Sometimes I wonder if they do this on PURPOSE to mess with us... like why can't they just tell us exactly when the money will hit instead of this vague 'released for payment' nonsense. We're already stressed enough dealing with being unemployed!

I've been claiming for about 6 months now and the timing has been pretty consistent - usually hits my account on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning when I certify on Monday. But I've noticed that if there's a federal holiday during the week, it can push everything back by a day. Also, double-check that your direct deposit info hasn't changed in the system - I had a friend whose payments got delayed because her bank updated their routing number and she had to update it with NYS DOL.

This is exactly why I keep detailed records of everything. Screenshot your payment history page and note the date it changed to 'paid' status. If you have to file a payment trace later, you'll need that documentation.

I had this exact same issue a few months ago! NYS Department of Labor showed "paid" for over a week but no deposit. After calling my bank and confirming everything was fine on their end, I had to contact NYS DOL directly. The payment had actually gotten stuck in their system somehow and they had to manually release it. It's definitely frustrating but don't panic yet - give your bank a call first like others suggested, then if that doesn't resolve it, you'll need to reach out to NYS DOL for a payment investigation.

oh wow 5 weeks is crazy long! mine was approved like 3 days after my interview but that was back in march so maybe they're slower now?

I went through this exact same process a few months ago - had my phone interview on a Thursday and got my approval notice the following Tuesday. The interviewer told me the same thing about everything looking good, and fortunately it was! One thing that helped my anxiety during the wait was checking my online account every couple days rather than obsessively refreshing it daily. The status will change from "adjudication in progress" to either "approved" or they'll request more information. Since your interviewer seemed satisfied, I'd say you're in good shape. Hang in there - 5 weeks is definitely on the longer side but not unheard of, especially if they're backed up.

just put ur ssn in there and move on, its not that complicated

I went through this exact same process a few months ago and can confirm it's definitely your Social Security Number. The NY Department of Labor uses your SSN to pull up your wage history from all your previous employers - that's how they calculate your benefit amount. Just enter the 9 digits with no dashes or spaces. Don't stress about it, you've got this! The rest of the application process is pretty straightforward once you get past that first screen.

my cousin got laid off last month and honestly she seems happier job hunting than she was at her toxic workplace. maybe thats what they mean about some unemployment being ok?

This is fascinating - I never realized there was a distinction between "full employment" and 0% unemployment. @Laura Lopez thanks for explaining that full employment just means people can find work in a reasonable time frame. It makes me wonder though - how does NYS Department of Labor measure whether we're at that "healthy" unemployment level? Do they have specific metrics they track beyond just the basic unemployment rate? And for those of us dealing with claim processing delays, is there any way to know if our situation is factored into these economic calculations, or are we just statistics in a different category?