How long does it take NYS Department of Labor unemployment to approve you - still waiting after 2 weeks
Filed my unemployment claim two weeks ago and still haven't heard anything back from NYS Department of Labor. My online account just shows 'claim pending' with no other details. I lost my job at a restaurant when they had to close suddenly and I really need to know how long this process takes. My rent is due next week and I'm getting stressed about the timeline. Has anyone else experienced delays like this? What's the normal approval time supposed to be?
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Joshua Wood
NYS Department of Labor typically processes initial claims within 2-3 weeks, but it can take longer if they need additional verification. During peak periods or if there are any issues with your application, it might extend to 4-5 weeks. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval - this is crucial for getting retroactive payments once approved.
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Madison Allen
•Thank you! I have been doing the weekly claims but wasn't sure if I should continue. Should I be worried that it's taking this long?
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Justin Evans
Same boat here - filed 3 weeks ago and just got approved yesterday. The waiting is brutal but they do eventually get to it. Restaurant closures might need extra verification so that could be adding time to your case.
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Madison Allen
•That gives me hope! Did you have to provide any additional documentation during the wait?
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Justin Evans
•Nope, they just needed time to verify my employment history with my former employer. Once that cleared everything moved fast.
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Emily Parker
If you're really stuck and need to check on your claim status, I had luck using claimyr.com to get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. They have a service that handles the calling for you since the phone lines are always jammed. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Ezra Collins
•Never heard of that before but honestly anything beats sitting on hold for 3 hours just to get disconnected
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Victoria Scott
this is ridiculous!!! i've been waiting FIVE WEEKS and still nothing. called so many times i lost count and never get through to anyone who can help. the system is completely broken and they don't care that people are struggling
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Joshua Wood
•Five weeks is definitely longer than normal. Have you checked if your claim went into adjudication? That can add significant time if there were any employer disputes or documentation issues.
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Benjamin Johnson
Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what! Even if approval takes a while you'll get back pay for all the weeks you were eligible. I made the mistake of stopping my weekly claims thinking it didn't matter and lost out on 2 weeks of benefits.
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Zara Perez
yeah mine took like a month but i think restaurant jobs take longer because they have to verify tips and stuff? idk but eventually it came through
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