Write a formal hardship letter. Send it certified mail to NYSDOL Commissioner's Office. Include documentation of financial hardship (eviction notice, utility shutoff, bank statements showing $0, etc). By law they have to prioritize hardship cases. My cousin works at DOL and told me this is what actually gets claims expedited internally.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of waiting 5+ months for basic financial support you're entitled to is unimaginable. I've been following this thread and there's some really solid advice here. Based on what others have shared, I'd prioritize these steps in this order: 1) Contact your STATE SENATOR's office (not just assemblyman) - they seem to have more direct connections to DOL, 2) Send that certified hardship letter to the Commissioner's office that Maria mentioned - especially since you're facing eviction, 3) File the AG complaint that ApolloJackson suggested, and 4) Try that claimyr service to actually get through to a Tier 2 agent who can see what's really blocking your claim. Document everything with dates and names. Don't give up - you've paid into this system and deserve these benefits. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease with NY unemployment. Sending you strength! 💪

The whole system is so confusing!! Why can't they just make this stuff clear on the website instead of making us guess about every little detail.

I'm dealing with something similar right now - on workers comp for a shoulder injury but can still do computer work. What I learned is you need to be really specific with the Department of Labor about what type of work you CAN do, not just what you can't. When I registered for work search, I made sure to list all the job types that don't involve physical labor. The key is being honest about your restrictions while showing you're genuinely looking for suitable work within those limits.

side note but anytime you need to talk to NY unemployment go with claimyr.com its the only thing that actually works. otherwise you'll waste days trying to get through

Don't stress too much about this - it's actually a pretty common situation! I had something similar happen where I forgot to include a part-time job from my base period. The key is being proactive about fixing it rather than hoping it won't be discovered. Here's what worked for me: I called the unemployment office first thing in the morning (around 8:05 AM) on a Wednesday and actually got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep was understanding when I explained it was an honest oversight and helped me add the missing employer to my claim. They did have to recalculate my benefits, but since it was a relatively small amount ($3,400 over 3 months like yours), it didn't significantly change my weekly benefit rate. I had to repay about $200 in benefits that I technically wasn't entitled to, but there were no penalties since I self-reported the issue. The important thing is to have all your info ready when you call: the employer's name, address, your dates of employment, and total wages earned. Be upfront that you genuinely forgot to include this job when you filed your original claim. One thing that helped me was keeping a log of when I called and getting reference numbers for my calls. It shows you're making a good faith effort to resolve the issue. Good luck getting through - persistence is key with the NY unemployment phone system!

I've been through this exact same situation! What really helped me was setting up text alerts through my bank app so I get notified the moment any deposit hits my account, even if it's pending. Also, I learned that if you have a same-day certification deadline (like if you missed your usual day), the NYS Department of Labor processes those payments on a different schedule - usually takes an extra 1-2 days. Since you mentioned bills due tomorrow, you might want to check if your bank offers any overdraft protection or if you can move the due date by a day or two. The money will definitely come, it's just the timing that's unpredictable between DOL and the banks.

I've noticed the same pattern with my deposits! One thing that really helped me track the timing was keeping a simple log of when I certify versus when I actually see the money. After a few months, I realized my bank (KeyBank) consistently takes exactly 3 business days from when NYS Department of Labor shows "paid" status. So now I just plan around that schedule instead of stressing about it. Also, if you're really tight on cash, some banks will give you provisional credit for regular direct deposits like unemployment - worth asking about if this becomes a recurring issue with bill timing.

I'm dealing with a similar back issue from my job at a fulfillment center. One thing my worker's comp attorney mentioned is that you might also want to look into whether you qualify for temporary disability benefits through your state disability insurance (SDI) - it's different from Social Security disability and can sometimes bridge the gap. The payments are usually less than unemployment but the approval process is faster than SSDI. Also, if your injury is work-related, make sure you've filed a worker's comp claim too - those benefits can sometimes run alongside other programs. The whole system is definitely confusing, but documenting everything with your doctors is key regardless of which path you choose.

I just went through this exact situation last year with a rotator cuff injury from my delivery job. Here's what I learned the hard way - New York actually does NOT have state disability insurance (SDI) like California or New Jersey. We only have the federal SSDI option which takes forever. However, you absolutely should file for worker's comp if your back injury happened at work - that's completely separate and you can potentially collect worker's comp while on unemployment in certain situations. The key is getting proper medical documentation NOW. I made the mistake of waiting too long to see specialists and it hurt both my unemployment case (when I couldn't meet work search requirements) and my eventual disability claim. Get an MRI and physical therapy evaluations ASAP. Also, keep detailed records of how your pain affects daily activities - this documentation will be crucial for any disability application later. My advice? Stick with unemployment as long as you can honestly say you're able to work some jobs, but start building your medical case now in case you need to transition to disability benefits down the road.