My first unemployment payment still has not arrived - 18 weeks in

I was laid off as a security officer and filed right away, and I have been certifying every week. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. I called the state line four times and only reached a recording. Is there a step I could have missed?

Keep certifying every week even while you wait. If they find you eligible, the weeks you certified are the ones that count.