Need to file complaint against NY unemployment - is writ of mandamus an option?

I was in limbo for 3 months with ny unemployment. Nothing worked until I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me through to an actual agent who fixed my claim in one call. It was the best money I ever spent to finally get my benefits released. They have this system that calls for you and then connects you once there's a real person. Here's a video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

A writ of mandamus is a legal action that can compel a government agency to perform their legal duties, but it's pretty complex. You'd definitely need an attorney, and it's usually seen as a last resort when all administrative remedies are exhausted. Before going that route, I'd suggest: 1) Document EVERYTHING - dates, times, who you spoke with, confirmation numbers 2) Contact your state senator AND assembly person (not just one representative) 3) File a formal complaint with the NY Department of Labor - make sure to reference all your previous contact attempts 4) If you're still not getting results, many legal aid organizations offer free help with unemployment issues 5) As a last resort before mandamus, consider reaching out to local media - sometimes public pressure works If you're desperate to talk to someone immediately, services like claimyr.com can get you connected to an agent faster than waiting on hold yourself. Getting a live person on the phone is often the fastest way to resolution. Mandamus is expensive and slow - could take months - so try everything else first.

So my cousin works for the DOL (not in NY) and says that when your account says 'pending' for that long it usually means there's an identity verification problem or a flag on your account for possible fraud. Have you received any letters or emails asking you to verify identity?

Try contacting the office of the NY Attorney General. My claim was stuck for FIVE months and I filed a complaint with them. Got a call from a DOL supervisor within a week and they fixed everything. The regular phone lines are useless.

mandamus is WAY overkill unless youve already tried everything else. it'll cost you thousands in legal fees and take forever. i got my issue fixed by emailing my assembly person every single day for two weeks straight until they got annoyed enough to actually help lol

i was in ur EXACT situation. ended up driving to a DOL office in person (the one in brooklyn) and refused to leave until someone helped me. wasn't pretty but it worked 🤷‍♂️

Anyone else notice how the ny unemployment system mysteriously works perfectly until you have any kind of issue? Then suddenly nobody can help and you're stuck in an infinite loop of automated messages and clueless agents 🤡

Write to your state representatives AND the governor's office. Be SUPER specific in your email. Include your claim number, last 4 of SSN, address, phone #, exact dates, and exactly what the problem is. I did this and got a call back from DOL executive office within 48 hours.

yo have you tried calling right when they open? I got through after only 45 min on hold by calling at exactly 8:00:00 am

Writ of mandamus seems extreme TBH. Have you filed a complaint through the official channels? There's a form on the DOL website specifically for complaints about UI processing delays. Thats what finally worked for me.

LISTEN UP! I work in a law office that handles UI issues. Here's what you do: send a CERTIFIED letter to the Commissioner of Labor (address on their website) explaining your situation. Cite specific sections of the NY labor law they're violating with the delay. Include the phrase "failure to process my claim in a timely manner violates my due process rights." They legally have to respond to these types of letters. We've helped dozens of clients get unstuck this way.

idk about mandamus but I filed a complaint with the state ombudsman and that actually helped. took about 3 weeks but someone from DOL called me and fixed everything.

After 2 months of nothing I paid for claimyr.com to connect me with someone. Talked to a rep who fixed my claim in 20 minutes. Some issue with my identity verification that nobody bothered to tell me about 🙄

Bro the whole system is DESIGNED to be impossible to navigate. They make it hard on purpose so people give up. Don't give up. Call every day, email every day, contact every govt official you can think of until someone helps.

you absolutely CAN file a writ of mandamus. i did it pro se (without a lawyer) and won. court ordered DOL to process my claim within 10 days. but it took 2 months from filing to resolution so maybe try faster options first

man i swear NY unemployment system purposely makes their phone system drop calls when wait times get too long. after like an hour on hold i'd get a 'we're sorry, all representatives are busy, please call back' and disconnected EVERY TIME

A writen mandamus? is that like a court order? idk much about legal stuff but that seems like a lot of work when you could just hire one of those unemployment advocates. My sister used one and they handled everything for her

So I was about to throw my phone after 3 hours on hold when my buddy told me about claimyr.com. Used it and got through to an actual human who fixed my claim that had been 'pending' for 6 weeks. Best $20 I ever spent to unlock thousands in benefits. They just call for you and connect you when a real person answers.