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How long does NY unemployment take to schedule a hearing after you request one?

So I appealed my claim decision back in April after I was denied benefits based on some income discrepancy. The determination letter said I supposedly earned more than I reported, which is completely false. I filed my appeal right away and got an acknowledgment email saying they received it. Now it's the middle of August, and I still haven't heard anything about a hearing date. That's over 4 months of waiting! I've called about 20 times and either can't get through or get told by reps that "it's in process" and they "can't provide a timeframe." My bills are piling up, and I'm running out of savings. Has anyone actually gone through this appeal process recently? How long did you wait for your hearing to be scheduled? Is there any way to speed this up?

I waited 5 months for my hearing last year. The system is completely broken. I ended up having to borrow money from family just to make rent while I waited. When I finally got the hearing, it was over in 15 minutes and I won, but those 5 months were hell. Good luck.

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5 months? That's insane! Did they at least backpay you for all the weeks you were waiting?

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Yeah they did backpay everything eventually but it took another 3 weeks after the hearing for it to show up in my account. The whole system is a joke honestly

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This is why I tell everyone to have at least 6 months of expenses saved... the government will never be there when you actually need them 🤷‍♂️

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OK boomer, most ppl living paycheck to paycheck can't save 6 months of expenses. That's some privileged advice right there 🙄

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I was stuck in the same boat until I found a way to actually get a human on the phone! I tried for weeks with no luck, then used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that called and waited on hold for me, then connected me to an agent when they picked up. I got my hearing scheduled within a week after talking to the right person. Seriously saved my sanity and talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast. Check out their Youtube too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

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is this for real? sounds too good to be true. has anyone else used this?

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100% real. I was skeptical too but I was desperate after trying to call for 3 weeks straight. The service actually worked - they called, waited on hold (which was like 2 hours), then called my phone when an agent picked up.

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Does it actually work for appeals specifically? or just general unemployment questions? My issue is pretty complicated

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It works for anything where you need to talk to an agent! You just tell the agent your situation when they connect you. In my case, they helped me get my appeal escalated.

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Another ad for this claimyr thing 🙄 these are all over reddit lately

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Not an ad lol. I'm just someone who was desperate enough to try anything after spending days trying to get through. Don't use it if you don't want to, but it worked for me 🤷‍♀️

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The wait time for ny unemployment hearings is absolutely criminal. I waited 7 months last year. The system is designed to make people give up.

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Contact your local state representative/assemblyperson!! This was the only thing that worked for me. I waited 4 months, nothing happened, then I called my state rep's office. Their staff has direct contacts at NYSDOL and they got my hearing scheduled within 2 weeks after they inquired about my case.

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That's a great idea, I hadn't thought of that. Do I just call their main office number?

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Yep! Just google your district and find your rep, call their office and explain your situation. Ask if they can help with your unemployment appeal. They usually have a staff member who handles these issues specifically.

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This actually works. My cousin did this and got results when nothing else was working. The unemployment office suddenly gets efficient when a politician starts asking questions lol

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Here's what I learned after going through this hellish process last year. The average wait time is currently 4-6 months for a hearing in NY. However, there are a few things you can do: 1. Call repeatedly until you get someone helpful - not all reps have the same information or willingness to help 2. Send a secure message through your online account specifically asking for the status of your hearing request (this creates a paper trail) 3. Contact your state representative as someone else mentioned - this often works 4. If you're truly in a financial emergency, request an expedited hearing in writing, citing financial hardship 5. If all else fails, consider using a service like claimyr.com to get through to someone who can actually help. I was skeptical but it worked when nothing else did. Don't give up! The system is frustrating by design, but persistence pays off. Once you do get your hearing, make sure you have all your documentation ready. In my case, I had screenshots of all my wages and evidence that contradicted their claim. I won my appeal and got all my backpay.

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Thank you for such a detailed response! I didn't know about the expedited hearing request - do I just send that through the messaging system?

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You can send it through the messaging system but I recommend also mailing a physical letter to their appeals department stating your hardship. Include any documentation of financial hardship (overdue bills, eviction notices, etc). Make sure to include your claim ID number on everything!

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i waited 6.5 months for my hearing date. the system is completely broken. when i finally got my hearing the judge ruled in my favor in like 10 minutes and couldn't believe they even denied me in the first place.

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Funny how they can deny you instantly but make you wait half a year for an appeal. Then they wonder why people get behind on bills and lose their homes 🤬

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RIGHT?!! They'll deny you in 2 seconds flat but make you wait months for a chance to prove they were wrong. It's by design.

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The cruelty is the point. They're hoping people give up or find jobs before the hearings so they don't have to pay out.

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Here's a tip that might help - call right when they open (like 7:59am). I've had much better luck getting through and sometimes you get the more experienced reps who actually know how to help. Ask specifically to speak to a tier 2 rep or someone in the appeals department.

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Thanks for the tip! Do you know what time they open? Is it 8am?

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8am on weekdays. Try Monday if you can - for some reason I've had better luck on Mondays than other days of the week. And stay polite no matter what - the nicer you are the more likely they'll actually try to help you.

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I heard they're backlogged over 100,000 appeals right now. Not sure if that's true but wouldn't be surprised. NY unemployment is a complete disaster.

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If you're really desperate try reaching out to legal aid. There are some nonprofits that help with unemployment appeals and they sometimes have connections that can speed things up.

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Legal Aid Society of NY actually has a whole department for this. I used them and they were amazing! Completely free too

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This might sound crazy but have you tried faxing them? 😂 I know it's 2023 but I swear I got a response when I faxed in a letter asking about my appeal status after months of nothing. Something about that old technology still gets attention I guess.

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That's hilarious but I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point! Do you happen to know the fax number?

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It should be on any of the official letters they sent you. I think the main appeals fax was something like 518-457-xxxx. There are online fax services if you don't have access to an actual fax machine lol

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after spending WEEKS trying to get through to someone at ny unemployment, i finally broke down and tried claimyr.com. got connected to a rep in less than 2 hours who actually scheduled my hearing on the spot. it was the only way I could talk to a live agent after 30+ attempts calling myself. definitely worth checking out.

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Another ad for this service? 🙄

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Nope, just sharing what worked for me after countless hours of frustration. Believe what you want, but when you've been trying to get through for weeks you'll try anything.

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I used this too actually. After my husband got laid off we were desperate. It worked but I was skeptical at first. Just sharing my experience, take it or leave it 🤷‍♀️

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Ok ok maybe I'll look into it. Just seen so many scams around unemployment lately

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Have u tried the callback option on the website? I requested a callback and actually got one about 3 days later. The lady was super helpful and looked up my appeal status.

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Wait there's a callback option?? Where on the site do you find that? I've been all over the website and never saw that.

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It's kinda hidden. Go to your dashboard, then to the contact us section, then there should be an option to request a callback. It's not always available tho, I think they turn it off when they get too many requests.

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my hearing took 8 months to get scheduled and then they cancelled it the day before and rescheduled for another month later. ny unemployment is a joke.

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one thing that helped me: document EVERYTHING. every call, every letter, every email. if you get a hearing, the more documentation you have, the better. take screenshots of your bank statements too if this is about wage discrepancies.

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That's good advice, thank you. I've been keeping notes of all my calls but I'll start documenting more thoroughly.

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