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I'm in the middle of appealing one of these too and it's taking FOREVER. Filed my appeal 4 weeks ago and haven't heard anything except an automated email saying they received it. Anyone know how long these appeals are taking to process?
UPDATE: I finally got through to NYSDOL! The rep confirmed this was caused by their system prompting me to reapply early. She said they've been seeing this issue a lot since January and have a special code they're using to fix it. They removed the overpayment from my account and are restoring my original benefit amount! For anyone facing this issue - be persistent in trying to reach them and specifically mention you were prompted to reapply early by the system. Thank you all for your help and advice!
I just went through something similar! I got approved end of December but nothing came through until Valentine's Day. So frustrating! I was checking my bank account every morning hoping to see something. When I finally got through on the phone they said something about a "pending review status" that nobody told me about. The system is so broken.
I tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned above after struggling for THREE WEEKS to reach anyone. It actually worked - got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. My issue was similar - had the determination letter but no payments. Turned out they had a question about my previous employer but never bothered to tell me! Once I spoke to someone, I got all my backpay within 48 hours. The whole unemployment system seems designed to make you give up.
One more thing to try: sometimes the NYSDOL regional offices have better response times than the main call center. If you search for your county's NYSDOL office, they might have a direct line that's less swamped than the main number.
Did you ever get through to someone? My claim got approved yesterday after 4 weeks of pending. Turned out there was a flag on my account because I had worked in another state last year. But nobody bothered to TELL ME that was the issue until I finally got through to a person!
That's excellent news! This is exactly why it's crucial to regularly check the online messaging system. I'm glad you were able to identify and resolve the issue. Once the claim is approved, he should receive all backpay for the weeks he's been certifying since February. Make sure to continue certifying weekly while waiting for final approval.
Victoria Charity
One more thing about school employment and partial unemployment: make sure you're calculating your hours correctly. For teachers and some staff, NYS unemployment sometimes calculates based on your contract hours, not just in-classroom time. Also, if you're paid on a 10-month schedule but it's spread across 12 months, that can affect your benefit calculation. And yes, absolutely call your employer directly about that form. Many don't realize how time-sensitive these are for employees waiting on benefits.
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Oscar Murphy
•This is good advice. I work as a substitute teacher and found out I was calculating my hours all wrong. I was only counting classroom time but should have been including prep periods too.
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Nora Bennett
After I got through to NYSDOL using that service I mentioned, the agent told me something important: they sometimes send verification forms even when they aren't strictly necessary for your specific situation. It's part of their fraud prevention, but if your employer is consistently reporting your wages through their quarterly process, you might be able to ask NYSDOL to process your payment while waiting for the verification. Worth asking about if you can get through to someone!
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Mia Roberts
•I finally got through to NYSDOL this morning! You were right - they said my payment should process by next Tuesday even if they haven't received the form back yet. Such a relief! Thanks for all the help everyone.
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