I'm new here but unfortunately not new to NY unemployment frustrations! Currently on week 5 of pending status myself and this thread has been incredibly enlightening. @Sean Kelly huge congratulations on finally getting your backpay - the employer verification issue explanation is so helpful since my previous employer has been similarly unresponsive about documentation. @Emma Wilson I had no clue about the Office of Special Investigations complaint option, that's definitely going on my backup plan list! @Giovanni Mancini the documentation advice is crucial - I've been tracking failed calls but need to start recording reference numbers systematically like you suggested. It's both maddening and reassuring to see how widespread this problem is, but at least this community shares real solutions instead of the official runaround that gets you nowhere. Based on all the success stories here, I'm contacting my assembly person first thing tomorrow morning. Thank you everyone for creating this roadmap out of the bureaucratic maze - will definitely report back with results!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently stuck in week 8 of pending status and was starting to think I'd never see a resolution. @Sean Kelly your success story gives me so much hope - especially learning about the employer verification issue that nobody bothered to communicate. My former employer has been completely unresponsive to requests for documentation too, so I'm betting that's exactly what's happening with my claim. @Emma Wilson the Office of Special Investigations complaint option is brilliant - I had no idea that existed and it's going straight to my backup plan. @Giovanni Mancini your advice about systematic documentation is spot on - I've been loosely tracking calls but need to get more organized with reference numbers and dates. It's incredible how this community has cracked the code on what actually works while the official system just leaves you in endless limbo. I'm calling my assembly person's office first thing tomorrow morning based on all these success stories. The fact that so many of us are dealing with identical situations really highlights how broken the system is, but at least we're helping each other find real solutions! Will definitely update with my progress. Thank you everyone for sharing what actually moves the needle instead of the useless "keep trying" advice you get from official channels.

I went through this same frustrating experience a few weeks ago! What finally worked for me was calling the NYS Department of Labor right when they open at 8 AM - I got through in about 20 minutes and they walked me through finding the verification letter online. Turns out I was looking in the wrong section completely. They told me to go to my.ny.gov > Unemployment Insurance Services > Correspondence & Forms > Request Benefit Verification Letter. There's also a "quick print" option if you go to your weekly claim history and scroll to the bottom - it generates a summary that shows your active claim status and benefit amounts. The representative was super helpful and even stayed on the line while I found it. If you're still having trouble, that early morning call strategy really works! Also keep screenshots of everything just in case - some places will accept multiple forms of documentation together even if one piece isn't "official" enough on its own.

This thread is a goldmine of solutions! I just bookmarked it because I know I'll need this info again. What strikes me is how many different paths there are to get the same document - it really shows how poorly designed the NYS Department of Labor portal is when people have to share 10+ different workarounds. For anyone reading this in the future, here's my takeaway of the most reliable methods based on everyone's experiences: 1) Try the mobile app first (NY.gov Services), 2) Early morning phone calls around 8 AM to 888-209-8124, 3) Visit local Career Center for same-day printing, and 4) Use secure messaging through your online account. It's frustrating that getting basic documentation is this complicated, but at least this community has figured out all the shortcuts! Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions - this is exactly the kind of practical help people need when dealing with government bureaucracy.

Just wanted to share my recent experience to add another data point! I've been on NY unemployment for about 6 months now and the timing has become pretty predictable once you get used to it. My payments are usually released on Tuesdays and hit my account (Bank of America) on Thursdays - so that 2 business day window is spot on. The key things that helped me manage the stress: 1) Always certify Sunday morning like others mentioned, 2) Set up mobile banking alerts, and 3) Never plan on having the money available until at least 2 business days after release. The weekend delays definitely caught me off guard initially too! For anyone new to the system, this thread is gold - wish I had found something like this when I started. The community knowledge here is way better than anything on the official NYSDOL site.

As someone who just went through this exact same experience last week, I totally feel your stress! The gap between "released" and "actually in your account" is so confusing when you're new to NY unemployment. I had a release date on a Wednesday and didn't see the deposit until Friday - that 2 business day window is real. What really helped me was learning that the release date is just when NYSDOL finishes processing on their end, but then your bank needs 1-2 business days to actually move the money through the ACH system. Since your release was on the 3rd (which I think was a Monday?), you should definitely see it by today or tomorrow. The weekend definitely adds to the delay since banks don't process ACH transfers on weekends. Hang in there - once you get used to the timing, it becomes much less stressful!

I'm new to this community and facing almost the exact same situation! I have an LLC for freelance content writing that I established in late 2022, made very minimal income from it (around $400 total), and it's been completely dormant since I was laid off in January. Like you and so many others here, I disclosed the LLC ownership upfront when applying for unemployment, but I've been really anxious about whether I'm handling the weekly certifications properly. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - it's amazing how many people are dealing with nearly identical situations! The consistent advice about being transparent with ownership while accurately reporting zero work activity really gives me confidence. I've been answering "no" to the self-employment questions since I'm genuinely not doing any work through the LLC, but seeing everyone else's experiences validates that I'm on the right track. I'm definitely going to start that weekly activity tracking log that multiple people have recommended - it seems like such a smart way to document everything just in case. Thank you for posting this question and thank you to everyone who shared their experiences. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these confusing unemployment situations!

I'm new to this community and dealing with almost the exact same situation! I have an LLC for freelance photography that I set up in 2023 for some wedding shoots, but it's been completely dormant since I got laid off from my marketing job in December. Like you, I disclosed the LLC when I first applied for unemployment but have been really stressed about the weekly certifications. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - it's incredible how consistent everyone's advice is about being transparent with ownership while accurately reporting no work activity. I've been answering "no" to the self-employment questions each week since I'm genuinely not doing any photography work, but I was second-guessing myself until I found this thread. The weekly activity log idea that several people mentioned is brilliant - I'm definitely going to start tracking "no LLC activity" each week along with keeping my bank statements that show zero transactions. It's so reassuring to see that multiple people have successfully handled this situation by being upfront from the beginning and staying consistent with their reporting. Thank you for asking this question - it's exactly what I needed to read to feel confident about how I'm handling my claims!

My sister went through this investigation last year and it turned out fine, just took forever. The key is responding to every request promptly and being completely honest about everything. They're mostly looking for people who filed fake claims or worked under the table while collecting benefits.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got my investigation letter about 3 weeks ago and I'm still gathering all the documents they requested. One thing that's been helpful is creating a timeline of everything that happened during my unemployment period - when I filed, when I received payments, any work I did, etc. Also keep copies of everything you send them because they sometimes claim they never received documents. The waiting is the worst part but from what I'm reading here it sounds like most legitimate claims get cleared eventually. Stay strong and don't let the process intimidate you if you know you did everything right!