How long does it take NYS Department of Labor to review your claim - still waiting 6 weeks
I filed my unemployment claim six weeks ago and it's still under review with no updates. The my.ny.gov portal just shows 'claim review in progress' but doesn't give any timeline or explanation. I've been certifying weekly but haven't received any payments yet. My former employer laid off our entire department so there shouldn't be any issues with eligibility. Has anyone else experienced such long review times? I'm starting to panic about my bills and need to know if this is normal or if something went wrong with my application.
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Jamal Edwards
Six weeks is definitely longer than usual but not unheard of. NYS Department of Labor claims typically get reviewed within 2-4 weeks unless there's an issue that requires additional verification. Since you mentioned a mass layoff, they might be processing multiple claims from your employer which can slow things down. Make sure you keep certifying weekly even though you haven't been paid yet - those certifications are still important for when your claim gets approved.
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ThunderBolt7
•Thanks for the info. I've been keeping up with the weekly certifications but it's frustrating not knowing what's causing the delay. Should I try calling or just wait it out?
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Mei Chen
I had a similar situation last year and it took 7 weeks before my claim was approved. Turns out they were verifying my wages with a previous employer that had changed their payroll system. If you can get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor, they can usually tell you what specific part of your claim is being reviewed. The phone lines are brutal though - I tried calling for weeks before I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration.
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Never heard of that service before but might be worth trying. The NYS Department of Labor phone system is impossible to navigate.
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Amara Okonkwo
OMG this is exactly what I'm going through!! Filed 5 weeks ago and NOTHING. I'm so stressed I can barely sleep. What if they deny it? What if I filled something out wrong? My anxiety is through the roof and I don't know what to do. Did you have to provide any additional documents when you filed?
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ThunderBolt7
•I feel you on the anxiety! I only submitted what they asked for initially - social security card, driver's license, and my last pay stub. Trying to stay positive but it's really hard when bills are piling up.
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Giovanni Marino
The whole NYS Department of Labor system is a joke. They take forever to process anything and then act like they're doing you a favor. I've been fighting with them for months over an overpayment issue that was THEIR mistake. Good luck getting any real answers from them.
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Fatima Al-Sayed
same boat here, been waiting 4 weeks with no word. keep calling but cant get through to anyone who can actually help
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Dylan Hughes
Hang in there! I know it's stressful but these delays happen more often than you'd think. Once your claim does get approved, you'll receive back pay for all the weeks you certified, so you won't lose out on any benefits. The waiting is the hardest part.
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Natasha Orlova
I went through something similar about 8 months ago - filed and waited 5 weeks with no updates. What finally helped was documenting everything and sending a formal inquiry through the my.ny.gov message center. I attached copies of my layoff notice and certification history. Got a response within a week saying they were waiting on wage verification from my employer. Turns out my former company was slow to respond to their requests. Once I knew what the holdup was, I was able to follow up more effectively. The whole process took 7 weeks total but I did get all my back pay. Don't give up - keep certifying and try the message center if you haven't already!
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