One thing many readers have been complaining about when it comes to getting help or information on their pending Unemployment Insurance (UI) payment or retroactive benefits claim is finding a number to call so that they can get through to someone they can speak to.
This has been acutely felt with the recently ended unemployment extensions for claimants who have to provide a lot more documentation to justify their claim. With state agencies focusing resources on updating IT systems and processing back payments related to the various UI program extensions, they have little time to take calls and actively help those desperately looking for help with their claims and wondering when they will start getting paid.
That’s why most agencies are directing people to their state website or social media channels to get more information. But a lot of time that information is generic and not helpful for most people with issues specific to their claim. So with that in mind here state UI agency contact numbers and some tips and tricks to get through to a live person.
If you have any questions or numbers/approaches that have worked for you please leave a comment below. This may help others or hopefully gets you more information on your issue.
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Jump to your State (more coming soon)
California (CA) EDD Contact Numbers
You can see the regularly updated CA resource page for more information and reader comments on dealing with the CA EDD, but here are the best contact numbers for help with your UI Claim
Visit Ask EDD unemployment benefits page to request to backdate your claim if you think it has the wrong start date. Then select Claim Questions and then Backdate the Effective Date of my UI Claim Due to COVID-19.
General UI questions and technical help with registration, password resets, EDD Account Numbers, and how to use UI Online: 1-833-978-2511 (English and Spanish). Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days per week.
Note: EDD representatives answering general questions will not have access to your claim or payment information. To get specific claim support or information call the following numbers between 8 a.m. to 12 noon (Pacific time), Monday through Friday: For English: 1-800-300-5616; For Spanish: 1-800-326-8937
Automated phone line to certify: English: 1-866-333-4606; Spanish: 1-866-333-4606
New York (NY) Unemployment Number
Here are the best contact numbers and tips to get in touch a live agent at the NY DOL. See the New York Department of Labor (DOL) resource page for more information and reader comments.
- New Claim: 1-888-209-8124. This is the Telephone Claims Center (TCC). Open from Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM & Saturday and Sunday 7:30 AM – 8:00 PM
- Pending Claims: 1-800-833-3000
- Weekly Certification: 1-888-581-5812 (for regular UI) or 1-833-324-0366 (for PUA).. PLEASE NOTE: PUA recipients need to certify weekly. Regular UI should be certified online or when requested by the DOL
- For NY.gov assistance or other website issues call 800-833-3000.
You must call This number here (833)-491-0632 (NY DOL LWA Certification) As I did and only found out through friends that they were receiving their $300 in Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) benefits and I wasn’t. Nor did I ever receive an email from the Dept.of labor(unemployment). Once you call this automated number and answer the (1 or 2 I forget how many exactly) question(s) you will receive your money In a matter of days literally. Please be patient, and LISTEN to all of the Question/options BEFORE answering!! GOOD LUCK (Bridgette from NY)
Like all major state UI agencies the NY DOL is currently experiencing high call volumes, so if you can get through to an agent and their website is not useful consider contacting them via their social media sites (e.g twitter) which seem to have the new updates posted regularly. Or follow me on twitter where I retweet pertinent updates.
Florida (FL) Unemployment Number
You can see the regularly updated FL resource page for more information and reader comments on dealing with the FL DEO, but here are the best contact numbers for help with your UI Claim
- Reemployment Assistance Hotline for UI Claims – 1-833-FL-APPLY (1-833-352-7759 and choose option 5). The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Saturday and Sunday 8 AM to 5 PM ET.
- You may be eligible to modify the date of your claim to the date you originally attempted to apply for Reemployment Assistance only if you were unable to file a claim between the weeks of March 9, 2020 to April 9, 2020.
- Check your account information in CONNECT is up-to-date and accurate. Connect is the online portal for managing your DEO UI account is will be available from 8 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. daily, Monday – Friday (maintenance and processsing takes place over the weekend).
| Business Area | FAQ | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claims and Benefits | FAQ | Reemployment Assistance Contact Form | 1-800-204-2418 |
| Appeals – Clerks Office | FAQ | Appeals Email | 1-800-204-2418 |
| Appeals Commission | FAQ | Appeals Commission Email | (850) 487-2685 |
| Employer Information | FAQ | Reemployment Assistance Contact Form | 1-877-846-8770 |
You have to call 1-800-204-2418 option 5. Tell the representative your issue. They will send an email to the proper department. Make sure they send it and not give you the email address and tell you to send it. I was told to send it myself and 2 weeks later I called back and was told not proper process. FYI, I’ve been waiting 5 weeks for one of my checks I never received. Told it could be from 4- 10 weeks to receive.
You can also try and use the new use the new CHAT feature on FloridaJobs.org. But many readers have said this is still a bit buggy and for general questions only.
Texas (TX) Unemployment Number
Here are the best contact numbers and tips to get in touch a live agent at the TX TWC. See the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) resource page for more information and reader comments.
Claim status and payment request options are available daily, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m (CT). General information is available anytime. Call: 800-558-8321
Tele-Center Phone Number: 800-939-6631; Business hours are now Sunday – Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time.
Other Contact Options:
| your appeal of a TWC decision? | Email the Appeals Department ([email protected]). |
| TWC customer service or for complex claim issues: | Email Customer Relations ([email protected]) or call 512-463-2236. |
Pennsylvania (PA) Unemployment Number
Here are the best contact numbers and tips to get in touch a live agent at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I). See the PA resource page for more information and reader comments.
- UC Live Chat – Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- UC Customer Service Line: 888-313-7284
- PUA Customer Service Line: 855-284-8545; Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m
Request Backdating
If you are looking to have the effective date of your claim earlier than the week in which you opened your claim, you can call the PUA Call Center at 855-284-8545 OR you can send an email request to [email protected]. In the Subject line of the email, indicate BACK DATE REQUEST and in the body please indicate exactly when and how COVID affected your employment or self-employment and which weeks you wish to claim. The effect of COVID-19 on your employment must be due to one of the COVID-19 related reasons in the CARES Act for PUA eligibility.
New Jersey (NJ) Unemployment Number
Here are the best contact numbers and tips to get in touch a live agent at the NJ Division of Unemployment Insurance Labor and Workforce Development (LWD). See the resource page on this site for more information and reader comments.
Questions about your claim
- North New Jersey: 201-601-4100
- Central New Jersey: 732-761-2020
- South New Jersey: 856-507-2340
Illionis (IL) Department of Employment Security (IDES) Contact Numbers
Call IDES Customer Service Center at 800-244-5631 for questions around your claim. You can also call this number it you were unable to file your claim because of capacity or system limitations or to discuss backdating your claim with a representative. See others experiences at the IDES forum page.
To certify for Unemployment Insurance benefits, click here or call Tele-Serve at 312-338-4337 Monday – Friday 3:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Georgia (GA) Department of Labor (GDOL) Contact Numbers
Its hard to get a hold of a live agent at the GDOL, and they strongly encourage you to use their online portal, but their UI customer service can be reached via 404-232-3001 or 877-709-8185. They also have a general number at 404-232-3990 per their official service directory. For more on the various comments and hundreds of comments around challenges with filing and get paid see the GA UI Forum page.
Virginia (VA) VEC Contact Numbers
Delayed payments by the VEC due to reinstated work search requirements has been a primary cause of payment delays for many Virginians. To get help you can see the following contact numbers from the VEC Customer Contact Center at 1-866-832-2363. This is available from 8:15am to 4:30pm, Monday – Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday.
You can also call their claims info line – 800-897-5630 – to get the status of your claim and file an appeal. You can use their automated chat bot (via main VEC website) to get started in off peak or non-working VEC hours. This can get you going in the right direction faster than via the phone service.
VEC Constituents Inquiry Form for those who want to get help from their local representative on UI Payment issues. Fill in the fields on the form with your details and focus on the specific pitfalls needing to be fixed. Don’t use as a complaint form.
Virginia Workforce Connection – It is mandatory to register when you first file for UI; Mandatory to upload existing or new resume for job searching. If you don’t do this your work search requirement could be impacted and your payment could be delayed.
VA Work Search Requirements (required from June 1st) – you must actively make at least two job contacts each week and report the details online or over the phone: For regular UI claimants, online at www.getgov2go.com or over the phone at 800-897-5630; For PUA claimants, you must call 866-832-2363 and follow the prompts to file your weekly claim
I have been waiting for Colorado to issue payment for my pua claim for over 2 years n ow I’ve done I’d me everything still Nothing.
I found a claim February 2021 I reopened a brand new claim I filed every single week until June 16th when I finally got a job and I had a hearing because I voluntarily quit my job up in Pennsylvania and moved to Tennessee so I had a hearing I won that hearing and of course I didn’t understand the paperwork and I end up falling and appeal on myself waited 7 months finally getting an answer saying they appeal that I filed was dismissed and that I was actually granted my unemployment now I’ve been trying to get a hold of an unemployment specialist in Pennsylvania and of course all I get is the subcontractors and you get a damn ticket now I’ve been waiting months and months I got bills out the butt I paid into my unemployment like everyone else did plus they owe me the $300 on top of everything for each week so what in the heck are you supposed to do who do you get a hold of Governor wolf I need to talk to unemployment specialist that actually works for unemployment not a subcontractor
For NYC– don’t waste your time trying to call 200000 times.. Contact your assembly member / council member / senator’s office – you can just look up online who it is. I even wrote to the wrong person the first time and they helped direct me anyway! You can call but what I did was SEND AN EMAIL so they have a record of you. Just EMAIL so you don’t have to spend more time on the phone. They’ll email or call you back. I was told by the unemployment person who CALLED ME (!!!) today that doing this jumps you up in the queue/flags your claim. I put my claim in at the beginning of Oct and it got totally STUCK, even after my past employer put in the info that was requested– couldn’t get through whatsoever on the phone and was freaking out everyday. But after reaching out to those folks within a week my claim has MOVED and been approved. Don’t just sit there calling the unemployment #!! GOOD LUCK AND DON’T GIVE UP!!!
Going on 6 months on pending in FL never have I spoke to anyone only auto message call volume is to high then hung up on I worked for many years thru pandemic time payed all my fn taxes then in may I had a massive stroke lost function in my left side and couldn’t work any longer .I wish I could work. Will there ever be a competent system that works for the people . When will there be people to actually work on your cases n pay what I’m owed fn 6 months about to be homeless
Any delaware info they keep saying it’s pua and they have to bubble it to them out now pua is gone so why aren’t our states paying now at the lowered rate !?
I stopped receiving my benefits since last year on Nov 21 2020 it is now Oct 8 2021 and still no benefits every time I call they say my claim is under review, I have no pending appeals or anything my ID has been verified.. they keep putting in escalations which they tell me to wait up to 4 to 8 weeks once I do that and the time has passed I try to claim and nothing then they put in another escalation.. I am getting really frustrated I have bills that need to be paid I’m in jeopardy of losing my apartment and it seems like they don’t even care
I am in the exact same predicament and it’s so sad and unfair. They are more concerned about pua claimants ( which is easy to fraud) .ore than people who have actually WORKED all if their lives. They are probably laughing at us. Karma will get them!
I finally gave up trying to reach UI and contacted my assembly person. I was helped immediately by their assistant via email and within less than 2 weeks had my UI claim resolved. I really recommend it. State agency’s hate hearing from elected officials no matter the political party.
YES!! Totally agree, same happened with me!! Don’t spend time calling that same # 2000000 times…
I am in Florida and 2 weeks ago after signing up with the new ID program my account was listed as suspended…one week went through and went back for 2nd week and the suspended” message was there and no way to apply for further benefits..calling the 800 numbers are not working(busy)at this time..
I am looking for others with this issue in Florida..TIA