Just wanted to add that even if you get initially denied, don't give up! I was disqualified at first but won my appeal hearing. The key is having all your documentation ready and being able to clearly explain your situation to the administrative law judge.

Another thing to watch out for is if you have any side income or freelance work while collecting benefits - you need to report ALL earnings, even small amounts. I made the mistake of not reporting some cash payments from odd jobs and they found out somehow. Had to pay back weeks of benefits and got a penalty on top of it. The NYS Department of Labor is pretty thorough about cross-checking income sources, so definitely be completely honest on your weekly certifications.

So I was about to throw my phone after 3 hours on hold when my neighbor told me about Claimyr. It's this service where they wait on hold for you and then call you when they get an actual human. It was the only thing that worked after weeks of trying. claimyr.com saved my sanity and got my claim fixed.

I've been dealing with this nightmare too! After reading all these comments about Claimyr, I'm definitely going to try it. Seems like multiple people here have had success with it. @Mateo - definitely try calling at exactly 8am like @Zoe suggested first, but if that doesn't work, the Claimyr thing seems legit based on all these testimonials. The fact that so many different people are vouching for it makes me think it's not a scam. Good luck with your claim!

Most people don't qualify for SUB anyway so don't stress about it too much

I understand the frustration with navigating all these different programs! To add some clarity - SUB plans are governed by specific IRS and Department of Labor regulations, so they're pretty structured when they exist. The key thing to remember is that SUB benefits must be reported to NYS DOL when you certify for your weekly benefits, since they count as income. If your employer does have a SUB plan, they're required to provide you with documentation about it. You might also want to check if your state has any other supplemental programs - some states offer additional weeks of benefits or emergency extensions during high unemployment periods, though these would come through the regular unemployment system, not from employers.

Different claims process at different speeds depending on your employment history and reason for separation. If you were laid off from a straightforward job, approval is usually quick. If you quit, were fired, or had multiple employers, it takes longer for them to verify everything. The important thing is to keep filing your weekly claims and respond promptly to any requests for additional information.

I went through this same situation a few months ago and the waiting is definitely nerve-wracking! One thing that helped me was setting up direct deposit if you haven't already - once you're approved, payments come faster that way than waiting for debit cards or checks. Also, make sure you're checking both your my.ny.gov messages AND your physical mail regularly. Sometimes the approval letter shows up in one place before the other. In my case, I saw the approval in my online account a day before the letter arrived. Hang in there - 10 days is still within the normal timeframe, especially if you were laid off for straightforward reasons.

The whole NYS Department of Labor system is so confusing with their deadlines and hours. They should make this information clearer on their website instead of having people guess when things are due.

I totally agree with everyone about the phone system being frustrating! One tip that's helped me - try calling right at 8:00 AM when they open, or during lunch hours around 12-1 PM when call volume sometimes drops. Also, make sure you're using the correct phone number for your specific issue (they have different lines for different problems). For weekly claims, I always submit mine on Sunday evenings just to be safe since the deadline is Sunday at midnight. The my.ny.gov portal is usually pretty reliable for online filing if you can avoid the phone calls altogether.