I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation - filed my unemployment claim 16 days ago and it's still stuck in pending status with absolutely no communication from NYS DOL. Like you, I lost my restaurant job (in Brooklyn) due to slow business and have all the proper documentation. The complete silence from the department is maddening when you're trying to plan for basic expenses. I've been filing my weekly claims religiously and checking my account constantly hoping for any update. Reading through all these responses, it seems like 2-4 weeks is unfortunately becoming the new normal, which is absolutely unacceptable when people are struggling to pay rent and buy groceries. I'm going to try calling that Telecert number at 8 AM tomorrow morning - hopefully we can both get some answers soon!

I'm in the same boat - filed my claim 12 days ago and still pending with zero updates from NYS DOL. Lost my job at a deli in Manhattan and have been stressing about bills while waiting for any kind of response. What's really getting to me is how there's no transparency about what's causing the delays or even a rough timeline. I've been reading that some people call the UI helpline at 888-209-8124 instead of the Telecert number - apparently they can sometimes give you more detailed info about what's holding up your claim. Planning to try both numbers early tomorrow morning. This whole system desperately needs better communication - even just automated status updates would help reduce the anxiety of not knowing anything.

I can definitely relate to the confusion around this status! I had "issue closed level 1" appear on my claim about 8 weeks ago and had the exact same panic reaction when I saw the word "closed." Like everyone else has mentioned, the NY DOL really needs to work on their terminology because it's so misleading. In my situation, they were reviewing my claim because I had filed in one state but worked in another, which apparently triggered an automatic review. Once that status appeared, it took about 6 business days for my backlogged certifications to switch from pending to paid. The "level 1" part is definitely a good sign - it means whatever they were reviewing was routine enough that a first-tier adjudicator could handle it without needing supervisory approval or more complex investigation. Based on all the experiences shared here, it sounds like you're in good shape and should see your payments start processing within the next week. The waiting is nerve-wracking, but this status is actually progress in the right direction!

I just wanted to chime in with my recent experience since I literally just went through this exact same thing last week! Like everyone else here, I was completely baffled when "issue closed level 1" appeared on my claim status. I actually called the DOL (after waiting on hold for over 2 hours) because I was so confused by the wording. The representative confirmed what everyone here is saying - it means the issue that was flagging my claim has been successfully resolved at the first review level. In my case, they needed to verify my reason for leaving my last job since my employer initially reported it incorrectly. Once I saw that status change, it took exactly 3 business days for my pending certifications to switch to "paid" and the money showed up in my account. It's definitely frustrating how unclear their system messaging is, but this is absolutely good news! Your payments should start processing very soon.

Been through this exact situation. The hearing was actually pretty easy - just had to explain what happened and show my layoff paperwork. The judge was fair and overturned the denial within a week of the hearing. Don't give up!

I went through something similar when I was wrongly classified as a voluntary quit instead of being laid off. The most important thing is to act quickly on that 30-day deadline for appeals. When you file, be very specific about the error - clearly state that you were involuntarily terminated due to company downsizing, not voluntary separation. Include dates, names of supervisors who conducted the layoff, and any HR documentation you have. Also, if any of your coworkers were laid off at the same time, their contact info could be helpful as witnesses. The hearing officers are usually pretty good at recognizing legitimate cases once they have the facts straight. Stay persistent and keep filing those weekly claims while you appeal!

If you're having trouble getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to ask about your specific situation, I used claimyr.com recently to actually reach an agent. They help you get through the phone lines when they're overwhelmed. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking if there's any way your consulting arrangement could qualify, especially if you had any employment mixed in.

The system is so broken!!! I know people who worked under the table for YEARS and got unemployment no problem but those of us who followed all the rules and paid our taxes properly get screwed over. Makes no sense.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation - filed my claim 5 weeks ago and it's been stuck in processing ever since. What's really frustrating is that I called the customer service line and after waiting 3 hours on hold, the agent told me my claim looks "fine" but couldn't explain why no payments have been issued. They just said to keep filing weekly and it would "work itself out eventually." That's not very reassuring when you're behind on bills! I also noticed that some of my former coworkers who filed around the same time are already receiving payments, so it seems like there's no consistency in how long these things take. Has anyone found any patterns in what causes some claims to process faster than others?

I'm in week 7 of waiting and finally got some answers by contacting my state senator's office. Their constituent services team was able to reach out directly to NYS DOL on my behalf and discovered my claim was flagged for "potential employer dispute" even though my former employer never actually disputed it - apparently it was just an automatic flag based on the reason I selected for leaving. The senator's office got it escalated to a supervisor who cleared the flag within 48 hours, and I received all my back pay the following week. I'd definitely recommend reaching out to your local representatives if you've been waiting more than 6 weeks - they have direct lines to DOL that we don't have access to as regular citizens.