I'm going through the same thing right now - filed my claim two weeks ago and still waiting. One thing that helped ease my anxiety was setting up direct deposit if you haven't already. That way when your payment does get approved, it'll hit your account faster than waiting for a debit card to arrive in the mail. Also, if you're really tight on bills, see if you can contact your landlord or utility companies to explain the situation - many have temporary hardship programs. The waiting is brutal but try to stay on top of those weekly certifications even if it feels pointless right now.

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago and I totally understand the anxiety! In my case, it took about 3 weeks from filing to getting my first payment. The key thing is to keep doing those weekly certifications religiously - even if you haven't heard anything back yet, you need to certify for every week you want to claim benefits for. I made the mistake of skipping one week early on thinking it didn't matter since I hadn't been approved yet, and it caused a delay later. Also, try calling the unemployment office early in the morning (like right when they open at 8am) if you need to check on anything - the phone lines are less jammed then. Hang in there, the waiting period is the hardest part but once it starts flowing it's pretty consistent.

Yeah, the agent said if you don't qualify for a new claim, you should: 1. Apply for SNAP benefits if you haven't already 2. Contact your county's DSS about emergency assistance 3. Check with NY Housing for rent assistance programs 4. Visit your local career center for job placement help She also mentioned they have a program to help with retraining if you want to switch industries. I'm looking into that option now.

I'm in a similar situation - my benefits are ending next week and I'm really stressed about it. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about the 10x weekly benefit rule or that you could get SNAP while on unemployment. For anyone else who's panicking like I was, it sounds like the key things to do are: 1) Calculate if you earned enough during your benefit year (include ALL W-2 work, even short temp jobs), 2) If you don't qualify for a new claim, apply for SNAP and other assistance programs RIGHT NOW, 3) Use that Claimyr service to actually talk to someone at NYSDOL instead of waiting on hold forever. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is a lifesaver when the official resources are so confusing!

One more thing - if you do quit, file your unemployment claim immediately. Don't wait thinking you need to have everything perfect first. You can submit additional documentation later but there are time limits for filing initial claims.

Just wanted to add that you should also check if your company has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - many retail chains do. If you can show you tried using available resources like EAP counseling or stress management programs before quitting, it strengthens your case that you exhausted all options. Also, keep a daily log of incidents with dates, times, and witnesses present. NYS Department of Labor reviewers really want to see a pattern of problems, not just isolated incidents. The more detailed your documentation, the better your chances.

The unemployment system is so messed up! They make it impossible to get answers when you're already dealing with family emergencies. Like why can't they have some kind of partial benefit for people on FMLA who aren't getting full pay?? The whole thing is designed to screw over working families.

check with your state disability program maybe? i know some states have temporary disability benefits that might cover part of your income during fmla but idk if ny has that

You can also try using the NY.gov online portal to check your claim status and send messages, though they don't always respond quickly to the messages either. Sometimes you can resolve simple issues without having to call at all.

I feel your pain - I was in the exact same situation last month with my weekly certification stuck in pending status. What finally worked for me was calling the Telecert line at 1-888-581-5812 instead of the main customer service number. This line is specifically for weekly claim certifications and tends to have shorter wait times. When you call, press 1 for English, then 1 again for weekly claim certification, and you'll get connected to someone who can actually see what's causing the delay. I called around 2pm on a Wednesday and only waited about 45 minutes. Make sure you have your PIN and last 4 digits of your SSN ready. Hope this helps!