What phone number do I use for NY unemployment back pay questions?

There's no special number just for back pay - you need to call the main claims center at 1-888-209-8124. The problem is getting through their phone system. Your best approach is to call exactly when they open at 8:00am. Press 1 for English (or 2 for Spanish), then press 9 to speak to a representative about an existing claim. You'll likely need to be persistent and try multiple days in a row.

i got thru last week but it took 4 days of trying. keep calling and hang up if u get the 'we're experiencing high call volume' message. thats what worked 4 me

Speaking to an agent about back pay is definitely challenging right now. The system is clogged with calls because of the recent benefits extension. If your claim shows 'pending' for more than 8 weeks, you can also try sending a secure message through your NY.gov account under 'Messages' - specifically mention the exact weeks you're missing and any claim ID numbers. Sometimes they respond faster that way than by phone.

This is typical NYSDOL nonsense!! They make it IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone by design. I was waiting on backpay for almost 3 MONTHS last year. The regular number is useless - complete waste of time. They don't care about us at all!!

I was in exactly your situation last month. After trying for weeks and getting nowhere, I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent within 20 minutes. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE that shows how it works. It was honestly the only thing that worked after I spent weeks trying to get through on my own. The agent I spoke with was able to see exactly why my back pay was held up and resolved it in one call.

The timing of your call makes a huge difference. Most people try calling first thing in the morning, but I've had better luck calling on Wednesdays around 2:30-3:00pm. The queue seems shorter then. If you keep getting the 'high call volume' message, immediately hang up and redial rather than waiting. Also, make sure you have all your claim information ready - exact weeks you're missing payments for, your claim ID number, and any determination notice dates.

anyone know if back pay issues are dealt with differently from regular payment problems? i have a friend who said back pay has to go through additional review process and thats why it takes so long to get resolved

i heard they only process backpay on fridays now is that true???

Has anyone tried reaching out to their state representative's office? I've heard they can sometimes help speed up the process.

Update: I finally got through this morning! Called exactly at 8:00am and pressed the options for existing claim and then representative. Still waited for 45 minutes on hold but finally spoke to someone who could help. Turns out there was a verification issue with my past employer that was holding everything up. She processed all my back payments and said I should see the money in 2-3 business days. So relieved!

Congrats on getting through @Haley! That's so frustrating that it was just a verification issue that could have been resolved weeks ago if you could have reached someone earlier. The system really needs to be better at communicating what's holding up claims instead of just leaving people in limbo. For anyone else still struggling - her experience confirms that calling right at 8am opening time really is the best strategy, even if you have to wait on hold afterward.