How long does an appeal take for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor?
My unemployment claim got denied last month and I filed an appeal right away. The NYS Department of Labor website just says 'appeal pending' but doesn't give any timeframe. I really need to know how long this process usually takes because I'm getting behind on rent and bills. Has anyone been through this before? I submitted all my documentation but haven't heard anything back yet.
10 comments


QuantumQuest
Appeals with NYS Department of Labor typically take 4-8 weeks from when you file to get a hearing scheduled. After the hearing, you'll usually get a decision within 2-3 weeks. The whole process can take 2-3 months total depending on their backlog.
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Zainab Khalil
•That's so long! Is there any way to speed it up or check on the status? I can't wait 3 months without income.
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Connor Murphy
mine took forever too, like 10 weeks before i even got the hearing date scheduled. then another 3 weeks for the decision. the whole thing was a nightmare honestly
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Zainab Khalil
•Did you win your appeal? I'm worried they'll just deny it again even with all my evidence.
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Connor Murphy
•yeah i won but it was stressful. make sure you have all your paperwork organized and be ready to explain everything clearly at the hearing
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Yara Haddad
The appeal timeline depends on several factors including the complexity of your case and current caseload. You should have received a notice with an estimated timeframe when you filed. If you need to check status or have questions about your specific appeal, you can try calling NYS Department of Labor but their phone lines are usually swamped. I actually found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps people get through to unemployment agents faster - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth trying if you need updates on your appeal status.
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Keisha Robinson
•Never heard of that service before but honestly anything that helps get through to NYS Department of Labor sounds good to me. Their phone system is impossible.
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Paolo Conti
The appeal process is intentionally slow to discourage people from challenging their decisions. It's ridiculous that they can cut off your income and then make you wait months to get it resolved. Meanwhile they're sitting on millions in unused funds.
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Amina Sow
•I understand the frustration but the appeals process exists to ensure fair hearings. The delays are usually due to high volume rather than intentional discouragement.
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GalaxyGazer
just keep filing your weekly claims even during the appeal!! if you win they'll pay you retroactively for all those weeks. dont stop certifying
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