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Fatima Al-Rashid

How do I know if I won my unemployment appeal with NYS Department of Labor?

I had my appeal hearing with an administrative law judge about 10 days ago after NYS Department of Labor denied my initial claim. The hearing went okay I think but the judge didn't give me any indication of when I'd hear back or how I'd be notified. My online account still shows the same denial status. Should I have gotten something by now? How will they let me know if I won the appeal? I'm getting really stressed because I've been without benefits for over a month now.

Appeal decisions usually take 2-6 weeks to arrive by mail from NYS Department of Labor. You can check your my.ny.gov account under the appeals section to see if the status has changed from 'pending' to 'decided.' If you won, it will show as 'favorable' and your claim should automatically reopen with back pay calculated from your original filing date.

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Thank you! I checked and it still shows pending but at least now I know what to look for. Do you know if they email you or is it only by regular mail?

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Appeal decisions usually take 2-4 weeks after your hearing. You'll get the decision by mail first - it's an official document from the Office of Administrative Hearings. Your my.ny.gov account will update after the written decision is processed, which can take a few extra days. If you win, the decision letter will specify when your benefits start and if you're owed back pay.

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Thank you! That's reassuring to know it's normal to wait this long. Do you know if they backdate the benefits to when I first filed if I win?

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mine took almost 6 weeks to get the letter and when i won they backdated everything so dont worry about the job search stuff until you know for sure

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Same boat here! Had my hearing 3 weeks ago and still waiting. The uncertainty is killing me but my friend who went through this last year said no news is good news at this point.

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If you're having trouble getting updates, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent when I was waiting on my appeal decision. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

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Interesting, I might try that if I don't hear anything by next week. Did they charge you anything for helping you get through?

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There's a fee but honestly it was worth it to actually talk to someone who could check my case status instead of just waiting and wondering.

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The whole appeals process is such a nightmare. They make you wait forever then sometimes the decision gets lost in the mail. I'd call them directly if I were you.

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If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to check on your appeal status, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Much easier than sitting on hold for hours trying to get appeal updates.

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How does that work exactly? Do they just call for you or what? I've been trying to reach someone about my appeal status for weeks.

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The whole appeal process is so stressful! I'm going through something similar and the waiting is the worst part. At least you felt like the hearing went okay - that's probably a good sign. Did they ask you a lot of questions about why you were terminated?

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Yeah they asked about the circumstances pretty thoroughly. My employer claimed I was fired for attendance but I had medical documentation for my absences. Hoping that was enough to prove my case.

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Check your my.ny.gov message center too - sometimes they send notifications there before the mail arrives. Also make sure your address is current in your profile because if the decision letter gets returned you'll have to start over with getting a copy.

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Good point about the address! I moved recently but updated it when I filed the appeal so hopefully that's not an issue.

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If you win your appeal, NYS Department of Labor will automatically restore your claim and you'll get a lump sum payment for all the weeks you missed. Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the decision - if you win, those weeks will count toward your benefit total.

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I'm going through a similar situation right now - had my appeal hearing 2 weeks ago and still waiting on the decision. The anxiety is real! From what I've researched, 10 days is still pretty normal timing. One thing that helped ease my mind was setting up text alerts through my.ny.gov so I get notified immediately when there's any status change. Also, if it helps, my cousin went through this process last year and said the judge being neutral during the hearing was actually a good sign - they're not supposed to give hints about their decision. Hang in there!

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Thanks for sharing this! The text alerts tip is really helpful - I didn't know you could set those up through my.ny.gov. I'll definitely do that today. It's reassuring to hear that 2 weeks is still normal timing and that a neutral judge might actually be a good thing. I was worried because the judge didn't seem to react much to my testimony, but maybe that's just how they're supposed to be professional about it. Really appreciate the encouragement!

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I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago and I know how nerve-wracking the waiting period is! In my case, it took exactly 3 weeks to get the written decision in the mail, and my online account updated about 2 days after I received the letter. The good news is that if you win, they do backdate everything to your original filing date, so you won't lose any benefits for the time you've been waiting. One thing that really helped me stay sane during the wait was remembering that these judges handle dozens of cases and they need time to review all the evidence and testimony carefully. The fact that your hearing went okay is probably more positive than you think - they wouldn't waste time on a case they thought was hopeless. Try to stay patient for at least another week or two before getting too worried about the timeline.

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This is exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. The 3-week timeline gives me a better sense of what to expect, and knowing that the online account updates after the letter arrives is really helpful. I've been checking my account obsessively every day. You're absolutely right about the judges needing time to review everything carefully - I hadn't thought about it that way. It's reassuring to know that an "okay" hearing might actually be more positive than I realized. I'll try to be more patient and give it at least another week before I start panicking. Really appreciate you taking the time to share this!

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I totally understand the stress you're going through! I had my appeal hearing about 8 months ago and the waiting period was absolutely brutal. In my case, it took almost 4 weeks to get the decision letter, but when I won, they backdated everything to my original claim date and I received a lump sum for all the missed weeks. One thing I learned is that the administrative law judges are required to issue their decisions within a certain timeframe, but that can be anywhere from 2-6 weeks depending on their caseload. The fact that you felt the hearing went okay is actually really encouraging - most people walk away feeling uncertain, but that's totally normal since the judges maintain a neutral demeanor throughout the process. Try not to read too much into the judge's behavior during the hearing. Keep checking your my.ny.gov account periodically, but don't drive yourself crazy checking daily. The decision will come, and if you win, you'll get everything you're owed retroactively. Hang in there!

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Thank you so much Emma! Your experience really helps put things in perspective. I've been checking my account multiple times a day which is probably just making me more anxious. The 4-week timeline you mentioned actually makes me feel better since I'm only at 10 days. It's good to know that feeling uncertain after the hearing is normal - I keep replaying everything in my head wondering if I said the right things. I'll try to limit myself to checking once a week instead of obsessing over it daily. Really appreciate you sharing that the retroactive payment worked out for you - that gives me hope that even with all this waiting, I won't actually lose out on benefits if the decision goes my way.

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I just went through this same process a few months ago and completely understand the anxiety! In my case, the decision took about 3.5 weeks to arrive by mail, and my online status updated about a week after I received the physical letter. The waiting is honestly the hardest part because there's nothing you can do but wait. One thing that helped me was keeping a calendar to track the timeline - it made me feel more in control even though I wasn't. If you do win (fingers crossed!), they'll send you a detailed letter explaining the decision and your benefits will automatically resume with full back pay calculated from your original filing date. The good news is that 10 days is still well within the normal timeframe, so try not to worry too much yet. Most decisions come between weeks 2-4 after the hearing. Keep your chin up!

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