Got monetary determination letter but confusing wording about ny unemployment eligibility?

That's actually normal! I got the same letter in August. It's just confirming your wage/employment history and calculating your benefit amount. There's still a separate decision coming about whether you qualify for benefits (like if you quit vs laid off, etc). Mine took about 3 weeks after that letter to get the final decision and start payments.

I was stuck at this exact step for weeks! Ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at unemployment. Talking to an agent got my benefits released within days after sitting in limbo for over a month. Seriously was the only way I could talk to someone instead of endless automated messages. They have a good walkthrough video too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Yes! This is just step 1 - they're saying "based on your work history, this is what you WOULD get IF you're approved" but they still need to verify reason for separation, etc. Keep doing your weekly certifications even while waiting.

That monetary determination letter is just telling you what your benefit AMOUNT would be based on your past wages. They still have to determine if you're eligible based on the reason you're unemployed. Were you laid off? Fired? Quit? That's what they're deciding next.

This system is such a mess. I got that letter and then nothing for 6 weeks 😡 had to call daily. ny unemployment needs to get their act together...

Here's my experience after getting that letter: First, yes, this is normal - virtually everyone gets it. It's basically telling you what your weekly benefit rate would be IF you qualify, based on your employment history. What happens next depends on your situation. If your case is straightforward (clear layoff with employer confirmation), you might be approved quickly - within 1-2 weeks. If there are any complications (you quit, were fired, have multiple employers, worked in different states, etc.), it could take much longer. While waiting, you MUST continue to certify weekly even though you're not getting paid yet. When you're finally approved, you'll get backpay for all properly certified weeks. If it takes longer than 3 weeks after this letter, you should start calling. The phone system is absolute hell, so I recommend using claimyr.com - it's the only service that actually got me through to a real person after weeks of trying. One conversation with a live agent resolved my issues and my payments started flowing including all my backpay. Also check your online account regularly - sometimes notices appear there that don't get mailed. Don't lose hope - the process is frustrating but persistence eventually pays off!

everybody gets this letter, don't stress. it's just telling u how much you'll get IF ur approved. Keep an eye on your online account for updates and make sure u do the weekly certifications

The entire NY unemployment system runs on confusion and anxiety 🤦‍♀️ That letter is normal but expect to wait another 2-8 weeks for an actual decision lol

Yep, got the same notice in September. It took another 3 weeks before I got the final approval. They're backlogged AF right now.

Got the same letter last month, ended up getting approved but took forever. Pro tip: if u need $ fast and cant wait for them to decide, look into emergency assistance thru HRA or local charities. Some can help w rent while ur waiting

Totally normal but KEEP CERTIFYING weekly! I've seen so many people mess this up and then they have to go through a whole backdate request process 🤦‍♂️

that letter is the equivalent of them saying "IF we approve you, this is what you'll get" but they still need to decide if ur eligible based on why u lost ur job

whatever you do, DON'T STOP CERTIFYING while you wait for approval! biggest mistake people make

I just went thru this whole process. That letter is normal, but what they don't tell you is that somebody still has to manually review your case. Some lucky ppl get approved automatically but most of us end up in this weird limbo where we're technically "pending" for weeks or months. I couldn't get anyone on the phone until I used claimyr.com - totally worth it to finally get a human who could actually fix my issues.

Same exact situation here! Got my monetary determination letter showing $387/week but that confusing disclaimer had me worried too. Based on everyone's responses, sounds like this is just step 1 and we need to wait for the actual eligibility decision. Really appreciate all the detailed explanations - makes me feel way less anxious about the process. Going to keep doing my weekly certifications and just be patient (even though it's hard when bills are piling up). Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

That monetary determination letter is just confirming your wage history and calculating your potential weekly benefit amount - it's NOT the final approval decision. I went through this exact same thing last year and was totally confused by that wording too! The next step is they'll review your separation reason (sounds like you were laid off which is good) and make the actual eligibility determination. That can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks depending on how backed up they are. Keep doing your weekly certifications even though you're not getting paid yet - when you do get approved, you'll receive backpay for all those certified weeks. The waiting is super stressful but based on what you've shared, being laid off due to budget cuts with employer confirmation puts you in a good position for approval. Just stay patient and keep an eye on your online account for updates!

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! Just got my monetary determination letter last week showing $394/week but that disclaimer about "this is not a decision on your eligibility" had me so confused. Reading through all these responses is incredibly helpful - it sounds like this is totally normal and just the first step in the process. Really appreciate everyone sharing their timelines and experiences. I was laid off from my job in retail due to store closures, so hopefully that's straightforward enough for approval. Going to keep up with my weekly certifications and try to be patient even though it's nerve-wracking waiting when you need the money. Thanks for posting this question - you're definitely not alone in being confused by their wording!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Got my monetary determination letter showing $401/week just a few days ago and that disclaimer totally threw me off too. It's such a relief to read everyone's experiences and realize this is completely normal. I was laid off from my marketing job due to company restructuring, so sounds like I should be in a similar boat as most of you for approval. The hardest part is definitely the waiting game when you're trying to figure out how to pay rent and bills. I've been keeping up with my weekly certifications even without getting paid yet, which seems to be the consensus here. Really grateful for this thread - it's way more helpful than anything on the official NY unemployment website! Fingers crossed we all get our approvals soon.

I'm going through the exact same thing! Just got my monetary determination letter yesterday showing $448/week but that confusing disclaimer made me panic thinking I did something wrong with my application. After reading through everyone's responses here, I feel so much better knowing this is just the standard first step. I was laid off from my nursing job when our hospital unit got restructured, so hopefully that's straightforward enough for quick approval. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're counting every dollar, but I'll keep doing my weekly certifications and try to stay patient. This thread is honestly more helpful than spending hours on the NY DOL website trying to figure out what's happening. Thanks for asking this question - it's clear so many of us are in the same boat!

Just went through this whole process myself! That monetary determination letter is basically them saying "here's what we calculated you'd get based on your work history, BUT we still need to decide if you actually qualify." It's like getting a pre-approval letter - shows the amount but not the final decision. I was laid off from my accounting firm due to downsizing and got my monetary letter in December showing $412/week. The waiting after that was brutal - took almost 4 weeks to get my actual eligibility decision. But since you were laid off due to budget cuts with employer confirmation, that's about as straightforward as it gets for approval. Keep doing those weekly certifications religiously even though you're not getting paid yet - that backpay will come through when you're approved. The NY unemployment system is designed to confuse people, but your situation sounds very similar to mine and I ended up getting approved with full backpay. Hang in there!