Filed new NY unemployment claim by phone - how long for approval letter and first payment?

Just went thru this in February. The letter took exactly 9 days to arrive for me. The first payment took about 10 days after my first weekly claim, but now they come 2-3 days after I certify. They're pretty fast once ur in the system.

The approval letter (Monetary Determination) typically arrives within 7-10 business days. It shows your weekly benefit amount based on your past wages. Your first payment might take 2-3 weeks from your first certification because they need to verify your eligibility. After that initial waiting period, payments should process within 3 business days of certification if there are no issues with your claim. Make sure you're certifying on your assigned day to avoid delays. Also check your NY.gov message center regularly - sometimes they send electronic notices faster than mail.

THEY NEVER SENT ME MY LETTER!!!! I waited 3 weeks and got NOTHING. Called every day and couldn't get through to anyone!!! The system is completely BROKEN in 2025. Finally I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent - they have a service that gets you connected to unemployment phone lines without the wait. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent told me my letter had been sent to my old address even though I updated it online! They fixed it and my benefits started within days. Worth every penny to not waste weeks of my life on hold.

mine took like 2 weeks for the letter but my cousin got his in 5 days so i think it depends on where u live and how backed up they are

The letter timing varies, but what's most important is checking your online account status. Here's what to expect: 1. Initial approval letter: 7-14 days by mail 2. First payment: Typically arrives 2-3 weeks after first certification 3. Subsequent payments: 2-3 business days after weekly certification If your claim shows "pending" for more than 3 weeks, that indicates a problem requiring agent intervention. Common delays include identity verification issues, employer disputes about separation reason, or missing wage information. For fastest processing: certify on your assigned day, check online status frequently, and respond immediately to any questionnaires they send.

When you log into your NY.gov account and go to the Unemployment Services section, look for "Payment History" - this will show if payments are pending, released, or if there's an issue. Also check "Claim Status" which shows if your overall claim is approved/pending/under review.

My letter came in like 6 days back in January so not bad. First payment took forever tho bc they had to "review" something. Good luck!

one other thing - make sure ur checking ur spam folder for emails from them. my friend missed important messages cuz they went to spam and then her benefits got delayed!!

When I filed in 2024 I went thru the same exact process you did but never got my letter at all. After waiting 3 weeks I had to call back and they said there was a "system error" with my claim. Took another 2 weeks to fix it. Not trying to scare you but keep an eye on that online account and if nothing updates after 2 weeks definitely call them. The whole thing makes me so nervous every time I have to deal with unemployment. My anxiety goes through the roof!

Just to update everyone on the latest processing times - NYSDOL's current reported average is: - Monetary Determination letters: 5-10 business days - First payment after certification: 10-14 business days (if no issues) - Regular weekly payments: 2-3 business days after certification These times have actually improved since last year when they were severely backlogged. The key factor that delays most claims is incomplete or inconsistent information between what you provided and what your employer reported.