How long does a pending issue take on unemployment in NY - going on 6 weeks now
Filed my unemployment claim back in November and it's been showing 'pending issue' status for 6 weeks now. The NYS Department of Labor website doesn't give any details about what the issue is or how long this typically takes. I've tried calling but can never get through to a real person. My savings are almost gone and I'm getting really stressed about this. Has anyone else dealt with a pending issue that lasted this long? What should I expect for timing?
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Yuki Tanaka
A pending issue usually means your claim is in adjudication - they're reviewing something about your eligibility or separation from your last employer. The NYS Department of Labor has up to 30 days to make a determination, but in practice it often takes 4-8 weeks depending on their workload and how complex your case is. If it's been 6 weeks, you should definitely try to get through to them by phone.
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NeonNova
•Thanks for the info. Do you know if there's any way to speed this up? I really need to know what's happening with my claim.
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Carmen Diaz
mine took 7 weeks last year, turned out my previous employer contested it and said I was fired for misconduct which wasn't true. once I got through to someone and explained what really happened it got approved within a few days
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NeonNova
•Oh no, I hope that's not what's happening with mine. How did you finally get through to talk to someone?
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Carmen Diaz
•I actually used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
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Andre Laurent
6 WEEKS?? That's absolutely ridiculous! The NYS Department of Labor is such a mess, they probably lost your paperwork or something. I've been waiting 3 weeks for mine and I'm already furious. This system is completely broken and they don't care that people are struggling to pay rent while they take their sweet time.
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Emily Jackson
•I understand the frustration, but the adjudication process exists for good reasons. They need time to verify information and make sure benefits go to eligible claimants. The delays are frustrating but usually there's a legitimate reason for the review.
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Liam Mendez
Keep filing your weekly claims even while it's pending! That's really important - if your claim gets approved they'll backdate your payments to when you first filed, but only if you've been certifying weekly.
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NeonNova
•Yes, I've been doing that. Good to know I should keep it up even though nothing is happening with my claim status.
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Sophia Nguyen
hang in there, these things usually work out eventually. the wait is awful but try not to panic
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CosmicCruiser
I went through something similar last year - my claim was pending for 8 weeks! It turned out they needed additional documentation from my previous employer about my separation. The key is to keep calling early in the morning (like 8 AM sharp) when they open - that's when I finally got through. Also, if you haven't already, try contacting your local assemblyperson's office. They often have contacts at the Department of Labor who can help expedite these cases. Don't give up - the backpay will come once it's resolved, and like others said, make sure you keep certifying weekly!
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Ava Williams
•That's really helpful advice about calling at 8 AM! I've been trying at random times during the day and never getting through. I hadn't thought about contacting my assemblyperson's office either - that's a great tip. Did they actually help you get your case moved along faster, or just provide information? 8 weeks sounds like what I might be looking at too, so it's good to know there's light at the end of the tunnel even if the wait is brutal.
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