Ugh the whole system is so broken. Been waiting 3 months for my appeal hearing and still nothing. At least you're only at 6 weeks - consider yourself lucky! The NYS Department of Labor is completely overwhelmed and understaffed.

I'm going through something similar right now - been waiting 5 weeks for my adjudication to complete. What I've learned from calling (took me days to get through) is that most reviews happen because employers contest the claim or there's a discrepancy in the separation reason. The rep told me that warehouse/retail layoffs are especially scrutinized because employers sometimes claim "performance issues" instead of admitting it was a true layoff. Have you tried logging into your NY.gov account to see if there are any employer protest documents? Sometimes they show up there even if you don't get notified. Also definitely keep certifying weekly like others said - that's crucial for getting your back pay when this finally resolves.

UPDATE: I FINALLY got through!!! Used a combination of the advice here. Called the appeals number at 7:56am, mentioned the "economic hardship expedite request" specifically, and they transferred me to someone who could help! My claim was stuck because of a verification issue with my last employer. They're releasing the payments within 3-5 business days. THANK YOU all for the help - would still be stuck without these tips!

Congratulations Lucas! This gives me hope - I've been stuck in the same situation for about 6 weeks now. Going to try that exact combination tomorrow morning (appeals number at 7:56am + mentioning the hardship expedite request). Quick question - when you called the appeals number, did you immediately ask to be transferred to regular claims, or did you go through their initial questions first? Want to make sure I approach it the right way when I finally get someone on the phone.

I've been collecting NYS unemployment for about 2 months now with M&T Bank and mine consistently shows up around 4:30-5 AM every Tuesday morning. Since your claim shows as processed, you're definitely getting that money! I totally understand the rent stress - I've been in that exact same situation. One thing that saved me was setting up text alerts for deposits over my unemployment amount, so I'd wake up to a notification instead of checking my phone all night. Also, M&T shows pending deposits starting around 2 AM on Tuesday, so if you can't sleep anyway, check your "pending transactions" section - you might see it there hours before it hits your available balance. Don't beat yourself up about checking every hour, literally everyone does this their first few weeks on unemployment! NYS Department of Labor is actually pretty reliable with their Tuesday timing once you're established. If you're really cutting it close with rent tomorrow, definitely reach out to your landlord today to let them know about the Tuesday morning deposit schedule - most are way more understanding than you'd expect. Hang in there, the money is definitely coming!

I've been getting NYS unemployment for about 10 weeks now with Regions Bank and mine hits consistently between 4-5 AM every Tuesday. Since your claim shows processed, you're absolutely getting paid - that's the hardest hurdle! I completely understand the rent anxiety, I've been there multiple times myself. One thing that really helped me was calling Regions' 24/7 customer service line around 1-2 AM Tuesday morning - they could confirm pending ACH deposits from NYS Department of Labor even when nothing showed in my app yet. Also, if your bank has mobile alerts, definitely set those up for deposits over your unemployment amount so you get notified the instant it hits instead of losing sleep checking constantly. The obsessive checking is totally normal for the first month - we've all done it! NYS is actually super reliable with their Tuesday timing once you're in the system, even though everything else about unemployment feels chaotic. And definitely give your landlord a heads up today about the Tuesday morning deposit timing - I was surprised how understanding mine was about unemployment payment schedules. You're almost there, hang in there!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also laid off and considering starting freelance marketing work. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the main takeaways are: 1) Be completely transparent and report everything, 2) Keep detailed records, 3) Consider timing of business activities to maintain "availability for work" status, and 4) Look into SEAP if you want to go full-time on the business. The insider info from Lucas about the dedicated business line (1-888-581-5812) is amazing - I'm definitely calling that number instead of the main line. Has anyone here successfully transitioned from unemployment to full-time self-employment through this process? I'm curious about the long-term success stories and whether the business income eventually replaced the unemployment benefits for people.

I'm in a similar situation to many here - got laid off from my job in finance two months ago and have been thinking about starting a small bookkeeping service while collecting unemployment. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about the "availability for work" distinction that Lucas mentioned - I was only focused on the income reporting part. The fact that unpaid business activities during business hours could still affect eligibility is something I definitely need to factor in. I'm going to call that dedicated business line (1-888-581-5812) tomorrow to get official guidance before I do anything. Has anyone here had experience specifically with service-based businesses like bookkeeping or accounting while on unemployment? I'm wondering if there are any industry-specific considerations I should be aware of. Also planning to look into the SEAP program since several people mentioned it - sounds like it could be perfect for my situation if I can get accepted. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't find on the official websites!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now and this thread is a lifesaver! Got laid off from my manufacturing job two weeks ago due to "reduced production needs" (their exact words), filed for unemployment, and just got denied yesterday for "lack of work." I was so confused because I thought that was literally why unemployment exists in the first place! Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better knowing this is a widespread system error and not something I did wrong. I'm definitely going to call my former employer's HR department Monday morning to check what separation code they reported before doing anything else. It's crazy how a simple coding error can potentially leave people without income for weeks while it gets sorted out. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and practical advice - this community support is exactly what people need when dealing with such a broken bureaucratic system!

This is such a common and infuriating error with NYS DOL! I went through the exact same thing last year when I got laid off from my job at a small accounting firm due to them losing several major clients. Got denied for "lack of work" and was completely baffled since that's literally the textbook reason unemployment benefits exist. After reading through everyone's advice here, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to call your former employer's HR department FIRST before filing an appeal. In my case, HR had accidentally reported my separation as "job abandonment" instead of "layoff due to lack of work" - once I called and explained the situation, they were able to correct it with NYS DOL within 3 business days and my benefits were approved. If that doesn't work, definitely file Form IA 007.2 for an appeal, but the HR route could save you weeks of waiting. Don't let their broken system discourage you - you're absolutely entitled to these benefits and this is just a bureaucratic error that needs fixing!