Filed for unemployment now what - next steps after NYS Department of Labor application?
Just submitted my unemployment application through my.ny.gov yesterday and I'm completely lost about what happens next. This is my first time ever filing for unemployment and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now. Do I just wait? How long before I hear something? I keep checking my account but it just says 'claim pending' with no other information. I lost my job at a retail store last week due to company downsizing and really need these benefits to cover rent. Should I be doing something else while I wait? Any guidance would be really appreciated.
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ThunderBolt7
After you file your initial claim, you'll need to wait for NYS Department of Labor to process it and then start filing weekly claims. You should receive a determination letter in about 1-2 weeks explaining if you're approved and what your weekly benefit amount will be. Make sure to check your my.ny.gov account regularly for any requests for additional information.
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Zoe Papadakis
•Thank you! Should I be looking for work already or wait until I'm approved? I don't want to mess anything up.
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Jamal Edwards
You need to start your job search immediately even before approval. NYS Department of Labor requires you to make at least 3 work search contacts per week and keep a detailed log. Create an account on the NYS Job Bank and start applying to positions. Also, you'll need to file your first weekly claim this Sunday - don't miss that deadline or you could lose benefits.
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Mei Chen
•Wait, 3 job contacts per week? I thought it was more than that. I've been doing 5-6 just to be safe.
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Jamal Edwards
•The minimum is 3, but doing more is always better and shows good faith effort if you ever get audited.
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Liam O'Sullivan
ugh the whole system is so confusing!! i filed 3 weeks ago and still haven't gotten my first payment. they keep asking for more documents and every time I call I get disconnected after waiting on hold for 2 hours
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Amara Okonkwo
•I had the same problem with getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone. Someone on here recommended this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get connected to an actual agent. I was skeptical but tried it and got through in like 20 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration.
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Giovanni Marino
Just keep filing your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still pending! I made the mistake of not filing for 2 weeks thinking I had to wait for approval first and it messed up my whole timeline. The system is backwards but you have to play by their rules.
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Zoe Papadakis
•Oh no, I haven't filed a weekly claim yet! How do I do that if my claim isn't approved yet?
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ThunderBolt7
•You can file weekly claims through your my.ny.gov account even while your initial claim is pending. Just log in and look for the 'File Weekly Claim' option. You'll need to answer questions about any work you did that week and your job search activities.
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Fatima Al-Sayed
same boat here, filed last month and still waiting. at least you know what to expect now. the waiting is the worst part but once it gets going the payments come regularly
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Isabella Oliveira
Don't panic - you're actually in a pretty normal spot right now! The "claim pending" status is typical for the first week or two. Here's what helped me when I went through this process: 1) Set up email/text alerts in your my.ny.gov account so you don't miss any requests for documents, 2) Start keeping a job search log RIGHT NOW even before approval - I use a simple spreadsheet with company name, position, date applied, and contact method, 3) File your weekly claim this Sunday regardless of pending status (this tripped me up initially), and 4) Be patient with the determination letter - mine took about 10 business days. The system is slow but it does work eventually. You've got this!
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StarStrider
•This is super helpful! I'm also new to this and was wondering - when you say "file your weekly claim this Sunday regardless of pending status" - do you mean every Sunday or just this coming Sunday? And is there a specific time I should do it by? I want to make sure I don't mess up the timing since @Zoe Papadakis mentioned she s'worried about doing something wrong too.
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