File ASAP! Don't wait around thinking about it. The longer you wait the longer it takes to get your first payment. And yeah like everyone said, medical absences with documentation are not misconduct under unemployment law.

I went through almost the exact same situation about a year ago - fired from a restaurant job for "excessive absences" due to chronic migraines, even with doctor's notes. I was terrified they'd deny my claim, but NYS Department of Labor approved it without any issues. The key things that helped me: 1) I was completely honest on my application about being terminated for medical absences, 2) I uploaded copies of all my medical documentation when I filed, and 3) I kept detailed records of every doctor visit and note I had provided to my employer. Your situation sounds even stronger than mine was since you have 6 months of documentation. Don't let your employer's "misconduct" label scare you - the Department of Labor makes their own determination based on the facts and the law.

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Just lost my job at a nonprofit last month and started collecting unemployment benefits of about $340/week. I was absolutely terrified about losing my Medicaid coverage since I have some ongoing health issues that require regular monitoring. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea the income limits were so reasonable or that there were so many different ways to report income changes besides trying to get through on those impossible phone lines. I'm definitely going to try the myBenefits app approach this week. The advice about keeping documentation of everything is so smart too - I can already see how important it would be to have proof of when you reported if there are any issues down the road. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences, it makes such a difference to hear from people who've actually been through this process successfully!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just got laid off from my teaching job and started receiving unemployment benefits of about $365/week. I was completely panicked about losing my Medicaid since I have type 1 diabetes and can't afford to be without health coverage even for a short time. Reading everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - I had no idea the income limits were high enough to accommodate unemployment benefits. I'm definitely going to use the myBenefits app to report my income change this week since everyone says it's so much easier than trying to call. The documentation advice is spot on too - I'm going to screenshot everything and keep detailed records. It's amazing how much less scary this whole process seems when you have real people sharing what actually worked for them. Thank you all for creating such a supportive discussion - it's exactly what I needed to read right now!

Don't stress too much about the timing - you haven't missed your chance! I went through this exact situation last year when I was laid off from my retail job. The 30-day thing your friend mentioned isn't accurate for NYS. You can file up to a year after becoming unemployed, but like others said, you only get benefits going forward from when you file. I waited about 6 weeks and kicked myself for not filing sooner. The application process on my.ny.gov is pretty straightforward - just have your employment history ready and your last employer's info. The hardest part is actually getting through to speak with someone if you need help, but the initial filing can be done online. File this week and you'll start getting benefits soon!

Hannah, you definitely haven't missed your chance! I'm a case worker who helps people navigate unemployment claims, and I can confirm what others have said - there's no strict 30-day deadline for initial filing with NYS DOL. You have up to one year to file your initial claim. However, benefits only go forward from when you file, not backward to when you lost your job, so every week you wait is money you can't recover. File immediately at my.ny.gov - you'll need your SSN, last employer's contact info, and work history for the past 18 months. Once you file, make sure to complete your weekly certifications on time. The first payment usually comes 2-3 weeks after filing if there are no issues with your claim. Don't let this delay any longer - file today!

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!

I'm currently in the same situation - submitted my wage verification documents about 2 weeks ago and still waiting. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring and nerve-wracking at the same time! The inconsistency in processing times is really frustrating. It's hard to budget and plan when you don't know if you'll get a response in 5 days or 5 weeks. I've been trying to call daily but like everyone else, just getting endless busy signals or the system drops the call after going through all the prompts. @Mohammad Khaled - that's great that you got through and they flagged your account for expedited processing! Really hoping that works out quickly for you. Please keep us posted on the timeline once it's expedited - that info would be super helpful for others in similar situations. I think I'm going to give the regular phone system one more week, and if I still can't get through, I'll probably try that Claimyr service too. At this point I just need to know my documents were actually received and there aren't any issues preventing processing. Thanks to everyone who shared the tip about continuing weekly certifications while waiting - I had no idea that was important and almost made that mistake! This community has been more helpful than the actual NY DOL website.

Hey! Just wanted to chime in as someone who literally just went through this exact process last week. That approval email is your green light - you're all set to start certifying! A couple things that really helped me: - The labor.ny.gov website can be super slow on Sunday mornings, so I ended up using the phone system (888-581-5812) which was way faster - Make sure you answer all the certification questions honestly - they ask about any work you did, income earned, etc. Even if you worked just a few hours, report it - Keep track of your certification dates! I use my phone calendar to set weekly reminders The waiting week thing threw me off too but it's pretty straightforward - you certify for that first week but don't get paid for it. Think of it like a one-week "deductible" before your benefits kick in. One more thing - if you haven't already, definitely check that your address is correct in the system. My friend had issues because his mailing address was wrong and his determination letter got sent to the wrong place. You're in the home stretch now! The approval is the hardest part to get through 👍

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago! That approval email is basically your "you're done with the hard part" notification - you can absolutely start certifying this upcoming Sunday. A few things that really saved me headaches: 1. The online system at labor.ny.gov works best if you clear your browser cache first. I had so many issues until someone told me this trick. 2. When you certify, they'll ask if you looked for work that week. During my claim period you had to say yes and list 3 job search activities, but I heard they might have changed the requirements recently. Just answer honestly based on what you actually did. 3. About the tax withholding - definitely think about this carefully! I opted to have taxes taken out (10% federal, 2.5% state) and was glad I did come tax season. But if you need every penny right now, you can always opt out and deal with taxes later. 4. The determination letter they mentioned should have your weekly benefit amount. Mine took about a week to arrive in the mail, but you don't need to wait for it to start certifying. You're basically at the finish line now! The approval email means all the review stuff is done and you just need to do your weekly check-ins to get paid. Congrats on getting through the worst part! 🙌