I had this exact same panic when I first saw my waiting week date! Filed in June but my waiting week showed a date in August - made no sense at all. But like everyone else is saying, it's just when their system processed the administrative stuff, not when you actually served your waiting week. The NY unemployment system runs on what feels like technology from the stone age and nothing ever makes sense date-wise. As long as you're getting paid for the weeks after your waiting week, you're golden. I've been through this whole process twice now and those backend processing dates are always random and confusing. If you're still worried about it though, definitely worth calling to double-check everything looks right on your claim. The phone system is a nightmare but at least you'll have peace of mind knowing everything is set up correctly!

I'm dealing with the same exact thing right now! Filed in August but my waiting week shows a date from October. I was totally freaking out thinking they messed up my claim somehow, but after reading all these responses it seems like their system just shows random processing dates that don't match reality at all. The NY unemployment system is seriously the most confusing thing I've ever dealt with. I've been getting my regular weekly payments though, so I guess that's what actually matters. Still might try calling just to double-check everything is correct with my claim - better to be paranoid than miss out on benefits! Thanks everyone for explaining how this works, you probably saved me hours of stress wondering if something was wrong 😅

been there! just keep your job search records updated and ready because they might ask for them during the new claim review process

I went through this exact same situation about 3 months ago and it was definitely stressful at first! The key thing is to file your new claim as soon as possible - don't wait. When you file the new claim, they'll look at your wages from the past 15 months to determine eligibility, so any work you did while collecting benefits should count toward your new base period. One tip: gather all your employment documentation beforehand including any 1099s or W-2s from temporary or part-time work during your benefit year. The process took about 10 days for me to get approved and start receiving benefits again. Hang in there - you're not alone in dealing with this confusing system!

I went through something very similar last year and want to reassure you that this is more common than you think. The key is being proactive like others have mentioned. When I called NYS Department of Labor to report my mistake, the representative was actually pretty understanding and walked me through the process. They classified it as an "inadvertent overpayment" rather than fraud since I came forward voluntarily. I did have to pay back the overpayment amount, but they let me set up a payment plan that deducted a portion from my future benefits rather than requiring a lump sum. The whole experience was stressful but much less scary than I had imagined. Just make sure you have all your employment records and pay stubs ready when you call - they'll need the exact dates and amounts you earned during those 8 weeks.

I'm in a similar situation right now - working about 12 hours a week at a retail job while collecting unemployment benefits. After reading your post I'm realizing I might have made the same mistake by not reporting my part-time earnings. The whole process is really intimidating when you're already stressed about finances. Has anyone here actually had experience with how they calculate the partial benefit reduction? Like if I'm earning $150 a week from part-time work, how much would that typically reduce my weekly unemployment benefit? I want to understand what to expect before I call to report my situation.

To add to what others have said, once you get back into your account, I strongly recommend setting up two-factor authentication if you haven't already. NY unemployment started offering this in January 2025, and it's much better than just relying on a password. With 2FA enabled, even if you forget your password, you can still get in using the verification code they send to your phone.

Hey Nia! I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago and I was freaking out too. What really helped me was writing down my password and keeping it somewhere safe after I got back in. Also, if you're still worried about the timing, you can always check your "claim history" section once you're back in to see exactly when your certification period closes - it should show you have until Saturday like Aisha mentioned. The NY unemployment system is definitely frustrating but you'll get through this!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my claim 6 days ago and nothing is showing up in my account either. It's so stressful not knowing if everything went through properly. Reading these comments makes me feel a bit better knowing it's normal for there to be a delay. I guess I'll keep checking daily and hope it appears soon. The waiting is the worst part when you're already stressed about being unemployed.

I had this exact same problem earlier this year! It took about 9 days for my claim to finally show up in the system. What really helped me was saving that confirmation number somewhere safe - I wrote it down and took a screenshot just in case. When it finally did appear, all my information was there and I could immediately start doing my weekly certifications. The NYS Department of Labor system is definitely slow to update, but as long as you have that confirmation number, you should be good. Try not to stress too much about it - I know it's easier said than done when you're waiting for benefits to kick in.