How do I know if I've been approved for unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?
I submitted my initial claim about 10 days ago and I'm not sure what to look for to know if it's been approved. I've been doing my weekly certifications but my payment history still shows $0. The claim status just says 'active' but I don't know if that means approved or just that it's in the system. Should I have gotten some kind of official approval notice by now? I'm really stressed about this because I need to know if I should keep looking for other options.
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NebulaNomad
When your claim is approved, you'll receive a 'Monetary Determination' notice either by mail or in your online account messages. This will show your weekly benefit amount and maximum benefit amount. The fact that you can file weekly certifications is a good sign, but you won't see payments until after the approval and your first weekly certification is processed.
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Ravi Sharma
•Thanks! I haven't seen any messages in my account yet. How long does the monetary determination usually take to show up?
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Freya Thomsen
Check your my.ny.gov account under 'Unemployment Services' and look for any documents or messages. If your claim is approved, you'll see a determination letter that breaks down your benefit rate. Also make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims even while waiting - you can't get paid for weeks you don't certify.
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Omar Fawaz
•This is exactly right. I made the mistake of not filing for 2 weeks while waiting and lost those payments permanently.
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Chloe Martin
ugh the waiting is the worst part!! i filed 3 weeks ago and just got my determination yesterday so it can take a while. but once you get it you'll know exactly how much you'll get each week
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Diego Rojas
If you're having trouble getting through to check your status, I actually used a service called Claimyr that helped me reach a NYS Department of Labor agent directly. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
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Ravi Sharma
•That's interesting, I've been trying to call but can never get through. Does it actually work?
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Diego Rojas
•Yeah it worked for me. I was able to get connected to an agent who explained exactly where my claim was in the process. Much better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Anastasia Sokolov
The whole system is so confusing! I thought 'active' meant approved too but apparently it just means they received your application. Why can't they just send a simple email saying 'yes you're approved' or 'no you're not'??
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NebulaNomad
•I agree the terminology is confusing. 'Active' just means your claim is in the system and being processed. The actual approval comes with the monetary determination document.
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StarSeeker
keep doing your weekly claims! thats the most important thing even if you dont see money yet
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Camila Jordan
I went through the same exact situation a few months ago - the waiting period is nerve-wracking! In my case, it took about 2 weeks from when I filed to receive the monetary determination letter. You'll know you're approved when you see that document in your online account messages section. It will clearly state your weekly benefit amount and the total you're eligible for. Until then, definitely keep filing your weekly certifications like others mentioned - you can't get retroactive payments for weeks you miss. The "active" status is just the system acknowledging your claim exists, not that it's approved yet. Hang in there!
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Norman Fraser
I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now - filed my claim 9 days ago and have been checking my online account obsessively! The advice here about looking for the Monetary Determination letter is really helpful. I've been continuing my weekly certifications but was getting worried seeing $0 in payment history. It's good to know that "active" status doesn't mean approved yet. One thing I noticed is that when I log into my.ny.gov, there's a section called "Document Repository" under unemployment services that I hadn't checked before - might be worth looking there too for any determination letters. The waiting is definitely stressful but reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel less alone in this process. Thanks for asking this question!
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Fatima Al-Sayed
•Great point about the Document Repository section! I hadn't thought to check there either - I've just been obsessively refreshing the messages section. It's so helpful to know I'm not the only one checking multiple times a day, I was starting to feel a bit crazy about it! 9 days is right around where I am too, so hopefully we'll both hear something soon. Thanks for mentioning that section, I'm going to go check it right now. This whole thread has been such a relief - it's amazing how much better it feels knowing other people are going through the exact same waiting game.
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