Ny unemployment claim stuck in pending for 2+ months, got referred to 'high priority unit'

The exact same thing happened to me. Filed in August, called in October, and they transfered me to this 'high priority' thing. It's been two weeks since then and still no movement on my claim. idk what to do at this point, bills aren't gonna pay themselves.

After spending weeks trying to get through on the phone with no luck, I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at ny unemployment. They called and stayed on hold, then connected me when an agent picked up. Got my pending claim resolved in one call after the agent actually looked at my file. It was the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid! Check out their video too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Just keep calling them every day. Thats what i did. call first thing in the morning when they open. took me like 20 tries but i finally got connected to someone who could actually help. the high priority unit thing is real but they are slammed with cases right now.

I've been dealing with NY unemployment for MONTHS and I can tell you that 'high priority unit' means absolutely nothing. It's a black hole where claims go to die. Your best bet is to call your state representative's office and have them inquire about your claim. That's the only thing that finally got mine moving after 12 weeks of 'pending'.

The high priority unit is real BUT they're prioritizing certain types of claims first. I was told by an insider that anything with identity verification issues gets pushed to the back of the line. Did they mention anything about needing to verify your identity?

I understand what your going through. My claim was pending for 11 weeks. I finally broke down and found this service at claimyr.com that got me a call back from an actual agent. The agent told me my claim was stuck because my former employer contested it, but she was able to push it through after I explained the situation. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast after months of stress. Before that I was calling 50+ times a day with no success.

So here's a comprehensive breakdown of what's likely happening with your claim based on my experience working with many NY unemployment cases (I'm not affiliated with NYSDOL, just have helped many people through this): When a claim gets sent to the 'high priority unit' it typically means one of several things: 1. There's a discrepancy between your reported information and employer records 2. Your claim has been flagged for additional review due to unusual circumstances 3. There's a technical glitch that's preventing automatic processing 4. Your claim has been in the system too long without resolution Here's what you should do: - Absolutely continue certifying weekly as instructed - Call back at least once per week to check status (if you can't get through, try claimyr.com - they solve the hold time problem) - Contact your state assembly representative's office - Check your online message center AND physical mail daily - Make sure your contact information is 100% up to date In my experience, these 'high priority' claims typically take 2-3 weeks to resolve once escalated, but that varies widely. Whatever you do, don't stop certifying, as you'll eventually get backpay for all properly certified weeks once approved. Stay persistent. The system is frustrating but it does eventually work if you keep advocating for yourself.

Don't hold ur breath waiting for them to call you lol. That 518 number is legit but they have like 3 people working there for the whole state. Keep calling the main number.

Have you checked if your former employer is contesting your claim? That happened to me and it caused a 2 month delay. You can call and specifically ask if there's an employer dispute.

The ny unemployment system is complete garbage. I was in the same situation last year. Only thing that worked was calling my state senator's office and having them intervene. Fixed in 3 days after months of waiting.

Forget calling... go to an actual unemployment office in person if you can. They can't ignore you when you're standing in front of them. Worked for me after 2 months of phone hell.

Anyone notice how they always say "high priority" but nothing ever happens? I swear they just say that to everyone to get them off the phone. Been waiting 3 months with no update after being told the same thing.

If your waiting for ny unemployment to call YOU, your gonna be waiting till the end of time 😅 They never call back. I was given the runaround for 5 months before getting help.

Hi I actually work for a local govt office (not unemployment) and deal with this often. The escalation to high priority is real but severely backlogged. Your claim isn't lost, but without additional pressure it could take 4-6 weeks to be reviewed. Call your state assembly member TODAY - they can usually get it expedited within a week through special channels.

Took me FOREVER to get a human when calling unemployment. I finally used that claimyr service (claimyr.com) that calls and waits on hold for you. Got a real person who actually looked at my file and found out my claim was stuck because of a simple data entry error they made. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after weeks of trying. All my backpay came through 3 days later.

This may sound weird but try calling right at 7:58am (2 mins before they officially open). Sometimes you get through to the queue before everyone else starts calling at 8:00am on the dot.

Its total BS they make people wait months for benefits. Not everyone has savings to coast on. The whole system needs an overhaul.

I'm in a similar boat - filed in late August and still stuck in pending. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're watching your savings disappear. I've been following this thread and it sounds like contacting your state assembly representative might be the most reliable path forward based on what multiple people have said worked for them. I'm definitely going to try that approach this week. Hang in there Giovanni - you're not alone in this nightmare of a system.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - filed in mid-September and still stuck in pending after being told my claim went to the "high priority unit" three weeks ago. Reading through all these responses has been both frustrating and helpful. It's clear this is a widespread issue and the system is completely broken. I'm going to try the assembly representative route that so many people mentioned - seems like that's the most consistent solution. Giovanni, have you tried reaching out to your rep yet? Also curious if anyone has updates on whether that 518 number ever actually calls people back. This whole situation is so stressful when you're running out of money and just trying to survive between jobs.

I'm so sorry you're going through this Giovanni - I went through almost the exact same thing earlier this year. Filed in March, got the runaround for months, and that "high priority unit" line is unfortunately just what they tell everyone. Here's what actually worked for me after trying everything: I contacted my state assembly representative's office (you can find yours by googling your address + "NY assembly district"). Their constituent services person had me fill out a simple authorization form and within ONE WEEK my claim was approved with full backpay. Seriously, one week after months of nothing. The assembly reps have a direct line to DOL that bypasses all the regular BS. Don't wait any longer - call them tomorrow morning. Also keep certifying every week no matter what. The system is designed to wear you down but don't give up. You WILL get your money eventually, and when you do it'll be retroactive for all the weeks you've been waiting. Hang in there!

I feel your pain Giovanni - I'm dealing with almost the identical situation right now. Filed my claim in early October, got the same "high priority unit" story when I called two weeks ago, and I'm still sitting in pending status. The financial stress is absolutely crushing when you're trying to stretch every dollar while job hunting. Based on all the responses here, it sounds like contacting your state assembly representative is the most reliable way to actually get results. I'm going to look up mine today and make that call. The fact that so many people had success with that approach gives me hope that there's actually a way through this bureaucratic nightmare. Keep us updated if you try the assembly rep route - I think a lot of us in similar situations would benefit from knowing how it goes. Stay strong and don't give up!

I'm in almost the exact same situation - filed in early September and been stuck in pending ever since. Called last month and got the same "high priority unit" story with that 518 number. Spoiler alert: they never called back. Reading through all these responses though, it seems like contacting your assembly representative is the way to go. So many people here had success with that approach after months of getting nowhere with DOL directly. I'm going to look up my rep tomorrow and give it a shot. The financial stress while waiting is absolutely brutal - hang in there Giovanni, sounds like there are real solutions that work if we push hard enough through the right channels.