How do you know if you were denied unemployment benefits by NYS Department of Labor?

NYS Department of Labor will definitely notify you if your claim is denied. You'll receive a 'Notice of Determination' either by mail or through your online account that explains the reason for denial. The determination letter will also include information about your right to appeal within 30 days. If your claim is still showing 'pending' after 2 weeks, it's likely in adjudication, which means they're reviewing your eligibility.

same thing happened to me last year, mine was pending for like 3 weeks before i got approved. the system is just slow sometimes especially if theres any issues with your work history or something

If you haven't received a determination letter yet, your claim probably hasn't been denied. Common reasons for denial include not meeting work history requirements, quitting without good cause, or being fired for misconduct. The adjudication process can take several weeks, especially if they need to contact your former employer for additional information. You can check your claim status by logging into your my.ny.gov account.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE! I waited 6 weeks just to get DENIED for some bogus reason about my separation from work. They make it impossible to get through on the phone and when you finally do they just tell you to wait more. Good luck getting any real answers from NYS Department of Labor.

I had a similar issue where I couldn't get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to check on my claim status. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was actually pretty helpful for getting real answers instead of just waiting and wondering.

Oh man I'm in the same boat! Filed 3 weeks ago and still pending. I keep wondering if I messed something up on the application or if my old boss said something bad about me. This waiting is driving me crazy and I need to know if I should start applying for other assistance programs.

I went through this exact same situation last month. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, but here's what I learned: NYS DOL is required to send you written notice if your claim is denied, and it will definitely show up in your online account under "correspondence" or "determinations." The fact that yours still says "pending" is actually a good sign - it means they haven't made a negative decision yet. I called the customer service line (though it took forever to get through) and they told me that adjudication can take 4-6 weeks, especially if they need to verify employment details with your former employer. Try not to panic yet - 2 weeks is still within normal processing time, even though it feels like forever when you're waiting for income.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed about 10 days ago and my status is still pending. Reading everyone's experiences here is actually making me feel a bit better - I was convinced I had done something wrong or that my claim was automatically denied. It's frustrating that there's no way to get a real timeline or update on what's happening behind the scenes. I keep refreshing my account hoping something will change. Has anyone found any tricks for getting through to someone on the phone? I've tried calling multiple times but can never get past the automated system.

I'm in week 3 of waiting and finally got some movement on my claim! After reading through everyone's experiences here, I decided to be more proactive. I called exactly at 8am like some of you suggested and actually got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The representative told me that my claim was in "fact-finding" status because they needed to verify my separation reason with my former employer. She said this is super common and can add 2-4 weeks to the process, but it doesn't mean I'm being denied. She also mentioned that I should receive a questionnaire in my online account soon to provide my side of the story about why I left my job. Just wanted to share this info since I know how stressful the waiting is - sometimes "pending" just means they're doing their due diligence, not that anything is wrong with your claim.

I'm currently going through this same exact situation - filed about 18 days ago and still showing "pending" status. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! I was starting to think I had somehow messed up my application or that something was wrong. It's really good to know that 2-6 weeks is actually normal processing time, especially when they need to do fact-finding with former employers. The hardest part is definitely not knowing what's happening behind the scenes. I'm going to try the 8am calling strategy that several people mentioned, and I've also set up email notifications so I'm not constantly refreshing my account. For anyone else waiting - we're not alone in this! The system is just slow, but from what I'm reading here, "pending" doesn't mean denied, it just means they're still working on it.

I'm in a very similar situation - filed 2.5 weeks ago and my status is still pending. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a lifesaver! I was convinced something had gone wrong with my application, but now I understand that this timeline is actually pretty normal. The lack of communication from NYS DOL is really frustrating though - they could save people so much stress by just explaining that adjudication can take 4-6 weeks. I tried calling a few times but could never get through the automated system. I'm going to try the 8am strategy that so many people have mentioned here. It's reassuring to know that "pending" likely means they're still processing rather than that I've been denied. Thank you everyone for sharing your timelines and experiences - it really helps to know we're not going through this alone!

I'm currently at 19 days waiting and this thread has been such a huge help! Like so many others here, I was starting to panic thinking my claim had been silently denied or that I'd made some critical error on my application. It's incredible how much anxiety the "pending" status creates when there's no clear timeline provided by NYS DOL. Reading everyone's experiences - especially hearing that fact-finding and employer verification can add weeks to the process - has really calmed my nerves. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy tomorrow morning. It's frustrating that we have to crowdsource this information instead of getting clear communication from the department, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their timelines and outcomes here. For anyone else in the early days of waiting - hang in there, it sounds like we're all in the same boat and this is just how long the system takes!

I'm at day 14 of waiting and this entire thread has been a godsend! I was absolutely convinced that my claim had been denied or that I'd somehow messed up the application process. The "pending" status with zero communication from NYS DOL is honestly torture when you're depending on this income. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially learning that fact-finding and employer verification are normal parts of the process that can take 4-6 weeks - has given me so much relief. It's really frustrating that NYS DOL doesn't provide clear timelines upfront instead of leaving us all to figure it out through trial and error. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy that everyone keeps mentioning. Thank you to everyone who's shared their timelines and outcomes - knowing that "pending" is normal and not a red flag has probably saved my sanity. For anyone else in those first couple weeks of waiting, this thread is proof that you're not alone and the system is just incredibly slow!

I'm at day 11 of waiting and honestly, finding this thread has been the best thing that's happened since I filed! I was starting to have panic attacks thinking my claim was denied or lost in the system somewhere. The complete silence from NYS DOL after submitting everything is just brutal when you're counting on this money. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially learning that 2-6 weeks is actually normal and that "pending" just means they're still working on it - has been such a huge relief. I had no idea that employer verification and fact-finding were standard parts of the process that could add weeks to the timeline. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to crowd-source this basic information instead of NYS DOL being transparent about their processing times. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy tomorrow morning. Thank you to everyone who's shared their timelines and outcomes - you've probably prevented me from having a complete breakdown! For anyone else in those early days of waiting and freaking out like I was, this thread is proof that the system is just painfully slow but "pending" is totally normal.

I'm at day 21 of waiting and this thread has been absolutely incredible for my peace of mind! Like so many others here, I was completely panicking thinking my claim had been silently denied or that I'd made some fatal error on my application. The "pending" status with zero explanation from NYS DOL is honestly cruel when you're depending on this income to survive. Reading everyone's experiences - especially learning that employer verification and fact-finding are normal parts of the process that can stretch this out to 4-6 weeks - has been such a lifesaver. I finally tried the 8am calling strategy that everyone keeps mentioning and actually got through yesterday! The rep told me my claim is in "adjudication review" which apparently just means they're verifying information with my former employer. She said this is completely routine and doesn't indicate any problems with my claim. It's absolutely infuriating that NYS DOL doesn't communicate any of this upfront - they could save thousands of people so much stress and anxiety by just explaining their process and realistic timelines. Thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences here - you've created the support system that NYS DOL should have provided from day one. For anyone in those early weeks of waiting and spiraling like I was, hang in there - "pending" is normal and this thread is proof that we're all in this together!

I'm currently at day 9 of waiting and this thread has been absolutely amazing for my mental health! I was starting to convince myself that I'd somehow screwed up my application or that my former employer had said something terrible about me. The complete radio silence from NYS DOL combined with just seeing "pending" every day was making me spiral. Reading all of your experiences - especially learning that 2-6 weeks is actually normal and that employer verification/fact-finding are routine parts of the process - has been such a huge relief. It's honestly criminal that NYS DOL doesn't explain any of this upfront. They could prevent so much anxiety by just saying "your claim is now in adjudication, which typically takes 4-6 weeks while we verify information with your employer." Instead we're all left here figuring it out together! I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy that everyone keeps mentioning. Thank you to everyone who's shared their timelines and updates - you've created the transparency and support that the system should have provided from day one. For anyone else in those first couple weeks and panicking like I was, this thread is proof that "pending" is completely normal and we're all going through the exact same thing!

I'm at day 13 of waiting and this thread has been an absolute lifeline! Like everyone else here, I was starting to panic that my claim had been denied or lost somewhere in the system. The "pending" status with zero communication from NYS DOL is honestly torture when you're relying on this income. Reading through all of your experiences has taught me more about the unemployment process than the actual NYS DOL website ever did! Learning that employer verification and fact-finding are normal parts of adjudication that can take 4-6 weeks has been such a relief. It's incredibly frustrating that they don't explain any of this upfront - a simple message saying "your claim is now under review, typical processing time is 4-6 weeks" would save so much anxiety. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy that everyone swears by. Thank you to everyone who's shared their timelines and outcomes here - you've created the transparency and support system that NYS DOL should have provided from day one. For anyone else in those early weeks of waiting and spiraling, this thread is proof that "pending" doesn't mean denied, just that the system moves at a glacial pace!