One thing to remember is that your benefit type can change during your claim period. I started on standby because my restaurant said they'd reopen in 4 weeks, but when that didn't happen I had to switch to regular UI. The transition was pretty smooth through the my.ny.gov portal, but I had to restart my job search log from that point forward.

As someone who just went through this process, I can add that there's also Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) if your job loss was due to foreign trade competition - not common but worth mentioning. Also, @Andre Dupont, make sure when you file for regular UI that you have all your employment history for the past 18 months ready. The NYS Department of Labor system will ask for detailed info about each employer including dates, wages, and reason for separation. It's much easier if you gather all that beforehand rather than trying to remember during the application process.

just wondering but did u have any jobs in the last 18 months out of state? that always makes it take longer

Update for everyone: I just checked my account and my claim was FINALLY approved this morning! It took exactly 24 days from filing to approval. All my certified weeks show as paid now, with the payment scheduled for tomorrow. Huge relief! Going to keep certifying weekly going forward. Thanks everyone for your advice and support through this stressful time.

honestly the whole phone interview thing is just them going through the motions most of the time... they probably already decided before they even called you based on what your employer said. just my experience but dont get your hopes up too much

I just went through this exact same process last month! After my phone interview, it took about 12 days to get the determination letter. The key thing is to keep checking your online account - mine updated to show "determination issued" about 2 days before I actually received the letter in the mail. Also, make sure you're still filing your weekly claims like others mentioned. The waiting is brutal but try to stay patient. In my case, they did approve me and I got all my back pay within 3 business days of the approval. The adjudicator told me they really just want to make sure your story matches what your employer reported, so as long as you were honest about your situation, you should be okay.

definitely get everything in writing from your doctor about what you can and cant do workwise. learned that the hard way when i had my back injury

I went through something similar about 8 months ago. The key thing to understand is that NYS Department of Labor looks at whether you're "able and available" for work, not just your employment status. In my case, I was on workers' comp for a shoulder injury but my doctor cleared me for sedentary work. Even though my regular job was warehouse work that I couldn't do, I was able to get unemployment because I could demonstrate I was available for office-type positions. You'll need to file for unemployment and be honest about your limitations - they may approve you for partial benefits if you can work in some capacity. The workers' comp and unemployment serve different purposes, so you might be eligible for both depending on your medical restrictions. Document everything and be prepared to explain your situation clearly to the DOL representative.

so yea everyone's giving advice about how to reach them but let me tell u what happens when you DO reach them - they'll say they need to transfer you to a "specialist" and then you'll get disconnected 🙃 happened to me THREE TIMES.

This is absolutely maddening! I've been dealing with the exact same identity verification nightmare for almost a month now. The system just says "additional verification required" but gives zero specifics about what they actually need. I've uploaded my license, social security card, and bank statements but still nothing. Has anyone had success with that Claimyr service people keep mentioning? I'm honestly at the point where I'd pay anything to just talk to a human being. The stress of not knowing when (or if) my benefits will resume is killing me. My savings are completely drained and I'm starting to panic about basic bills. Also - does anyone know if there's a way to escalate this through legal channels? Like, is there a state ombudsman or something for unemployment issues? This can't be legal to just indefinitely hold people's benefits with no clear path to resolution. Thanks for posting this - at least I know I'm not alone in this bureaucratic hell.