One thing to add - make sure your cousin applies as soon as possible after his layoff. There's a one-week waiting period before benefits start, and you can't get paid for that first week. Also, he'll need to have his employer information ready (like his last day of work, reason for separation, etc.) when he files online at labor.ny.gov. The sooner he gets his claim in, the sooner he can start receiving those 26 weeks of benefits. Construction workers often have good wage histories so he should qualify for a decent weekly benefit amount.

Just to clarify something that might help your cousin - the 26 weeks is based on when you first file your claim, not when you actually start receiving benefits. So even with that one-week waiting period, he still gets the full 26 weeks of payable benefits within his benefit year. Also, since he worked construction, he should know that seasonal workers sometimes have different considerations, but with 3 years of steady work at the same company, that shouldn't be an issue for him. The key is to file immediately and keep up with the weekly certifications even if his first payment is delayed.

The waiting is the worst part honestly. I remember refreshing my account like every hour when I first applied. Just try to be patient and make sure all your information was accurate when you filed.

I'm in a similar situation - filed my claim 8 days ago and still showing "under review." The anxiety is real when you're waiting on money you desperately need! From what I've been reading online, most people seem to get their determination within 2 weeks if it's a straightforward layoff situation. Try to stay positive and definitely follow the advice about filing your weekly claims even while waiting. I've been doing that since my first eligible week. Hang in there!

2 weeks is actually pretty normal from what I've seen. My sister just got approved last month and it took exactly 15 days from when she filed to when she got her first payment

I'm in the same boat - filed 3 weeks ago and still waiting. What helped me was creating an account on the NY.gov job search site and making sure I was registered there, even though they don't always tell you this is required. Also, if you were laid off or terminated, sometimes they need to contact your former employer to verify the reason for separation, which can add extra time. Hang in there, most people do eventually get approved and receive back pay for all the weeks they were waiting.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now - filed 3 weeks ago and my claim has been stuck on "pending" with zero explanation. The phone system is absolutely useless, I've burned through entire days trying to get through just to be disconnected. What's really frustrating is that they expect us to keep filing weekly certifications when we have no idea if there's even a problem with our claim or if it's just sitting in some digital pile waiting to be processed. At this point I'm wondering if I should try that Claimyr service mentioned above or contact my assemblyperson like Dmitry suggested. This whole system feels designed to discourage people from actually getting the benefits they're entitled to.

I went through this exact same situation last year and it turned out my claim was flagged for identity verification. Even though I had submitted all the required documents when I first filed, the system somehow didn't process them correctly. What finally worked for me was sending a secure message through the my.ny.gov portal with copies of my ID, Social Security card, and proof of employment attached. Make sure to reference your confirmation number in the subject line. It took about 10 days after sending that message for my claim to get approved, and then I received all the back payments. Also, if you haven't already, double-check that your banking information is correct in your profile - sometimes payments get delayed because of incorrect routing numbers.

also if you have any kind of severance pay or vacation payout that might delay when you can start collecting. learned that the hard way

One thing I'd add is that if you're collecting any kind of pension or retirement benefits, that can also affect your unemployment eligibility or reduce your weekly benefit amount. NYS Department of Labor will offset your UI benefits if you're getting a pension from a base period employer. Also, if you're self-employed or doing gig work while collecting, you need to report ALL earnings - even small amounts can trigger overpayment issues if not reported properly. The key is being completely transparent about your work situation when you file.