That's great news! Glad to hear they processed it without you having to call. For anyone else reading this in the future: results vary widely depending on DOL workload. Some people get their backpay quickly like the original poster, while others may need to follow up by phone if it takes longer than a week.

Congratulations on getting your backpay! This is such a helpful update for the community. Your timeline of 6 days is really encouraging - it shows that sometimes the system does work efficiently when you upload everything correctly. I've seen so many people in similar situations stress about whether they'll ever see those missed payments, so your success story will definitely give others hope. Thanks for taking the time to update us!

Keep hanging in there! I know the wait is terrible but appeals do get resolved eventually. Make sure you have all your termination paperwork ready and any emails or documentation about the layoff. The more evidence you have that it wasn't a voluntary quit, the stronger your case will be.

I'm in a similar situation - filed my appeal in late September after being wrongfully denied (they claimed I was fired for misconduct when I was actually laid off due to budget cuts). It's now been about 10 weeks with no hearing date yet. The stress of waiting with no income is overwhelming. One thing that helped me was calling my local assembly member's office - they have constituent services that can sometimes help get status updates or expedite cases. Also make sure you're documenting everything and keeping copies of all your correspondence. The system is definitely overwhelmed right now but don't give up!

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your help! I was able to get through to a NYSDOL agent using the Claimyr service that someone suggested. The agent confirmed my Wisely card is legitimate. Apparently there was a system-wide issue with direct deposits in early March that affected thousands of claimants. The payment I was missing from March 5th was sent to the card instead. They've fixed my direct deposit for future payments, but I need to activate this card to access the funds already sent there. The agent also said they sent emails about this issue, but mine must have gone to spam or something because I never saw it. Problem solved!

This is super helpful! I just got a Wisely card yesterday too and was freaking out thinking it was a scam. Reading through everyone's experiences makes me feel much better about it. Sounds like there was definitely some kind of system glitch that affected a lot of people. I'm going to try calling early in the morning like someone suggested, but if that doesn't work I might check out that Claimyr service too. Thanks for sharing your update - it's reassuring to know this is a legitimate issue that NYSDOL is aware of!

The whole system is so slow its ridiculous!! I waited FIVE WEEKS for my first payment last year because they said they needed to verify my employment history but never told me what documents to send. Finally got through to someone who said it was all a computer glitch. Meanwhile bills dont wait for the state to get their act together!

Just went through this in December - filed on a Tuesday and got my first payment the following Friday, so about 10 days total. I think they've gotten faster since the pandemic backlog cleared up. Just make sure you're doing everything online through my.ny.gov and not trying to call unless you absolutely have to.

Just make sure you understand the difference between being laid off vs taking early retirement. If your company offers you a retirement package and you take it, that's considered voluntary and you won't qualify for unemployment. But if they lay you off without offering retirement, you're good to file a claim.

Also keep in mind that if you do get laid off and file for unemployment, you'll need to have your separation paperwork ready. NYS Department of Labor will want documentation showing it was an involuntary layoff, not a resignation. Save any emails or notices about the layoffs your company sends out - that can help establish the involuntary nature of your separation if there are any questions about your eligibility.