Thank you for NY unemployment advice - final update on my claim journey

That's so good to hear! It's not often we get positive stories about NY unemployment. Would you mind sharing what specific strategy finally got your backdated payments approved? I'm still fighting for mine from December.

The game-changer for me was getting to an actual claims specialist. After spinning my wheels for months, I documented EVERYTHING in chronological order (every call attempt, every letter, every email). Then instead of just calling the main line, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE\n\nOnce I actually spoke to someone, I explained calmly that I had documentation proving I'd been eligible the whole time. The specialist I talked to was actually really helpful and escalated my case to a supervisor who reviewed everything within a week.

congrats!! did u have to deal with those weird \

Yes! I had 6 weeks stuck in \

I wish I saw more success stories like this. The NY unemployment system has been a NIGHTMARE since they \

I understand your frustration with the system. For your immediate situation, please contact your local HRA/DSS office about emergency assistance while your unemployment claim is pending. They can often provide rental assistance and expedited SNAP benefits when you have children in the household.\n\nAs for reaching a representative, call volumes are highest Monday-Wednesday. Try calling Thursday afternoon between 2-4pm when volumes tend to be lower. When prompted by the automated system, press 2, then 1, then 3 - this routing often leads to shorter wait times based on my experience helping clients navigate the system.

Thank you for the specific advice. I'll try the Thursday afternoon trick tomorrow - I've been calling first thing in the morning and maybe that's my mistake. Do you know if emergency assistance would affect my unemployment benefits later? I'm worried about messing up my claim even more.

Wow 18 months is a long time! My cousin only waited like 3 weeks for his unemployment to start last year. I wonder why some people have such different experiences with the same system?

The timing difference usually comes down to claim complexity. Standard claims with a single employer, clear separation reason, and no eligibility questions typically process within 2-3 weeks. However, claims involving multiple employers, contested separations, identity verification issues, or eligibility questions require manual review which extends the timeline significantly.\n\nThe 18-month situation described by OP likely involved appeals, backdating requests, or complex eligibility determinations, which place claims into specialized processing queues with longer timeframes.

You nailed it. My case was complicated because I had worked for 3 different employers in my base period, and one of them incorrectly reported my wages. There was also an identity verification flag because my married name didn't match some of my older ID documents. Each of these issues created a new delay and put me in a different processing queue.

I'm in week 9 of waiting for my benefits to start and I'm so anxious about it. My claim says

When your claim says \

Thank you so much for those specific details. I didn't realize there was a difference between a claims examiner and a regular representative! I'll try calling the Technical Support line tomorrow morning.

My brother used Claimyr last week after reading about it on here and got through to a rep in like 15 minutes after trying for days on his own. They found out his claim was held up because of some document he didn't even know he needed to submit. Worth checking out if you're stuck in limbo with NY unemployment.

did it cost money? i keep hearing about it but im already broke waiting for my benefits lol

Yeah it costs something but my brother said it was worth it because he was about to miss another rent payment. He said the service basically calls for you and then connects you when they get a rep on the line. From what he told me, it saved him from spending another week trying to get through.

This isn't really related to your thanks post, but does anyone know if I need to report jury duty pay to unemployment? I got called for jury duty next month and I'm worried it will mess up my benefits. Sorry to hijack the thread but I didn't want to make a whole new post just for this question.

Yes, you do need to report jury duty pay when certifying for benefits. When the certification question asks if you've received any income for the week, select \

Thank you so much! That makes sense. I was worried it would somehow disqualify me entirely. I appreciate the quick answer!

To answer a few questions at once - yes, the \

Did you have any luck with the online message center? I've sent three messages over the past two weeks and haven't heard anything back. I'm starting to think no one actually reads those messages.

The message center was hit or miss for me. I got responses to about half my messages, but they were usually generic templates. The one time it was helpful was when I specifically mentioned I had documentation of a NYSDOL representative giving me incorrect information that caused my claim to be delayed. That message got escalated, and I received a call back within 48 hours. I think certain keywords trigger actual human attention.

For anyone struggling with NY unemployment claims that are stuck in limbo, I've compiled a quick reference guide based on successful resolutions I've seen in this forum:\n\n1. Document everything chronologically - calls, messages, emails, letters\n2. Use the Technical Support line instead of the main claims line when possible\n3. Ask specifically for a claims examiner who can see all notes on your file\n4. When all else fails, contact your state assembly person's office\n5. Consider using a callback service if you've been unable to get through after multiple attempts\n6. Check your spam folder daily - important DOL emails often end up there\n7. Log into your account every 2-3 days to check for new message/document requests\n\nHope this helps someone else avoid an 18-month ordeal!

This is an excellent list! I'd add one more tip: When you do get through to someone, ask them to leave detailed notes on your account about what was discussed and any next steps. Then get the confirmation number for that call. This helped me tremendously when I had to call back multiple times - I could reference the previous conversation by confirmation number which proved I wasn't getting different stories each time.

I've been told SIX different things by SIX different reps over the last 2 months! Next time I'm definitely asking for that confirmation number. They act like we're making stuff up when THEY'RE the ones giving contradictory information!