I just wanted to chime in as someone who also struggled with this recently! One more place that helped me find my unemployment number was checking my browser's autofill history - if you've ever typed it into a form on the website, sometimes browsers save that information and you can access it through your saved form data. Also, if you've ever screenshot any pages from your unemployment account (maybe to show someone or save for your records), check your phone's photo gallery - the unemployment number might be visible in those screenshots. The whole system is definitely frustrating and poorly organized, but reading through all these helpful suggestions from everyone really shows how supportive this community is. Don't give up - with all these different places to check, you'll definitely find your number!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same issue for the past week. After reading through everyone's suggestions, I decided to check multiple places and finally found my unemployment number in three different locations: on an old payment confirmation email that was buried in my inbox, in the "View Claim Details" section of my ny.gov account (it was labeled as "UI Number"), and surprisingly on a screenshot I had taken of my account weeks ago when I was first trying to figure things out. It's honestly ridiculous that we all have to become detectives just to find our own claim information, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing all these different strategies. For anyone still searching, definitely try the mobile app suggestion and check your email spam folder - those were two places I almost missed!

I've been following this thread religiously since I'm in the exact same nightmare - claim pending for 3+ weeks and I was honestly starting to panic about rent and bills. But reading through everyone's success stories with the Wednesday 8:15am strategy has given me actual hope for the first time in weeks! What really convinced me is that multiple people mentioned reps confirming there's genuine staffing reasons behind the mid-week timing - finally feels like we're working with real intel instead of just blind luck. I'm definitely going to try this approach tomorrow morning and I've already printed out a checklist with all my info organized (claim ID, SSN, employment dates, bank details) thanks to @Keisha's brilliant suggestion. It's absolutely mind-blowing that we need to become unemployment phone system hackers just to access our own benefits, but this community has been more helpful than months of dealing with the useless official DOL channels. If the strategic calling doesn't work after giving it a proper shot, that claimyr.com service sounds like a solid backup based on all the positive experiences shared here. Thanks everyone for the genuine advice and success stories - you've literally kept me from giving up completely. Will definitely report back on how tomorrow goes! 🤞

I've been stuck in pending status for almost a month now and this thread is honestly the most helpful resource I've found anywhere! The Wednesday 8:15am strategy sounds legit based on all the success stories, especially knowing there's actual staffing reasons behind the timing rather than just luck. I'm definitely going to try this approach tomorrow morning - already set my alarm and organized all my paperwork (claim ID, SSN, employment info, etc.) into a checklist like @Keisha suggested. It's wild that we need to become phone system strategists just to get our own benefits, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share what actually works vs the useless official DOL website. If the strategic calling doesn't pan out after a few solid attempts, I'll absolutely check out that claimyr.com service that multiple people have mentioned. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get my claim moving - my landlord is already asking about next month's rent and I'm getting seriously stressed. Thanks everyone for sharing real experiences instead of generic advice. This thread has given me more hope than weeks of trying to navigate this broken system alone! Will report back on how tomorrow goes 🤞

just stop filing ur weekly claims and apply for disability thats what i did no problems

I work for a disability advocacy organization and see cases like this frequently. Since your injury is work-related, you should definitely pursue Workers' Compensation benefits through the NYS Workers' Compensation Board, not regular state disability. The key steps are: 1) Contact NYS Department of Labor immediately to report that you can no longer work and request your UI claim be suspended/closed, 2) File a Workers' Comp claim with your employer and the Board as soon as possible, and 3) Get all medical documentation from your doctor supporting that you cannot work. Don't delay on any of these steps - Workers' Comp has strict reporting deadlines and continuing to collect UI while unable to work can create serious overpayment issues. The Workers' Comp Board website has all the forms you need to get started.

thanks for asking this question, i was wondering the same thing but felt dumb asking lol

I went through this exact same confusion when I first applied! One thing that helped me was looking at my actual wage statements from employers - they usually show which quarter the wages were reported for. Also, if you worked multiple part-time jobs like you mentioned, make sure ALL your employers reported your wages correctly to NYS Department of Labor. I had one employer who was late reporting my Q2 wages and it initially looked like I had a gap in my work history. The system automatically calculates your base period once you file, but it's worth double-checking that all your wages are showing up properly in their system.

I went through this exact situation last year and writing a letter actually did help move things along! Here's what worked for me: Use the official letterhead format with your info at the top (name, address, phone, email, claim number, SSN). Address it to "NYS Department of Labor, Adjudication Unit" and include your county. In the body, reference your claim number again and clearly state "Request for Adjudication Review - Additional Documentation Enclosed." Keep it to one page, be factual not emotional, and number your attachments. I sent mine certified mail with return receipt to prove delivery. Got a response within 3 weeks and my claim was resolved shortly after. The key is being very organized and professional - they deal with so many messy cases that a well-formatted letter with clear documentation really stands out.

I actually had success with a similar approach to what Sean described, but I wanted to add a few practical tips that helped me. First, I called the main NYS DOL number and asked specifically for the mailing address for adjudication correspondence - they gave me a more direct address than what's listed online. Second, I included a brief timeline of events in my letter (like "Filed claim on X date, last contact on Y date, issue has been pending for Z weeks") which seemed to help them understand the urgency. Also, I made sure to reference any confirmation numbers or case worker names I had from previous interactions. The certified mail receipt actually came in handy because when I called later, I could reference the tracking number and delivery date to show I had submitted additional documentation. It took about 4 weeks total, but my claim did get resolved. The key really is being organized and making their job easier by presenting everything clearly. Good luck!