If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check your wage history or get questions answered about your potential benefit amount, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a live agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Was worth it for me since I couldn't get through on my own after trying for days.

One more thing to consider - if you do get laid off, file your claim immediately even if you're getting severance pay. The waiting period starts from when you file, not when the severance runs out. I made the mistake of waiting until my severance ended and lost out on a week of benefits because of the mandatory waiting week. Also, severance typically won't affect your eligibility as long as you're genuinely unemployed and available for work.

To clarify for everyone: The standard timeline for NY unemployment payments in 2025 is: 1. Release date: This is when NYSDOL approves your payment 2. Processing: 1-3 business days (excluding weekends and federal holidays) 3. Bank posting: Depends on your financial institution (typically 0-1 additional days) So for a Saturday, August 30 release date, with Monday being Labor Day: - Tuesday, Sept 2: First business day of processing - Wednesday, Sept 3: Likely arrival for banks with faster processing - Thursday, Sept 4: Typical arrival for most banks If you need to verify your specific payment status, contacting NYSDOL directly is the most reliable option.

Hey Liam! I totally understand your stress about the timing. I've been getting NY unemployment for about 6 months now and I also have Chase. In my experience, Chase is pretty consistent - I usually get my deposit exactly 2 business days after the release date. Since your release is Saturday Aug 30 and Monday Sept 1 is Labor Day, you're looking at Tuesday Sept 2 as the first business day for processing. I'd expect to see it in your Chase account by Thursday Sept 4 at the latest, but possibly Wednesday Sept 3. Definitely call your landlord ASAP to give them a heads up. Most landlords are understanding about unemployment delays, especially if you communicate early. Take a screenshot of your release date as backup documentation. You got this!

did u ever get this fixed? im having same issue now lol

Just wanted to add that I had a similar "break in claim" issue with my Shared Work benefits last month. In my case, it was because I had answered "yes" to one of the weekly certification questions about looking for work when I should have answered "no" (since Shared Work participants don't need to actively seek work). That small mistake triggered a hold on my benefits for almost a week until I could explain it to a representative. So definitely review all your answers from this week's certification to see if anything was different from usual - sometimes it's the smallest detail that causes these holds!

thanks for asking this question, I was wondering the same thing about exhaustee status but was too embarrassed to ask

Don't feel embarrassed at all @Alice Coleman! This exhaustee status is confusing and poorly explained by NYS DOL. I'm in a similar boat - hit my 26 weeks recently and had no idea what came next. From reading everyone's responses here, it sounds like the key is figuring out if you earned enough wages during your benefit year to qualify for a new claim. I worked some gig jobs while collecting so I'm hoping that might be enough. Going to try filing a new application online this week. Really wish the state would send out clearer notifications about your options when you hit exhaustee status instead of leaving people to figure it out themselves.

Been there! The waiting is the worst part but hang in there.

I went through fact-finding last year and it took about 5 weeks for my case. The NYS Department of Labor did call me once during the process to clarify some details about my separation, but mostly it was just waiting. One thing that helped me was checking my online account regularly - sometimes there would be updates in the system before I got any official notification. Also make sure you respond quickly to any requests they send you, as delays on your end can really extend the timeline. The good news is that once they make a determination, if it's in your favor, you'll get all the back payments pretty quickly.