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Update: I filed my weekly claim today and reported my first week of work. The system let me file and it looks like I'll still get some benefits even though I'm working. Thanks everyone for the advice about not stopping my claim completely!
Congratulations on the new job! Just wanted to add that you should also keep all your pay stubs and track your exact work hours each week. NYS Department of Labor sometimes audits claims and having good records makes everything smoother. Also, if your part-time job ever ends or your hours get reduced, you'll already have an active claim and won't have to go through the whole application process again. The partial benefits system is actually pretty helpful for people in situations like yours where you're working your way back to full-time employment.
This is really helpful advice! I didn't think about keeping detailed records but that makes total sense. Quick question - when you say track exact work hours, do you mean just for my own records or do I need to report specific hours worked on the weekly claim? I've been reporting my gross earnings but wasn't sure if they also want to know the actual number of hours.
Just went through this exact situation last month! Got let go during my 90-day probation at a retail job and was able to reopen my claim no problem. The key things that helped me: 1. I stopped certifying the week I started work (super important!) 2. When I got terminated, I immediately went online and reopened my claim 3. Had to do a phone interview where they asked about why I was let go - just be honest 4. They asked for my start/end dates and final pay info Since it was just "not a good fit" and not misconduct, they approved me to continue with my remaining benefits. The whole process took about 2 weeks from reopening to getting my first payment back. Pro tip: if you need to talk to someone, don't waste time calling - use one of those callback services. Worth every penny to avoid the hold times!
Been in a similar spot before - the good news is you can definitely return to your remaining benefits if things don't work out during probation. Just make sure you're documenting everything from day one at the new job (emails, performance feedback, etc.) in case you need it later. And definitely stop certifying for benefits the moment you start working! That's crucial. If you do get let go, you can reopen your claim online pretty easily as long as it wasn't for misconduct. The probation period thing actually works in your favor since most terminations during that time are just "not a good fit" rather than misconduct.
This is really good advice! The documentation part is so important - I wish someone had told me that when I started my last job. Also curious about the timing - how long did it take for your benefits to kick back in after you reopened? I'm starting a new position next week and want to be prepared just in case 😅
I'm new to this community and unfortunately here because I'm dealing with my own NY unemployment pending nightmare - currently on week 2 and getting really stressed about it. Reading through this entire thread has been both incredibly reassuring (knowing I'm not alone) and absolutely infuriating (seeing how broken this system is). @d3285d7b0217 huge congratulations on finally getting through and getting your situation resolved! Your detailed documentation throughout this whole process is invaluable for the rest of us still stuck in pending hell. That 7:30am calling strategy is brilliant and I'm definitely setting my alarm to try it tomorrow morning. It's completely absurd that you got flagged just for using a tablet - like we're living in 2025 and they expect us to only access our benefits from one computer for eternity? The total lack of communication from NYSDOL is what makes this whole situation so cruel. They just cut off your financial lifeline without any explanation while you're already dealing with the stress of unemployment. I've been religiously keeping up with my weekly certifications thankfully, and everyone's advice here confirms that's absolutely critical for getting backpay. This community support means everything when the official system completely abandons us. Will definitely update if I have any luck with that early morning call strategy - fingers crossed!
Welcome to the community and I'm so sorry you're going through this stressful situation! Week 2 is definitely anxiety-inducing but you're still in the earlier stages compared to some of the longer cases we've seen here. The 7:30am calling strategy that worked for @d3285d7b0217 really does seem to be the most effective approach - that early morning timing appears to be when you have the best shot at getting through before the phone lines get completely overwhelmed. You're absolutely doing the right thing by continuing those weekly certifications during the pending period - that's going to be crucial for ensuring you get all your backpay once this nightmare gets resolved. The device flagging issue is beyond ridiculous - their fraud detection system is clearly way too aggressive and catching legitimate users while probably missing actual fraudsters. Keep taking those screenshots and documenting everything just in case you need proof later. This community has been amazing for sharing both practical strategies and emotional support through this broken system. We're all rooting for you to get through with that early morning call tomorrow - definitely update us on how it goes! Your persistence will pay off just like it did for others here.
I'm completely new to this community and unfortunately here because I'm dealing with my own NY unemployment pending nightmare - just started week 1 but already feeling anxious after reading everyone's experiences here. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! @d3285d7b0217 huge congratulations on finally breaking through and getting your situation resolved - your detailed updates give me so much hope that persistence really does pay off. That 7:30am calling strategy seems to be the absolute key based on all these success stories. I can't believe you got flagged just for using a tablet - that's completely ridiculous in 2025! It's like their system expects us to be chained to one computer forever. The total lack of communication from NYSDOL is what makes this whole situation so much more stressful than it needs to be. They just cut people off financially without any explanation while we're already dealing with job loss anxiety. I've been keeping up with my weekly certifications and started taking screenshots of everything after reading all the great advice here. It's both comforting and terrifying to see how widespread this problem is - clearly their fraud detection system needs a complete overhaul if it's flagging legitimate users for basic activities like accessing benefits from different devices. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and practical strategies - this community support is invaluable when navigating such a broken system!
I'm on day 1 of waiting and was already starting to get nervous about the "pending" status, but reading through this entire thread has been absolutely amazing for setting proper expectations! I had no idea that 2-6 weeks was completely normal processing time - I was thinking I'd hear something within a day or two and was starting to worry when I logged in this morning and just saw "pending." It's incredible how much stress and anxiety NYS DOL could prevent by simply explaining upfront that adjudication typically takes several weeks and that employer verification is a routine part of the process, not a red flag. This thread has taught me more about the unemployment process in 20 minutes than I could find anywhere on their official website! I'm definitely bookmarking this conversation and will try the 8am calling strategy if I need updates later on. Thank you to everyone who's shared their timelines and experiences - you've created exactly the kind of support and transparency that should have been provided from the beginning. It's such a relief to know that "pending" just means they're working on it, not that something went wrong with my application!
You're so lucky to have found this thread on day 1! I'm currently on day 15 and wish I had stumbled across all this information earlier - it would have saved me so many sleepless nights worrying that something was wrong with my claim. This community has honestly been more helpful than any official resource from NYS DOL. The fact that you already understand that "pending" is normal and that 2-6 weeks is the actual timeline puts you in such a better mental space than most of us were at the beginning. I was convinced I'd been denied by day 3! Definitely keep checking back here for updates from everyone, and don't hesitate to use that 8am calling tip if you want more specific information about your claim status later on. You've got the right mindset going into this process!
I'm on day 6 of waiting and this thread has been absolutely incredible for my peace of mind! I was starting to panic that my "pending" status meant I'd been denied or that I somehow messed up my application. Reading everyone's experiences here has taught me so much more about the actual process than anything on the NYS DOL website. It's really reassuring to learn that 2-6 weeks is completely normal, especially when employer verification is involved. The lack of communication from NYS DOL about realistic timelines is honestly shocking - they could save so many people from unnecessary anxiety by just explaining that adjudication takes time. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy that everyone keeps mentioning if I need updates later on. Thank you to everyone who's shared their timelines and outcomes - you've created the support system that should have existed from day one! For anyone else in those first week or two and starting to worry like I was, just know that "pending" is actually a good sign that they're still working on your claim.
Charlee Coleman
I'm on day 3 of "under review" status and honestly this thread is exactly what I needed to find right now! Just filed my claim after getting laid off from my teaching assistant position and seeing that message appear with absolutely zero context had me spiraling thinking I must have filled something out wrong. It's really disappointing how the NYS DOL website gives you no clue what "under review" actually means - this discussion has been way more informative than anything on their official site! Reading everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief to understand that this adjudication process is completely normal for all new claims, not some red flag that I screwed up my application. Going to start doing my weekly certifications today based on all the advice here, even though it feels strange doing them when you don't know if you're even approved yet. Education sector layoffs have been really tough this year, so it helps to know I'm not alone in this situation. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines - gives me realistic expectations that this could take 1-3 weeks and that's totally normal!
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Dmitry Petrov
I'm currently on day 7 of "under review" status and this thread has been such a godsend for my peace of mind! Filed my claim after being laid off from my customer service job at a local bank and like so many others here, I was completely freaking out thinking I had somehow messed up my application when that vague status appeared. The NYS DOL website is absolutely terrible at explaining what any of their status messages mean - it's honestly inexcusable how they leave people in the dark during such a stressful time. Reading through all these experiences has been infinitely more helpful than anything I could find on their official resources. I had absolutely no idea that adjudication was a standard verification process for ALL new unemployment claims - if I had known that from the start, it would have saved me days of unnecessary anxiety! I've been doing my weekly certifications since reading the advice here, even though it definitely feels weird certifying when you're still waiting to find out if you're even eligible. But based on everyone's shared experiences, it sounds like keeping up with those is crucial for protecting your benefit weeks once the review is complete. It's so reassuring to see that most people do eventually get approved and that 1-3 weeks is typical processing time. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their stories and timelines - this community support has been invaluable for understanding that this waiting period is just part of their normal process, not a sign that something went wrong!
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