How fast does NYS Department of Labor unemployment get approved after filing?
Just filed my unemployment claim yesterday after getting laid off from my restaurant job. My landlord is already asking about next month's rent and I'm starting to panic about timing. The NYS Department of Labor website says processing times vary but doesn't give specifics. For people who've been through this recently - how long did it actually take from filing to getting your first payment? I heard some people wait weeks while others get approved in days. Really need to know what to expect so I can plan accordingly.
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Aliyah Debovski
Timeline really depends on whether your claim needs adjudication or not. If everything is straightforward - you were laid off, no disputes about wages, clear work history - you could see approval within 5-7 business days. But if there are any issues that need review (like questions about why you left your job, wage discrepancies, or if you worked in multiple states), it goes into adjudication which can take 3-6 weeks or longer.
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Ally Tailer
•I was definitely laid off due to slow business, so hopefully no issues there. My wages should be clear since I only worked at one place for the past year. Fingers crossed it's the faster timeline!
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Miranda Singer
took me 2 weeks to get approved but then another week for the debit card to arrive. make sure you're doing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval or you'll lose those weeks
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Ally Tailer
•Wait, I have to file weekly claims before I'm even approved? The website wasn't clear about that.
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Aliyah Debovski
•Yes, you need to file your weekly claims starting the Sunday after you file your initial claim. You can't get paid for weeks you don't claim, even if your approval is backdated.
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Cass Green
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and honestly the phone system is impossible. If you need to check your status or there are any issues, calling them is a nightmare - you'll be on hold for hours just to get disconnected. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to real agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration when my claim got stuck in adjudication.
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Finley Garrett
•Never heard of that but might be worth it. I spent 4 hours on hold last week just to get hung up on when I finally got through.
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Madison Tipne
The whole system is broken honestly. My friend waited 8 weeks just to find out they needed one additional document that nobody told her about. Meanwhile people are struggling to pay bills and the NYS Department of Labor acts like it's no big deal. They make the process deliberately confusing so fewer people can actually get benefits.
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Holly Lascelles
•What document did she need? I want to make sure I have everything ready in case they ask.
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Madison Tipne
•Some verification of her last day worked because her employer reported different dates than what she put on her application. Such a simple thing but they let her wait 2 months before telling her.
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Holly Lascelles
Just to add - if you're approved, your first payment might be delayed because they send you a debit card first. You can set up direct deposit but that takes another few days to process. So even after approval, expect at least a week before money hits your account. Plan accordingly!
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Ally Tailer
•Thanks for the heads up! I'll look into setting up direct deposit right away once I'm approved.
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