How long does fact finding take unemployment - NYS Department of Labor adjudication timeline?
My unemployment claim has been in fact finding for almost 6 weeks now and I'm starting to panic. The NYS Department of Labor website just says 'adjudication in progress' but gives no timeline. I lost my job in December when the restaurant I worked at closed permanently, so this should be straightforward right? I've submitted all the paperwork they requested including my separation notice and work history. Has anyone been through this process recently? How long does fact finding actually take with NYS Department of Labor? I'm behind on rent and really need to know if there's an end in sight.
12 comments
Join the conversation
Ian Armstrong
Fact finding adjudication with NYS Department of Labor typically takes 4-8 weeks depending on the complexity of your case. Since you mentioned a permanent business closure, they're likely verifying the employer's information and confirming the reason for separation. The good news is that if approved, you'll receive back pay for all the weeks you've been waiting. Make sure you continue filing your weekly claims even during adjudication - this is crucial for maintaining your claim.
0 coins
Molly Chambers
•Thank you! I have been filing weekly but was worried I was doing something wrong. Should I expect any communication during the process or do they just update the status when it's done?
0 coins
Eli Butler
ugh mine took FOREVER last year, like 10 weeks i think?? the nys department of labor is so slow with everything. but yeah you'll get backpay if they approve it so just keep filing those weekly claims
0 coins
Molly Chambers
•10 weeks?! That's terrifying. Did they ever give you updates or did you just have to wait it out?
0 coins
Marcus Patterson
The adjudication process can definitely be frustrating, but there are ways to check on your claim status. You can try calling the NYS Department of Labor claims center, though getting through can be challenging due to high call volume. I actually discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps people get through to unemployment agents - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. It was really helpful when I needed to check on my adjudication status last year.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•Has anyone actually used that service? Sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate to talk to someone at this point.
0 coins
Marcus Patterson
•I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Got through to an agent who could see my case details and explain what was holding up my adjudication. Worth checking out the demo video at least.
0 coins
Mateo Warren
The fact finding process is essentially NYS Department of Labor investigating the circumstances of your job separation to determine if you're eligible for benefits. For a restaurant closure, they need to verify it was truly a permanent shutdown and not a temporary layoff. They may contact your former employer for documentation. While 6 weeks seems long, it's not unusual for cases involving business closures since they need to confirm the employer won't be recalling workers.
0 coins
Molly Chambers
•That makes sense. The restaurant building was actually sold to developers so there's definitely no chance of reopening. Do you think providing that documentation would speed things up?
0 coins
Sofia Price
just checking in - same boat here! been waiting 5 weeks for my fact finding to finish. at least we're not alone in this mess lol
0 coins
Sofia Gomez
I went through this exact same situation last year when my retail job ended due to store closure. It took about 7 weeks for my fact finding to complete, but I did get approved with full back pay. One thing that helped me was gathering any additional documentation about the business closure - like news articles, lease termination notices, or anything showing it was permanent. You can upload these through your NY.gov account under "Upload Documents" even if they didn't specifically request them. Also, if you have any contact info for HR or management from the restaurant, having them available to verify employment details can speed things up if DOL needs to reach them. Hang in there - the waiting is the worst part but most legitimate claims do get approved eventually!
0 coins
Nina Fitzgerald
•This is really helpful advice! I hadn't thought about uploading additional documentation proactively. Do you remember if there was any notification when they actually reviewed those extra documents, or did you just have to wait and see? I'm wondering if it's worth gathering news articles about the restaurant closure to show it was definitely permanent.
0 coins