Waited 3 months for NY unemployment - can't feed my baby or pay rent anymore

same boat man. been waiting since May with no movement. its criminal how they treat ppl. like we dont have bills and mouths to feed.

After 6 weeks of no movement on my claim, I finally found a solution that worked for me. I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual rep in about 30 minutes. The rep saw that my claim had a flag on it for "employment verification" and was able to clear it right there. My payments started showing up 3 days later. Honestly it was the best money I ever spent to get my benefits flowing - saved me from getting evicted. Here's a video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Contact your state assembly person ASAP!!! This worked for me after waiting 11 weeks. Look up who represents your district and email AND call them explaining your hardship with a baby. They have special channels to expedite claims. My assemblyman's office called me back the same day and had my claim moving within a week.

I know this doesn't fix your unemployment BUT for your baby please call 211 right away. They can connect you with emergency assistance for formula, diapers, etc. Also check with local churches - many have emergency funds for families with infants. Don't wait on this.

The whole NY unemployment system is a fcking joke. They say "we're here to help" but then make it IMPOSSIBLE to actually get help. I waited 4 months last year and almost lost everything. It's designed to frustrate people so they give up. Keep calling EVERY DAY first thing when they open.

Hey, as someone who works adjacent to the system (not for NYSDOL directly), here's what you need to do to get your claim moving: First, document EVERYTHING. Every call, who you spoke with, date/time. Second, you have 3 paths that actually work: 1) Contact your state assembly person AND state senator (do both). Their constituent services can often break through the logjam. 2) File a formal complaint with the DOL Commissioner's office - this creates a different workflow that sometimes gets priority. 3) Use a service like claimyr.com to guarantee you get through to a live agent rather than spending hours on hold. Also, ask specifically if there are any "outstanding issues" or "flags" on your claim that need to be resolved. Often there's a simple verification needed that the regular reps don't tell you about. For your immediate needs, as others mentioned, call 211, apply for emergency SNAP benefits (you can get them within 7 days if you qualify for expedited processing), and check with your local Community Action Program (CAP) as they often have rental assistance funds. Don't give up - the system is frustrating by design, but there are ways through it.

went thru this EXACT situation back in February. ended up borrowing money from everyone i know just to keep the lights on. NY unemployment is compltely broken and they dont care who suffers. keep calling and eventually someone will help but it took me 14 weeks to get paid.

Look into tenant rights in your area!! In NY they cant just evict you without a court process which takes time. Know your rights so you dont get bullied by landlord while waiting for unemployment to come through.

DM me your zip code, I might be able to connect you with some resources for baby supplies in your area. My sister runs a diaper bank in Brooklyn.

Ok this is gonna sound crazy but it WORKED FOR ME. Go on Twitter and tweet @NYSLabor with your issue (don't include personal details). I did this after 7 weeks of nothing and got a DM from them within hours asking for my info. Claim was resolved in 3 days.

I waited 3.5 months and what finally worked for me was using claimyr.com to get through to a rep, then when they tried to brush me off I calmly said "I need to speak to a supervisor about filing a formal complaint." Got transferred and the supervisor fixed everything in 10 minutes. Sometimes you gotta be really assertive.

idk if this helps but my friend was in a similar situation and she qualified for emergency assistance through OTDA (Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance). They have something called Emergency Assistance to Families that can help with rent/utilities while you wait for unemployment. good luck man, this system is trash