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I certify on whatever day I remember and my bank always gets the deposit on Friday, no matter what. I think it might depend on your bank too.
who do you bank with? mine always takes forever with bofa
I use a credit union, they process ACH stuff faster than big banks usually
Don't stress about it! I've certified on Monday plenty of times and it's really not a big deal. Your payment will just be delayed by a couple days - so instead of getting it Tuesday, expect it Wednesday or Thursday. The NY unemployment system processes certifications in batches, with Sunday being the main batch and later ones getting picked up in subsequent processing cycles. As long as you don't certify after Monday, you won't miss the entire week's payment cycle. Set a phone alarm for Sunday mornings going forward - I learned that trick after missing it a few times myself!
Also remember you need to register with the NYS Department of Labor career center and potentially participate in reemployment services if selected. They might require you to attend workshops or meetings as part of maintaining your benefits.
One thing that's not mentioned yet - if you have gaps in employment like you mentioned, make sure those gaps don't affect your base period calculations. The NYS Department of Labor looks at specific quarters for wage calculations, so even if you had some unemployment periods, you might still qualify if you earned enough in the qualifying quarters. Also, if you don't meet the regular base period requirements, they can sometimes use an alternate base period (the last 4 completed quarters) which might work better for your situation. It's worth applying even if you're unsure - they'll calculate everything for you and let you know if you qualify.
This is really good advice about the base period calculations! I was worried about my gaps in employment but it sounds like the alternate base period might help. Emma, do you know if there's a way to find out which base period would work better for me before I apply, or do I just have to apply and see what they calculate? I want to make sure I'm applying at the right time to maximize my benefits.
Just to add - when you file your initial claim, there's a section where you can indicate you're only seeking part-time work. This is important for people receiving Social Security who might not want full-time employment. The NYS Department of Labor will adjust your work search requirements accordingly, but you still need to show you're actively looking for work within your availability.
I went through this exact same situation last year when I turned 66 and got laid off from my job at a local pharmacy. I was so worried about how it would all work together, but I can confirm that you absolutely CAN collect both Social Security retirement benefits and NYS unemployment benefits at the same time. When I filed my weekly certifications, I did NOT have to report my Social Security payments as income - they're treated completely separately. The key thing is just making sure you're genuinely available for work and doing your required job searches. Since you're looking for part-time work like I was, make sure to specify that when you file so they don't expect you to apply for full-time positions. Good luck with your claim!
Thank you so much for sharing your personal experience! It's really helpful to hear from someone who actually went through this exact situation. I was getting stressed about all the conflicting information I was hearing from different people. Your confirmation that you didn't have to report Social Security on your weekly certifications is exactly what I needed to know. I'll make sure to specify part-time work availability when I file my claim. Really appreciate you taking the time to explain how it worked for you!
I'm in the exact same boat! Filed my reconsideration in late May and it's now been over 12 weeks with absolutely nothing. The silence is the worst part - you start wondering if they even got your documents or if something went wrong in the system. From reading everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the 10-14 week timeline is unfortunately pretty standard right now. @Aaliyah Jackson's point about the 60-day expedited processing rule is really helpful - I had no idea that existed. I've been hesitant to keep bothering them with messages through the portal, but after seeing @Miguel Hernández's success with Claimyr, I think I'm going to give that a try too. At this point we need to advocate for ourselves because clearly the system isn't working efficiently. @Jamal Brown - hang in there! The backpay will come eventually, even though the wait is absolutely brutal when you're counting on that money.
It's so reassuring to hear from others going through the same thing! I was starting to think there was something uniquely wrong with my case. 12+ weeks is just insane - I feel like by the time they process these requests, half of us won't even need unemployment anymore! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service this week too. The fact that @Miguel Hernández discovered they were actually missing documents even though he uploaded everything really makes me think there might be some kind of systematic issue with how they re'processing these files. @Avery Davis you re so'right about the silence being the worst part. At least if they sent some kind of status update every few weeks we d know'our stuff didn t just'disappear into the void. Thanks for the encouragement - we re all'in this together and hopefully our backpay will make the wait somewhat worth it!
I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed my reconsideration back in mid-June and here we are in late August with absolutely no movement on my case. It's incredibly frustrating because I submitted everything they asked for - W2s, paystubs, tax returns - and my online portal still shows the same low benefit rate. What's really getting to me is that I calculated it myself and I should be getting almost $200 more per week based on my actual earnings. That adds up to a lot of money over time, especially when you're already struggling financially. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it seems like 10-14 weeks is becoming the new normal which is just unacceptable. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service that @Miguel Hernández mentioned because calling the regular number has been completely useless - either busy signals or hours-long waits that end in disconnections. @Jamal Brown - thanks for posting this question because clearly a lot of us are in the same boat. The 60-day expedited processing rule that @Aaliyah Jackson mentioned is news to me and might be exactly what we need to get some movement on these cases. Keep us updated on what happens when you finally get through to someone!
Wow, reading all these experiences makes me feel so much less alone in this! I submitted my reconsideration in early June too and I'm going on 11 weeks now with zero updates. Like @Dylan Campbell said, that extra $200/week really adds up - I calculated I m'already missing out on over $2000 that should rightfully be mine. The most frustrating part is not knowing if they even received everything properly. After seeing @Miguel Hernández s story'about missing documents, I m wondering'if that s happening'to more of us than we realize. I think I m going'to bite the bullet and try Claimyr this week too. @Jamal Brown definitely use that 60-day rule @Aaliyah Jackson mentioned - you re way past that'point now. And thanks for starting this thread because it s clear this is'a widespread problem that NYSDOL needs to address. The fact that so many people are waiting 3+ months for basic paperwork review is completely unacceptable.
Mae Bennett
Thanks everyone for the responses. Sounds like I should expect the payment on Wednesday then. I've learned my lesson about certifying earlier! I appreciate all the help and information.
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Diego Vargas
•You're welcome! This is such a common issue - I made the same mistake when I first started collecting. Setting a Sunday morning reminder has been a lifesaver for me. Hope your payment comes through Wednesday without any other hiccups!
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Freya Nielsen
I've been there too - it's so frustrating when you realize you missed the cutoff! Just to add to what others have said, I've found that if you certify after 7:30pm on Sunday, your payment usually hits your account early Wednesday morning (like 2-4am). I bank with Chase and it's been pretty consistent. Also, if you're really tight on money and need to know for sure about timing, you can check your payment history in the NYSDOL portal - it usually shows the processing date which helps you predict when it'll actually hit your account. Hang in there!
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Amelia Dietrich
•That's really helpful info about the early morning timing! I bank with TD Bank so hopefully it'll be similar. I'll definitely check my payment history in the portal too - didn't know that showed processing dates. Thanks for the tip about setting up reminders, I'm going to do that right now so this doesn't happen again!
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