Still waiting for NY unemployment and backpay after 6 weeks - family struggling

yep welcome to the wonderful world of NY unemployment. took me 8 WEEKS to get my first payment last year. the system is totally broken and they dont care

8 weeks??? I can't wait that long! Did you do anything to speed it up or just had to wait it out?

Sorry you're going through this. There could be several reasons for the delay:\n\n1. Identity verification issues\n2. Employment history discrepancy\n3. Employer contesting the claim\n4. System backlog from the January tech update\n\nKeep certifying weekly even without payments. If you miss a week, it'll cause more problems. Try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM - that's when I've had the most success getting through.

Thanks for the info. I've been calling right at 8AM but still no luck getting through. I didn't know about the January tech update though. My former employer confirmed they're not contesting anything, so I'm really confused about the holdup.

I had the same problem last month!!! So frustrating!!! I couldnt get anyone on the phone for WEEKS and was about to lose my mind. my cousin told me about this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual agent in like an hour. check out their site at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE. Totally worth it since I got my backpay like 3 days after talking to someone.

Really? I've never heard of that. I'm getting pretty desperate so I might check it out. Did you have to explain your situation all over again when you finally reached someone?

Be careful with services like that. Why would you need to PAY someone to get through to unemployment? Sounds like a scam to me...

@profile5 - Yes I did have to explain everything but they were actually helpful once I got someone! The backpay came through for 6 weeks all at once.\n\n@profile4 - It's not a scam, it just helps you get through the phone system. With how much backpay I was owed it was totally worth it for me. You can look up reviews if you're worried.

There's currently a significant backlog of claims being processed due to staffing shortages and the system update that happened in January 2025. Here are a few things that could help:\n\n1. Email your state representative's office. They can often expedite unemployment claims through legislative channels.\n\n2. File what's called a \

Thank you so much for this detailed advice. I didn't know about the Request for Status option - I just submitted one explaining our situation. I'll try the alternate number tomorrow morning and will definitely reach out to my state rep if nothing changes by next week. Really appreciate the help.

THIS IS THE BEST ADVICE!!! I was in the same situation in February and contacting my state rep got everything fixed in 5 days!!! Turns out there was a stupid flag on my account because my previous employer entered my last day wrong. My rep's office has someone who deals directly with NYSDOL, totally worth trying!

That's great to hear it worked for you! Going to look up my state rep's contact info right now.

lol they're probably reviewing ur claim extra since everyone's tryin to scam the system these days. my brother in law waited 9 weeks.

I'm not trying to scam anything. I was laid off and just need the benefits I'm entitled to.

When I had a pending claim for weeks, I discovered there was a small discrepancy between the wages I reported and what my employer reported. That caused the entire system to flag my account for manual review, which takes forever. Have you checked if there might be any small discrepancies in your application? Even a typo in your SSN can cause major delays.

I've triple-checked everything and don't see any errors. But I wonder if my employer might have reported something differently. Is there a way to see what wages they reported?

You can call and specifically ask for the

IM GOING THROUGH THE EXACT SAME THING RIGHT NOW!!! Filed on Feb 2 2025 and STILL NOTHING!!! Called 42 times today alone!!! This is RIDICULOUS!!! How do they expect people to survive???? My car payment is due tomorrow and I have NO WAY to pay it!!! The whole system is BROKEN!!!

It's awful. I'm sorry you're dealing with this too. Have you tried any of the suggestions people mentioned here? I'm going to try everything and will update if something works.

so did u upload all ur id docs? i forgot to upload my birth certificate and drivers license and thats why mine was held up for like 3 weeks

Yes, I uploaded everything they asked for - driver's license, social security card, birth certificate. All verified in the system.

UPDATE for everyone following this thread: NYSDOL just announced they're bringing in additional staff to address the backlog of pending claims. They estimate they'll clear claims filed before March 15th within the next two weeks. For those who filed after that date, they're still estimating 4-6 weeks processing time. This info is from their official Twitter account posted yesterday.

Thank you for sharing this! That gives me a little hope. I filed in early March so hopefully my claim will be processed soon.

I'll believe it when I see it. They've been promising to

I understand the skepticism. Their track record isn't great. But for what it's worth, a friend who filed Feb 28th just got approved yesterday after waiting 5 weeks.

UPDATE: I got through!!! Used the Claimyr service that someone mentioned above and actually spoke to a real person at NYSDOL this morning. Turns out there was an issue with my identity verification that nobody told me about. The agent cleared it and said I should receive all my backpay within 3 business days. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.

Great news! Make sure to keep certifying on schedule even after you receive your backpay. And double-check that your payment method (direct deposit or debit card) is set up correctly so there aren't any further delays.

Will do! I've verified my direct deposit info is correct. Such a weight off my shoulders.

nice! glad it worked out for u