Trying to finish my NY unemployment claim but cant reach anyone by phone

Same issue here - been trying to reach them since April. The phone system is completely broken. I found out you can use a service called Claimyr that will wait on hold for you and connect you when a real person answers. Total lifesaver! Used it last week and finally got my claim processed after months of nothing. Check it out - claimyr.com - talking to an agent got my benefits flowing within days.

Welcome to NY unemployment hell 😭 I've been in the same situation for like 6 weeks. The system is completely overloaded still. Try calling right when they open at 8am or right before they close. Sometimes I've had luck getting through around 4:30pm on Thursdays for some weird reason.

Literally in the EXACT same situation. Been calling for 5 weeks straight and nothing. The whole system is basically designed to make you give up. Keep calling tho, eventually you'll get through. I finally did last Friday after 100+ attempts.

Hey there! I went through this nightmare last month. Here's what worked for me to get through on the NY unemployment phone system: First, I completely stopped calling the main number - it's useless. Instead, I called some of their secondary numbers and worked my way to a real person by selecting different options than unemployment questions initially. Once I got a human, I explained my situation and they transferred me. Another thing that really helped was using claimyr.com - they basically wait on hold for you then call you when they get a real person. Honestly it was the best money I've ever spent after weeks of frustration. My claim was processed within 3 days after finally talking to someone. Also worth knowing - email doesn't work well but their Twitter team sometimes responds faster if you DM them. Make sure you have all your documents ready when you finally get through because they won't wait. Don't give up! The system is maddening but persistence pays off eventually.

This is exactly why I gave up on unemployment. After 2 months of trying I just found another job making way less. The system is DESIGNED to be impossible to navigate so they don't have to pay out benefits. Change my mind.

Have you tried contacting your state representative? That's what finally worked for me after weeks of calling. Their office has special contacts at unemployment and can escalate your case.

dont call the main number!!! u need to call the *disability* line then when you get thru ask to be transferred to unemployment... worked for me after 35 days of trying the normal number

I literally just got through this exact mess last week. At my wits end like you. Ended up using claimyr.com cause a friend recommended it. They basically do the hold waiting for you then connect when a real person answers. Not gonna lie its weird but it WORKED. I got my claim finished in one call after trying for weeks.

Why is it so hard to get a hold of ny unemployment?? Been dealing with this for 2 months now. The system is rigged to make people give up i swear

I got through by calling at EXACTLY 7:58am - right before they open. Still had to wait 30 mins but at least got in the queue before it filled up. Good luck!

Pro tip: if u have a friend in another state, try using their phone to call. My NY number kept getting busy signals but when I used my sisters NJ phone it went through in 10 mins 🤔

I spent 6 weeks trying to get through before a reddit post told me about claimyr. Best decision ever - they called and got me connected to a rep within 2 hours. My claim got fixed on the spot after ONE CALL. Whatever it costs, its worth it to finally get your benefits. The website is claimyr.com

have you tried the online chat? sometimes you can get help there without calling

Ugh, this is so frustrating! I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now. Been trying to get through for 2 weeks and it's like the phone system is designed to torture us. I've seen a few people mention claimyr in the comments - has anyone else actually tried it? I'm getting desperate enough to pay someone to wait on hold for me at this point. Also gonna try that state rep suggestion because this is ridiculous. We shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to get benefits we're entitled to! Keep us posted if you manage to get through - sending good vibes your way! 🤞

This is such a nightmare! I've been in a similar situation for about 2 weeks now and it's absolutely maddening. The fact that they require a phone call to complete something that should be doable online is just cruel when their phone system is completely broken. I've tried calling at different times, using different phones, even had my friend try calling from out of state - nothing works. It's like they want us to give up! I'm definitely going to try that state representative suggestion because this is beyond ridiculous. We pay into this system and then can't even access our own benefits when we need them most. Hope you get through soon - this whole situation is just wrong on so many levels! 😤

I feel your pain SO much! I just went through this exact nightmare last month and it nearly drove me insane. After 3 weeks of calling 15+ times a day with nothing but busy signals and disconnects, I was ready to lose it. What finally worked for me was a combination of things: 1) I contacted my state assemblyperson's office (you can find yours on the NY Assembly website) and they actually have direct contacts at DOL who can escalate cases - got a callback within 48 hours! 2) I also tried calling their technical support line instead of the main unemployment number and got transferred to the right department after only 20 minutes on hold. The whole system is absolutely broken and designed to make us give up, but don't let them win! Keep pushing and try multiple angles. You've got this! 💪

Oh wow, I'm literally going through this EXACT same thing right now! Started my claim 3 weeks ago and got that same annoying message about needing to call to verify info. I've probably called 200+ times at this point and either get busy signals or sit on hold for an hour before it just hangs up on me. It's absolutely maddening! Reading through all these comments though - I'm definitely going to try that state rep idea and maybe look into claimyr since so many people are saying it actually works. The fact that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get benefits we've paid into is beyond frustrating. Hang in there! From what everyone's saying, once you actually get through to a person it gets resolved pretty quickly. The system is just completely broken right now. Let us know if any of these suggestions work for you! 🤞

This is absolutely infuriating and I completely feel your pain! I went through this exact same nightmare earlier this year - spent almost a month calling every single day with nothing but busy signals and endless hold music that would just disconnect after an hour. The system is completely broken and it feels like they're doing it on purpose to make people give up. What finally worked for me was actually a two-pronged approach: First, I contacted my state assemblyperson's office (just google "find my NY assemblyperson" with your zip code). Their staff has direct lines to DOL and can actually escalate your case - I got a callback within 2 days after weeks of trying on my own! Second, I also ended up using that claimyr service that everyone's mentioning. I was super skeptical at first because it seemed too good to be true, but honestly after seeing multiple people in this thread vouch for it, I figured I had nothing left to lose. It actually worked exactly as advertised - they handle all the calling and waiting, then connect you when a real person picks up. Cost me like $20 but saved my sanity. Don't give up! The verification call itself takes literally 5 minutes once you actually get through to someone. It's just getting to that point that's the nightmare. You've got this! 💪

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's absolutely maddening! I've been watching this thread and seeing so many people struggle with the same exact issue. The NY unemployment phone system is completely broken and it feels intentional at this point. Based on all the advice here, I'd definitely recommend trying multiple approaches at once: 1. Contact your state assemblyperson ASAP - seems like they have direct contacts at DOL who can actually help 2. Try calling alternative numbers (technical support, disability line) and ask for transfers 3. Call right at 7:58am before they officially open 4. Consider claimyr since literally everyone who's used it got through It's ridiculous that we have to become detective-level creative just to access benefits we've paid into, but don't let the broken system win! You've already put in weeks of effort - you're so close to getting this resolved. The actual verification call is supposedly super quick once you get through to a real person. Hang in there and keep us posted on what works! This community has your back! 🤞💪

I'm dealing with this exact same frustration right now! Been trying to get through for about 10 days and it's absolutely maddening. Reading through all these comments though gives me some hope - seems like there are actually some strategies that work. I'm definitely going to try reaching out to my state assemblyperson tomorrow since multiple people here had success with that approach. Also going to attempt that 7:58am calling trick and maybe try some of those alternative numbers people mentioned. The claimyr thing is interesting - I've never heard of a service like that before but honestly after seeing so many people vouch for it in this thread, I might give it a shot if the other methods don't work. At this point I'm willing to try anything to avoid another week of calling 20+ times a day just to get busy signals. It's so reassuring to see that once people actually get through, the verification process is quick. The system is clearly just overwhelmed and poorly designed. Thanks to everyone for sharing what worked - this community is amazing! Will definitely update if I manage to break through this nightmare. 🤞

This is such a frustrating situation and I completely understand your desperation! I've been lurking in this community for a while and finally decided to create an account because your post hit so close to home - I'm dealing with something similar in a different state and it's absolutely maddening. From reading all these comments, it sounds like the NY system is particularly broken right now. The assemblyperson suggestion seems really promising - I had no idea elected officials could help with unemployment issues! That seems like it should be your first move since multiple people got results within days. The early morning calling strategy also makes sense - trying to get in the queue before it fills up. And honestly, after seeing so many people independently vouch for that claimyr service, it's starting to seem pretty legitimate. I'm usually skeptical of third-party services but the fact that it's just automating the hold process rather than claiming to have special connections makes it sound more trustworthy. Don't give up! It's clear from everyone's experiences that once you actually get through to a real person, the verification process is quick and straightforward. The system is just overwhelmed and poorly designed. Hang in there and definitely try multiple approaches at once. Rooting for you! 🙏