How do I know if I've been approved for unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?

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.

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.

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

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.

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'??

keep doing your weekly claims! thats the most important thing even if you dont see money yet

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!

I'm in a similar boat - filed my claim 12 days ago and still waiting for that monetary determination letter everyone's talking about. The uncertainty is really stressful! One thing I learned from calling the DOL helpline (after many attempts) is that processing times can vary based on how complex your work history is. If you had multiple employers or any gaps in employment, it might take longer for them to verify everything. They told me to expect up to 21 business days for the initial determination. In the meantime, I'm keeping detailed records of all my weekly certifications and checking my online account daily for any new messages. Stay strong - we'll get through this waiting period!

I'm going through this exact same process right now - filed 8 days ago and the waiting is killing me! Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring though. I've been obsessively checking my online account multiple times a day looking for that monetary determination letter. One tip I picked up from another forum is to also check the "correspondence" section in addition to messages, as sometimes documents show up there first. Also wanted to mention that I called my local career center and they said they can sometimes check claim status over the phone if you can't get through to the main DOL line. The number for my local office had much shorter wait times. Fingers crossed we all hear back soon!

I just went through this same process last month and completely understand your stress! Here's what I learned: the "active" status just means your claim is in the system, but you'll know you're actually approved when you receive the Monetary Determination letter in your online account. This usually takes 2-3 weeks from filing. The key thing is to keep doing those weekly certifications no matter what - I almost made the mistake of stopping because I wasn't seeing payments yet, but you need to certify for every week you want to claim benefits for. Once you get that determination letter, your first payment should come within a few days of your next certification. Also, don't panic if it takes the full 21 business days - mine took almost 3 weeks because I had multiple employers to verify. The waiting is awful but you're doing everything right by continuing to certify weekly!

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!

I'm in the exact same position - filed 11 days ago and have been anxiously waiting! This thread is so reassuring because I was starting to think something was wrong with my application. I've been doing my weekly certifications religiously but seeing that $0 payment history was making me panic. The clarification about "active" vs actually approved is really helpful - I had no idea the Monetary Determination letter was what to look for. I've been checking messages daily but hadn't thought to look in the Document Repository or correspondence sections that people mentioned. Going to check those now! It's such a relief to know 2-3 weeks is normal processing time. The uncertainty is honestly the hardest part of this whole situation, but reading everyone's experiences gives me hope that things will work out. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and tips!

I'm currently going through this same process - filed my claim 6 days ago and the waiting is definitely anxiety-inducing! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful though. I had no idea about the Monetary Determination letter being the actual approval notice, I was also thinking "active" meant approved. The tip about checking the Document Repository and correspondence sections in addition to messages is great - I've only been checking messages. It's reassuring to know that 2-3 weeks is the normal timeline and that continuing weekly certifications is crucial even while waiting. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines - it really helps to know we're not alone in this stressful waiting period. I'll keep checking all those sections and doing my weekly certifications religiously!

I'm in almost the exact same situation - filed my claim 11 days ago and have been constantly refreshing my online account looking for any updates! This entire thread has been such a huge relief because I was starting to convince myself that I'd done something wrong in my application. Like everyone else, I've been religiously doing my weekly certifications but that persistent $0 in payment history was really starting to freak me out. The explanation about "active" status vs. actual approval through the Monetary Determination letter is a game-changer - I had no clue that's what I should be watching for. I've been obsessively checking just the messages section, but now I'm going to start monitoring the Document Repository and correspondence sections too based on everyone's tips. Knowing that 2-3 weeks is completely normal processing time really helps set realistic expectations instead of panicking after just over a week. The uncertainty is definitely the hardest part of this whole experience, but reading everyone's similar timelines and success stories gives me so much hope. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's amazing how much better it feels knowing we're all navigating this stressful waiting period together!

I'm currently at day 14 since filing and just wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! Like so many others here, I was getting really anxious about the $0 payment history and constantly checking my account. But after reading everyone's advice, I discovered that my Monetary Determination letter had actually been posted to the Document Repository section yesterday - I never would have thought to check there if not for this discussion! My weekly benefit amount is listed and everything looks good. For anyone still waiting, definitely check ALL the sections people mentioned here: messages, Document Repository, correspondence, and the main account overview. The 2-3 week timeline mentioned by several people seems to be pretty accurate. Keep doing those weekly certifications no matter what! This community has been a lifesaver during what felt like an endless waiting period.