dollars already fund them?? system is completely broken
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Zoe Stavros
I've been helping people with unemployment issues for years, and contacting your local state representatives is definitely more effective than the governor's office. Here's what I recommend: 1. Find your NY State Senator: https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator 2. Find your Assembly Member: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/ 3. Contact BOTH offices and explain your situation 4. Be specific about your claim number, when you filed, and what issues you're experiencing 5. Request that they submit a legislative inquiry to DOL on your behalf Their constituent services staff have direct channels to DOL that bypass the regular phone system. This approach typically gets results within 3-5 business days for most of my clients.
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Ethan Moore
•This is incredibly helpful! I just looked up my assembly member and senator and will contact both tomorrow morning. Do you think I should call or email them?
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Jamal Harris
The NY DOL phone system is absolutely BROKEN!! I spent 6 WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone about my claim last year. Governor's office was useless - they just take a message and nothing happens. I ended up having to show up IN PERSON at my local DOL office (even though their website says they don't handle claims in person!!!) and basically refused to leave until someone helped me. It was the only way I could get my issue fixed. The whole system is designed to make us give up!!
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Carmen Vega
•this is why i gave up on my claim last time. too much hassel for what they owe me
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Mei Chen
The govs office number is (518) 474-8390 but I tried it for my unemployment issue and they just took my info and said someone would call back. Nobody ever did. What finally worked was emailing my state senator. Got a call back from DOL within 2 days after that!
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Ethan Moore
•That's good to know! I'm definitely going to contact my state representatives first thing tomorrow. Seems like that's getting the most success based on everyone's experiences here.
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Andre Moreau
has anyone tried that website the other person mentioned? claimyr? sounds too good to be true honestly
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QuantumQuester
•I was skeptical too, but it seriously worked for me when nothing else did. You just need to provide the same info you'd give when you call unemployment anyway. After weeks of trying to get through by myself, it was worth it to finally get my claim fixed.
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Zoe Stavros
To answer your follow-up question about contacting representatives - I recommend BOTH calling and emailing. Start with a phone call to both offices, then follow up with an email that includes your contact information and claim details. This creates two points of contact and makes it easier for their staff to track your case. Make sure you're very clear about: 1. How long you've been trying to reach DOL 2. The specific issue with your claim 3. Any deadlines or financial hardships you're facing They're motivated to help constituents, especially with unemployment issues, as these are high-priority cases for most NY representatives.
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Ethan Moore
•Thank you for the detailed advice! I'm calling both offices first thing tomorrow and will follow up with emails. I'll make sure to include all those details. Fingers crossed this finally gets resolved!
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Yuki Kobayashi
Just wanted to add that while representative offices are helpful, sometimes timing matters too. Monday mornings at 8:00 AM sharp can be effective for direct DOL calls. The phone queues reset over the weekend, and calling right when they open might get you through. If that fails, then definitely pursue the representative route as outlined above.
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Jamal Harris
•This is NOT reliable anymore! I tried the Monday morning trick for 3 weeks straight and STILL couldn't get through. The system is completely overwhelmed and they're clearly understaffed. The only thing that works now is having someone with actual influence make calls on your behalf.
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Isabella Costa
I feel your frustration - I went through the exact same thing last year and it was absolutely maddening! After reading through all these responses, I'd definitely recommend going the state representative route first. I tried the governor's office number and like others mentioned, they just took my info and I never heard back. What worked for me was contacting my assembly member's office. They have a constituent services person who specifically handles DOL issues and they got my claim moving within a week. The key is being persistent but polite - call AND email like Zoe suggested, and don't be afraid to follow up if you don't hear back within a few days. Also, document everything - dates you called, who you spoke with, reference numbers, etc. This helps when you're explaining your situation to the representative's office. Good luck and don't give up! The system is broken but there are ways to work around it.
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Cameron Black
•Thanks Isabella! It's reassuring to hear from someone who actually got through this nightmare. I'm definitely going to try the assembly member route first thing tomorrow morning. The documentation tip is really good too - I've been keeping track of my calls but not in any organized way. I'll put together a proper timeline with dates and details before I contact them. It's so frustrating that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get help with something we're entitled to, but I appreciate everyone sharing what actually worked for them!
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Victoria Brown
I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Been trying to reach DOL for over 2 weeks about my pending claim and it's like they don't exist. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to skip the governor's office entirely and go straight to my state senator and assembly member tomorrow. One thing I wanted to add - if you're documenting your calls like Isabella suggested, also screenshot any error messages you get on the DOL website. I've been getting weird timeout errors when trying to certify online, and having those screenshots helped when I finally got through to someone briefly last week (before getting disconnected of course). This whole system is such a mess but at least this thread gives me hope that there are actual ways to get help. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Victoria, great point about screenshotting the website errors! I've been getting those timeout issues too when trying to certify. It's like the whole DOL system is falling apart on every level - phones, website, everything. I'm new to this community but going through the same nightmare. Been trying to reach someone about my claim for almost a month now. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear the state representative route is the way to go. The fact that multiple people got results within days through their assembly members while the governor's office just takes messages and disappears is really telling. Going to call my senator and assembly member first thing Monday morning. Thanks to everyone for sharing what actually worked - this thread is more helpful than anything I've found on the official DOL website!
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CyberNinja
I just want to echo what everyone else is saying about contacting your state representatives - this is absolutely the way to go! I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and was pulling my hair out trying to get through to DOL for over a month. Like others mentioned, the governor's office is pretty much useless for individual cases. But when I contacted my assembly member's office, they had someone specifically trained to handle unemployment issues and they got DOL to call me back within 48 hours. My claim was resolved that same week after being stuck in limbo for 2 months. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet - when you call your representative's office, ask specifically for their "constituent services" department and mention it's an urgent unemployment matter. They usually prioritize these cases because they know how broken the DOL phone system is right now. Also, don't feel bad about being persistent with follow-ups. These offices expect it for unemployment cases and they'd rather help you get it resolved than have you calling every day. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease in this situation. Hang in there - you WILL get through this!
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