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How long after NY unemployment claim gets priority status until payments start?

My claim has been pending for almost 5 weeks now. Yesterday I finally got through to someone on the phone after trying for DAYS, and they told me my claim was now moved to 'priority status.' When I asked what that means exactly, they just said it would be processed faster, but couldn't tell me HOW MUCH faster. Has anyone else been told their NY unemployment claim was moved to priority? How long did it take for you to actually start receiving payments after that? I'm really struggling and need to know if I should expect days or weeks at this point.

Maya Jackson

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Priority status typically means your claim is now at the front of the queue for review. In my experience working with clients, most priority claims are processed within 3-7 business days. The exact timeline depends on claim complexity and current NYSDOL workload. Keep certifying weekly while you wait - you'll get retroactive payments for all eligible weeks once approved.

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Nathan Dell

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Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep certifying. Do you think calling again would speed things up more or just waste my time at this point?

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mine was put on priority back in February and took 5 days to start getting paid. hope u get yours soon!

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Nathan Dell

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5 days would be amazing! Thanks for letting me know. Fingers crossed.

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Amaya Watson

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When they put my claim on priority it still took THREE WEEKS to get paid!! The system is sooo broken and nobody there seems to know what's going on. I called every day and got different answers every time. One rep told me priority meant 2-3 days and another said it could be up to a month! And the worst part is you can't even talk to the person who's actually reviewing your claim!!!! It's ridiculous how they treat people who are just trying to get the benefits they're entitled to.

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Nathan Dell

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Oh no, that's what I'm afraid of! Did you have any issues with your claim that might have caused the delay? Mine should be pretty straightforward.

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Grant Vikers

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Priority status processing times vary based on claim complexity. Simple claims (no employer disputes, clear income history) typically process in 3-5 business days. More complex claims with verification needs might take 7-10 business days even with priority status. The key factors affecting timing are: 1. Whether additional documentation is needed 2. If there are multiple employers that need to be contacted 3. Current NYSDOL backlog volume 4. Any system flags on your account One tip: check your message inbox on the portal daily for any requests for additional information, as these can delay processing if not addressed promptly.

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this is spot on! my claim had an employer dispute and sat in priority for 2 weeks before getting approved. my friend's claim was simple and took just 2 days after getting priority status.

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Savannah Weiner

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I'm in the same boat as you right now! Been waiting 6 weeks total, got priority status on Monday. Still nothing in my account. The anxiety is killing me. Please update if you get your payments!

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Nathan Dell

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I definitely will update. The waiting and uncertainty is the worst part! Hopefully we both see movement soon.

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Levi Parker

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After struggling to reach anyone at NY unemployment for weeks about my priority claim, I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 15 minutes. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my priority claim was delayed (missing employer form) and what I needed to do to fix it. Saved me from waiting another month! They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE if you're interested. Definitely worth it when you're desperate to talk to a real person.

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Savannah Weiner

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Wait for real? I've been calling for HOURS every day this week with no luck. Definitely checking this out.

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Amaya Watson

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I wish I knew about this earlier! Spent literally 20+ hours on hold over two weeks trying to find out why my 'priority' claim wasn't moving.

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btw make sure ur answering ur phone even if u dont recognize the number. sometimes they call to verify info before they can finish processing and if u miss it they just delay everything

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Nathan Dell

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That's a good tip! I've been letting unknown numbers go to voicemail because of all the spam calls, but I'll start answering everything now.

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My roommate got priority status last month and it took exactly 4 business days. But my cousin had to wait almost 2 weeks and his claim was pretty normal too so idk seems pretty random honestly

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Maya Jackson

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Another important factor: if your claim was moved to priority because of a specific issue that was identified and resolved during your call, you'll likely see faster processing than if it was escalated as a general aging claim. If the representative identified and fixed a specific problem during your call, that's a good sign for quicker resolution.

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Nathan Dell

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Update: Just got paid today! So it took exactly 5 business days after getting priority status. All the back payments came through at once. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help.

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Savannah Weiner

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That's awesome news! Mine just got approved too - maybe they're processing a batch of priority claims this week. So relieved!

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