Contact your state senator!!!! I spent 3 weeks calling with no luck. Finally emailed my state senator's office explaining my situation. They have a dedicated liaison with the DOL. Had a call from unemployment within 48 hours of contacting them. This is literally what your elected officials are for!

Hey Cole, I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare right now. Been laid off since January and my claim has been "under review" for 3 weeks. I've tried all the usual numbers and tricks but honestly what finally worked for me was using that Claimyr service people are mentioning. I was skeptical at first because it costs money and I'm already broke, but I figured my sanity was worth more than what they charge. Got connected to a real person in about 2 hours when I'd been trying on my own for literally weeks. The unemployment rep told me there's a massive backlog right now due to fraud prevention measures they put in place. My benefits got released 3 days after that call. Also definitely email your state senator like others suggested - that's a free option that actually works. Hang in there, the system is designed to frustrate us but don't give up!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like calling right at 8am is my best bet to get through and have them manually add my Chime account. If that doesn't work, I'll probably go with the debit card option since paper checks take forever. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - this community is so helpful when dealing with these frustrating government systems!

Just wanted to add that I had success using a local credit union account when Chime wasn't working. Opened an account at a small credit union near me and the direct deposit went through immediately with no issues. The fees were way lower than the NY debit card option too. If you can't get through to NYSDOL by phone, credit unions seem to be a solid backup plan that works with their system!

I had a similar denial overturned last year! One thing that really helped my case was getting a written statement from my former supervisor who had left the company before my termination. She was able to confirm that I had never received any formal warnings or disciplinary actions, and that the performance issues were largely due to unrealistic deadlines and insufficient training. Even if your direct supervisor isn't available, consider reaching out to HR representatives, coworkers, or anyone who can vouch for your work ethic and the circumstances of your termination. Also, when you file your appeal, be very specific about dates, times, and conversations. The more detailed documentation you can provide, the stronger your case will be. Don't let them intimidate you with legal language - you have every right to these benefits if you were terminated without just cause.

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago and successfully appealed my denial! Here's what worked for me: First, don't panic - you have 30 days to appeal and that's plenty of time to build your case. Since you mentioned you were never written up or given warnings, that's actually huge in your favor. NYS Department of Labor has to prove "willful misconduct" - not just poor performance. Make sure to emphasize in your appeal that you were trying to do your job but the expectations were unrealistic or you weren't given proper support. I also recommend calling the unemployment phone line (yes, it's a pain to get through) and asking them to walk you through exactly what your employer told them. Sometimes there are inconsistencies you can address. Keep filing your weekly claims while the appeal is pending - if you win, you'll get all that back pay. The hearing itself isn't scary - it's usually just a phone call where you get to tell your side. You've got this!

I went through this exact process about 6 months ago when my retail store closed down unexpectedly. Since you mentioned you were laid off due to store closing, that's actually one of the best-case scenarios for quick approval - there's no ambiguity about why you're unemployed. I got my first payment in 12 days, but here's what I learned: 1) File your weekly claims immediately (I made the mistake of waiting and lost my first week), 2) Upload any separation documents you have right away through the portal, and 3) Check your my.ny.gov account daily for messages. The system will show "pending" for a while which is normal. Given that rent is due in 2 weeks, you might also want to reach out to your landlord to explain the situation - many are understanding about unemployment delays. Also check if your local area has any emergency rental assistance programs while you wait. Hang in there, the waiting is the hardest part but store closures usually process pretty smoothly!

I'm also waiting on my unemployment claim after being laid off two weeks ago - this thread has been incredibly helpful! Based on what everyone is sharing, it sounds like the key is to keep filing weekly claims even while the initial application is being processed. I made the mistake of waiting and now I'm worried I missed my first week. Can you still claim a week retroactively if you missed filing it initially? Also, for those who got through to an actual agent at NYS Department of Labor, what time of day did you have the best luck calling? I've been trying the 888 number but keep getting the busy signal or getting disconnected after long holds.

I'm going through this exact nightmare right now! Been stuck seeing that technical difficulties page for 3 weeks straight. My claim has been pending for over a month and I'm starting to panic about rent next week. The most frustrating part is that when I finally got through to someone after calling literally all day, they couldn't even tell me WHY it's taking so long or give any kind of timeline. Just "it's being processed" - like that helps pay my bills! Reading through all these comments though, I'm definitely going to try the early morning login trick and maybe look into that claimyr service people are mentioning. It's ridiculous that we have to find workarounds just to access our own benefits, but I'm desperate at this point. Thanks everyone for sharing - at least I know I'm not alone in this mess!

I've been dealing with this exact same issue for the past month and it's driving me absolutely insane! That technical difficulties page is like a cruel joke at this point. I finally got through last week after calling 40+ times in one day and the rep told me my claim was "under review" but couldn't give me any specifics about what that means or how long it takes. Meanwhile I'm behind on everything and living off credit cards. I'm definitely going to try some of these suggestions - especially the early morning login trick and maybe that claimyr service. It's beyond frustrating that their "upgraded" system is somehow worse than what they had before. The fact that thousands of us are dealing with this and they just shrug it off is unacceptable. We shouldn't have to become experts in workarounds just to access benefits we've earned! Stay strong everyone - we'll get through this mess eventually. Thanks for all the tips and for making me feel less alone in this nightmare!