The tax thing with unemployment is such a mess. They should make it clearer upfront that this is taxable income. I bet half the people collecting don't realize until it's too late.

I went through this exact same thing last year and it was a wake-up call. The good news is you caught it at 8 weeks - I didn't realize until I had collected for 6 months! Here's what I learned: definitely turn on withholding ASAP like others mentioned, but also consider opening a separate savings account and putting away an extra 15-20% of each payment since the 10% federal withholding won't cover state taxes. I used a simple rule - for every $100 in benefits, I'd save $20 in a "tax fund." It made tax season much less painful. Also, keep all your 1099-G forms organized - you'll need them for filing. Don't panic though, you're addressing it early enough to avoid a major surprise!

Just file NOW. I've been through this system multiple times and every day you wait is money out of your pocket. The NYS Department of Labor website is pretty straightforward for filing your initial claim.

I went through this exact situation last year when I got laid off from my retail job. Everyone's right - file immediately! I waited 10 days thinking I had plenty of time and lost those benefits forever. NYS doesn't backdate to your last day of work, your benefit week starts when you actually submit the claim. The online application at labor.ny.gov is pretty user-friendly and you'll get a confirmation number right away. Don't make the same mistake I did - every day counts when it comes to your financial security.

Have you tried calling the local office directly instead of the main number? Sometimes those are less busy

I've had some success calling the regional offices directly instead of the main line. You can find your local office number on the DOL website under "Find a Career Center" - just search by your zip code. The local offices usually have shorter wait times, though they can't help with everything. Also try calling during lunch hours (12-1pm) when fewer people are calling. I know it's frustrating but don't give up!

Same thing happened to my brother last month and he got approved for benefits pretty quickly. The employer didn't even contest it. Good luck!

I went through something similar about 6 months ago. Being terminated for performance issues doesn't automatically disqualify you from unemployment benefits in NY. The key thing is that performance issues are generally not considered "misconduct" unless you were deliberately refusing to do your job or violating clear company policies after repeated warnings. When you file your claim online, be straightforward about what happened but don't feel like you need to defend yourself extensively. NYS Department of Labor will investigate and make their determination based on the facts. Make sure to file as soon as possible since there's a waiting period, and keep doing your weekly certifications even if your employer contests the claim. You'll likely be eligible for benefits while the review is pending.

Based on recent processing times in 2025, here's what you can reasonably expect: - Within 3-5 days: Your dashboard should update to show your claim in process - Within 5-7 days: You should receive a monetary determination - Within 7-10 days: You should be able to set up certification If none of these happen, there may be an issue with your claim that requires agent intervention. The most common issues after IDme verification are: 1. Employment history verification issues 2. Separation reason questions (especially if you quit or were fired) 3. Previous overpayment flags on your account 4. Missing documentation These all require speaking with an agent to resolve, so if you don't see progress within the timelines above, don't wait - find a way to speak with an agent directly.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just completed my IDme verification two days ago and got that same "You're all set" message. Like you, my dashboard still only shows the option to file a new claim, which is really confusing and stressful. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like this is unfortunately normal and we just have to wait for the system to catch up. The timeline seems to vary wildly - some people got updates in 4 days, others waited weeks. I'm going to follow the advice here and check my dashboard daily for the next week. If nothing changes by then, I'll definitely look into that Claimyr service that @Mateo Rodriguez mentioned - seems like actually talking to an agent is the only way to know for sure what's happening with our claims. Thanks for posting this question - it's really reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this confusing process!