I just went through this exact same situation a few weeks ago! One thing that really helped me was checking if there's a "Summary" or "Account Overview" section in your my.ny.gov portal - sometimes it shows your last payment date right on the main dashboard without having to dig through all the payment history details. Also, if you received direct deposit, the payment date in your NYS account should match pretty closely to when it actually showed up in your bank account (usually 1-2 business days later). For tax purposes, definitely use the "Date Paid" field as others mentioned - that's the date the IRS cares about, not when you certified for that particular week.

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this headache too! If the my.ny.gov site is acting up (which it does A LOT), you can also try accessing your unemployment info through the mobile app - sometimes it loads better than the desktop version. Also, pro tip: if you need this info quickly for tax deadlines, your tax preparer might be able to help you interpret the payment history if you can at least get to that section. Mine helped me figure out which of all those confusing dates was actually the right one to use. And definitely keep a screenshot or download of whatever you find - the NYS system has a habit of going down right when you need it most!

I just went through this process last month after getting laid off from my marketing job in Manhattan. The 2-3 week timeline everyone mentioned is pretty accurate - mine took exactly 18 days from filing to first payment. One thing that really helped me was downloading the NY.gov mobile app instead of just using the website - I found it updated faster and was easier to navigate when checking my claim status. Also, since you mentioned rent stress, I'd recommend reaching out to 311 about emergency assistance programs. They connected me with a few resources that helped bridge the gap while waiting for benefits. The worst part is definitely that first waiting period, but once the payments start they're pretty consistent. Make sure you have your bank account info ready for direct deposit - it speeds things up significantly once you're approved!

Just wanted to add my recent experience to help ease some anxiety here - I filed my unemployment claim in early April after getting laid off from my finance job in Midtown. It took exactly 19 days to get my first payment, which aligns with what others are saying about the 2-3 week timeline. A couple things that helped me during the waiting period: 1) I called my utility companies to explain the situation and they were surprisingly understanding about extending due dates, 2) Many NYC food pantries don't require proof of income status and can help stretch your grocery budget while waiting, and 3) I set up account alerts for both my bank and the NY.gov site so I wasn't constantly checking manually. The hardest part is definitely the uncertainty, but based on what you've shared about your work history, your claim sounds very straightforward. Restaurant workers have been hit hard and the system recognizes this. Try to focus on things you can control (weekly certifications, having all your paperwork ready) rather than refreshing that status page constantly!

Just went through this myself. Pro tip: when you print your payment history from my.ny.gov, also print out your original determination letter that shows your weekly benefit amount. Having both documents together makes it look more official and complete.

Another option is to ask the landlord if they'll accept a screenshot or printout of your unemployment debit card transaction history. If you get your benefits loaded onto a KeyBank debit card, those transactions show up like direct deposits with dates and amounts. Some landlords find this easier to understand than the official DOL payment history since it looks more like regular bank statements they're used to seeing.

I'm in the exact same boat right now - submitted my wage documents about 6 days ago and the waiting is killing me! This thread has been super helpful though, so thank you everyone for sharing your experiences. @Mohammad Khaled - really hoping the expedited processing works out for you! Please keep us updated on how long it takes once they flagged your account. That could be really valuable info for the rest of us. One thing I learned from reading through all these responses is that I need to keep certifying weekly while waiting (thanks @Alina Rosenthal for that tip!). I almost made the same mistake of stopping my weekly certifications. The inconsistency in processing times is so stressful when you're depending on this money for rent and groceries. Some people get it in 5 days, others wait 5 weeks - there's got to be a better way to handle this system. But I guess for now we just have to work within what we've got. Going to try calling again today, but if that doesn't work I might also look into that Claimyr service. At least now I know what questions to ask if I do get through to an agent.

I'm also waiting on wage document verification right now - submitted mine about 8 days ago. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful to read through, so thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! The range of processing times people are reporting (5 days to 5+ weeks) is honestly pretty scary when you're relying on these benefits to pay bills. I've been calling daily but like most others here, just getting busy signals or the system hanging up after going through all the menus. @Mohammad Khaled - really glad you were able to get through and get your case flagged for expedited processing! That's encouraging to know they can actually do that for hardship situations. Definitely keep us updated on how quickly it moves once it's expedited. I think I'm going to give it until early next week and if I still can't get through the regular phone system, I'll probably try that Claimyr service too. At this point I just need to know my documents were received properly and there aren't any issues holding things up. Also thanks to everyone who mentioned continuing to certify weekly while waiting - I had no idea that was important and almost stopped doing it thinking I should wait for document approval first!

This thread is so helpful! I'm dealing with something similar - filed my claim 10 days ago and keep getting the "unable to process your request" error when trying to certify. The rep told me to claim last Sunday but nothing worked. Reading everyone's experiences here is really reassuring - sounds like this is just how the NY system works unfortunately. I'm going to wait another week before calling again, but that Claimyr service sounds like it could save me hours of being on hold if I do need to call. Quick question for those who've been through this - when your claim finally got approved and you could certify, did you have to certify for each missed week individually or did the system let you do them all at once? Just trying to prepare for when mine hopefully gets processed!

I'm experiencing the exact same issue right now! Filed my claim about 10 days ago and the rep told me to start claiming this past Sunday, but I keep getting error messages when I try to certify. It's so frustrating because you follow their instructions exactly and then the system just blocks you. Reading through all these comments has been incredibly helpful though - it sounds like this is unfortunately just a common glitch in how NY processes new claims. The disconnect between what the phone reps tell you and what the computer system actually allows seems to be a recurring theme. I'm going to wait another week before trying to call again, but I might look into that Claimyr service if the wait times are still crazy long. The fact that everyone who went through this eventually got their backpay once the claim was fully processed is really reassuring. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know this is normal and not something I messed up during my application!