I'm also going through this exact same waiting period right now! Filed my claim about 11 days ago and have been obsessively refreshing my my.ny.gov account hoping to see some update from that dreaded "claim under review" status. Finding this thread has been such a lifesaver - I honestly had no idea that 2-3 weeks was completely normal processing time even for straightforward cases. Like so many others here, I was also laid off due to company downsizing and this is my first time ever filing for unemployment, so I've been convinced I must have made some error on my application. Reading through everyone's shared experiences has completely shifted my perspective from panic mode to understanding that this waiting period is just part of how the system works. The informed delivery tip that keeps getting mentioned throughout this thread is absolutely genius - just signed up for that so I'll at least have some advance notice when that determination letter is finally on its way! It's incredible how much better it feels knowing we're all going through this same nerve-wracking experience together. Thanks for posting this question - you've created such a supportive space for first-time filers like us who had no clue what timeline to expect. Going to try really hard to limit myself to checking once per day instead of my current habit of refreshing multiple times daily!

I'm also in the waiting phase - filed my claim about a week and a half ago and have been checking my account daily! This thread has been so helpful to discover. Like everyone else here, this is my first time filing for unemployment and I was starting to wonder if I'd done something wrong since I hadn't heard anything yet. I was also laid off due to company downsizing, so it's really reassuring to see so many of us in similar clear-cut situations. Reading all these shared experiences has really put things in perspective - I went from thinking there was an issue with my application to understanding that 2-3 weeks is completely standard processing time. Just signed up for informed delivery based on all the great recommendations here! It's amazing how much this community has helped ease the anxiety of not knowing what timeline to expect. Thanks for creating this thread - it's been such a relief to know we're all going through this same waiting period together. Going to try to be more patient and trust the process now that I know this is totally normal!

I'm literally going through this EXACT same situation right now! Filed in late December and have been stuck with $0.00 amounts for weeks while getting those weekly recertification emails. I was honestly starting to think my claim got denied or I messed something up with my application. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea so many people were experiencing this identical issue! Reading through everyone's stories about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they process claims has given me so much relief. I've been certifying every single week even though it felt completely pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is seeing so many people share that they eventually got approved with full backpay after weeks or even months of seeing nothing but zeros. The automated recertification emails make so much more sense now knowing they're not actually tied to your real claim status. I'm definitely going to try that 7:30am calling strategy everyone keeps mentioning if nothing changes soon. The regular phone system is absolutely impossible - I've probably called 50+ times during normal hours and never gotten through to an actual person. That claimyr service sounds tempting too if this drags on much longer. Thanks so much for posting this question @Sienna Gomez - you've helped literally dozens of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment waiting game! The system is clearly ancient and broken, but knowing this is completely "normal" makes the endless waiting so much more bearable. Keep certifying everyone and fingers crossed we all see some positive movement on our claims soon! 🤞

I'm in literally the EXACT same situation right now! Filed my claim in early January and have been stuck with those $0.00 amounts for weeks while getting the weekly recertification emails. I was honestly starting to panic thinking I got denied or screwed up my application somehow. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had absolutely no idea this was such a common experience! Reading through everyone's stories about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they work through processing has given me so much relief. I've been religiously certifying every single week even though it felt totally pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is seeing so many people say they eventually got approved with full backpay after weeks or even months of seeing nothing but zeros. The fact that those recertification emails are just automated and don't actually reflect your real claim status makes perfect sense now - no wonder this whole process is so confusing! I'm definitely going to try that 7:30am calling strategy everyone keeps mentioning if nothing changes in the next couple weeks. The regular phone lines are absolutely brutal - I've probably called 40+ times during normal business hours and have never once gotten through to an actual human. That claimyr service sounds worth considering too if this drags on much longer. Thanks so much for posting this question @Sienna Gomez - you've literally helped dozens of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment limbo! The system is clearly broken and ancient, but knowing this is completely "normal" makes the waiting so much more bearable. Keep certifying everyone and fingers crossed we all see some positive movement on our claims soon! 🤞

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago! Was on short-term disability for 3 months after a car accident, got medical clearance to return to work, but my company had eliminated my position during "cost-cutting measures" while I was out. Filed for unemployment immediately after getting my clearance letter and was approved within about 2 weeks. The key things that helped me were: 1) Having my medical clearance documentation ready, 2) Being clear that I was able and available for work, and 3) explaining that my job loss was due to company restructuring, not anything I did. NYS Department of Labor was actually very understanding about the situation. Don't stress too much - this type of scenario is more common than you'd think, and as long as you're medically cleared and ready to work, you should be fine. Make sure to file your weekly certifications on time even while waiting for approval!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm literally in the exact same situation right now - was on short-term disability for 4 months due to a workplace injury, just got medical clearance to return to work yesterday, but HR told me this morning that my position was eliminated during a "reorganization" that happened 2 months ago while I was out. I've been panicking all day thinking I might not qualify for unemployment because of the disability period, but reading everyone's experiences here is such a huge relief! It sounds like having the medical clearance is the most important thing. I'm definitely going to file my claim tomorrow morning. Thank you all for sharing your stories - it's so helpful to know I'm not alone in this situation and that there's hope for getting approved!

Been through this twice now. Keep filing, report income accurately, and save copies of everything. When the contract ends, your benefits should resume at the full amount automatically. Just make sure you're still meeting job search requirements during the contract if NYS Department of Labor requires it.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year with a 4-week consulting gig. The advice here is spot on - definitely keep filing your weekly claims and report every dollar you earn. What helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track my contract earnings each week so I could report accurately. The partial benefit calculation worked in my favor since the contract paid less than my full weekly benefit amount. One thing to note: make sure you understand if your contract work affects your job search requirements. In my case, I still had to log job search activities even while working the contract. The whole process was much smoother than I expected once I got into the routine of accurate reporting.

Just to add some clarity on the 25% rule that Liam mentioned - it's actually 25% of your weekly benefit rate OR $100, whichever is LESS. So if your weekly benefit is $400, you'd get $100 (25% of $400). But if your weekly benefit is $300, you'd only get $75 (25% of $300). After that threshold, it's dollar-for-dollar reduction. I found this out the hard way when I assumed it was always $100. Also, make sure you're reporting gross earnings before any expenses or fees that Uber takes out - NYS Department of Labor wants the total amount you earned, not what you actually received after their cuts.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also keep track of your vehicle expenses if you're driving for Uber Eats - gas, wear and tear, etc. While you still have to report the gross earnings to NYS Department of Labor, you can deduct those business expenses when you file your taxes next year since you'll be getting a 1099 from Uber. It won't help with your weekly unemployment calculation, but it'll save you money at tax time. Also, definitely download a mileage tracking app like MileIQ or Stride - the IRS standard mileage deduction is pretty generous for delivery drivers and can add up to significant savings.