Just wanted to update - checked my account this morning and my payment went through! The level 3 thing was actually good news. Thanks everyone for the explanations, really helped calm my nerves.

I'm new here but wanted to share my recent experience with level 3. I had the same status show up last month and panicked because I couldn't find clear info anywhere online. Turns out @Yuki Sato is right - it means a senior adjudicator reviewed and closed your issue. Mine took about 5 business days after showing "issue closed level 3" before payments resumed, and I got all my back pay in one lump sum. The waiting is nerve-wracking but it's actually progress! Definitely check your correspondence inbox on my.ny.gov for any determination letters.

Congrats on getting approved! That's such a relief after all that waiting and stress. For anyone else still waiting - I went through this process about 6 months ago and it took exactly 5 business days for my determination. The key thing is to not panic if you don't hear back in the first few days. NY DOL seems to batch process a lot of these decisions, so they often come through in clusters. And definitely keep certifying every week like others mentioned - that was crucial for getting all my back payments once approved.

I just went through this process in February and wanted to share my timeline to hopefully ease some anxiety. Had my phone interview on a Wednesday, got my determination letter the following Tuesday (so 4 business days). The interviewer was actually pretty thorough and asked about my job search efforts too, not just the separation details. One thing I learned is that they send the determination to your online message center first, then mail a physical copy - so definitely check your account daily rather than waiting for mail. Also, even after approval, it took about 3 more days for the first payment to actually hit my bank account. The waiting is brutal when you're stressed about finances, but most straightforward cases really do get resolved within that 5-7 day window that others mentioned. Keep certifying and try to stay positive!

Good reasons for delay include not knowing you were eligible, being hospitalized, or having transportation issues that prevented you from filing. Just being unemployed and looking for work isn't usually enough on its own. But definitely file now - even if you can't backdate everything, you'll start getting benefits for future weeks.

Don't beat yourself up about it! I work in HR and see this happen all the time - people think they need to exhaust their savings first or that unemployment is only for certain situations. The key thing is to file TODAY through ny.gov. Even if you can only backdate a few weeks, that's still money in your pocket. When you apply, be honest about why you delayed - "I was unaware I was eligible and was trying to find work on my own" is a valid reason that often works for at least some backdating. The worst thing you can do now is wait another day!

just went through this last month! the direct deposit option on the website has been broken since august according to the rep I spoke with. your only real option is to call, but good luck getting through. took me 2 weeks of trying before I found claimyr.com which got me through to a real person. the whole system is a joke!

I feel your pain with those KeyBank card fees! I just switched to direct deposit last week and it was such a hassle. The website kept giving me error messages, so I ended up calling the automated line at 888-209-8124 early in the morning around 7:30am. Press 2 for payment options, then 3 for direct deposit. Have your routing and account number ready. If that doesn't work, you might need to talk to a human - I've heard good things about that claimyr service people are mentioning here. Just make sure to double-check all your bank info because any mistakes will delay your payments. Good luck!

just keep checking ur account every day thats what i did and one morning it was just there lol. the whole system is so slow but at least u got approved thats the hardest part

Hey Leila! Congrats on getting approved - that's such a relief after waiting through adjudication! In my experience with NYS DOL, once you're approved and have direct deposit set up, you should see your first payment within 3-5 business days. The good news is they definitely pay retroactively for all the weeks you were eligible during the waiting period, as long as you kept filing your weekly certifications (which it sounds like you did). Usually the retroactive amount comes as one larger payment, then you'll get regular weekly payments going forward. Keep an eye on your my.ny.gov account - the payment status will update there first before it hits your bank account. Hope this helps ease some of the stress about rent week!