Got laid off and filed NY unemployment claim - when will I receive first payment?

Most likely yes, but it depends on whether your employer contests the claim. If everything goes smoothly and your employer confirms the layoff reason, you should see payment 2-3 business days after your certification. I'd expect it Monday or Tuesday next week. Make sure you set up direct deposit if you haven't already - it's much faster than the debit card option.

maybe, maybe not. my first payment took 3 wks to show up. the system is backed up right now, something about them updating their fraud detection system. just keep certifying every week no matter what.

It really varies. Since you just filed Sunday and certified Tuesday, there's a good chance your first payment will be processed in the standard timeframe - which is typically 2-3 business days after certification for approved claims. However, there are a few things that could delay this: 1. If this is your very first unemployment claim ever, NY has a one-week waiting period before benefits begin (this is your unpaid waiting week) 2. If your employer doesn't promptly respond to NYSDOL's verification request 3. If there are any discrepancies in your application information 4. If your claim gets randomly selected for additional review Keep certifying every week regardless of whether you've been paid yet. If you don't see a payment by next Friday, you should try calling NYSDOL to check on your claim status.

Yes, that's correct. The first week is the "waiting week" - you won't receive payment for it, but you still need to certify for that week. Your benefits will start with your second week of unemployment. It's NY's way of having a deductible of sorts on unemployment claims.

This is stressful. I'm trying to call the NYSDOL office to confirm about this waiting week thing and see if there's any way to speed things up, but I can't get through to anyone. Just automated messages and then it hangs up! Is this normal or is something wrong with their phone system?

I had the same issue trying to reach anyone at NYSDOL last month. After wasting days trying to get through, I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. It basically keeps redialing for you until it gets through, then calls you when an agent is on the line. Saved me so much frustration. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE and their site is claimyr.com if you're interested. Worth it for me since I needed to confirm some details about my specific situation.

@casual_commenter It definitely works - they don't call unemployment "for you" - they just handle the redial process until they get through, then connect you directly with the agent. You still talk to NYSDOL yourself. I was skeptical too but it saved me from spending literal days hitting redial.

Just to add some clarity on the timeline: 1. Yes, there is a mandatory waiting week for first-time claims in NY 2. Your first certification covers your waiting week (no payment) 3. Your second certification (next week) will trigger your first payment 4. Payments typically process 2-3 business days after certification 5. Direct deposit is usually faster than the debit card option So if you certified Tuesday for your waiting week, then next Tuesday you'll certify for your first payable week, and should see money by next Friday if everything processes normally. Make sure you continue certifying every week, even if payments aren't showing up yet.

I got laid off in January due to covid cases at my job too!! The whole thing is SO confusing. I thought I would get paid right away but then found out about that stupid waiting week too. I ended up getting my first payment about 10 days after I filed. But my coworker who got laid off the same day didn't get his for almost 3 weeks because they needed to "verify some information" or something? The whole system is a mess honestly.

No not really! I just made sure I answered all the certification questions super carefully each week. My coworker thinks he messed up one of his work search answers and that's what triggered the extra review. Just double check everything before you submit.

Update: I managed to get through to someone at NYSDOL this morning (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - worked surprisingly well). The agent confirmed my claim was approved but said I won't see payment until after my next certification due to the waiting week. At least I know it's coming! Thanks everyone for your help navigating this confusing system.