How long does it take for first NY unemployment payment to arrive after approval?

I waited about 2 weeks after approval for my first payment. Have you checked your payment method? Maybe you selected direct deposit but they dont have your correct bank info. Or if you chose the debit card option, the card might still be in the mail? Check your account settings on the unemployment site.

After struggling with the same issue and not being able to reach anyone, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected with an actual human at unemployment. Talking to an agent got my payments unstuck within 48 hours after weeks of nothing. It was the only way I could actually talk to a live person. They have this system where they wait on hold for you and then call you when they get an agent. Check out their explanation video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

3 weeks for me after approval. The system is SUPER backed up right now because of all the holiday seasonal layoffs. Just keep certifying every week - when it finally goes through, you'll get all the back weeks at once.

If you were just approved on Nov 20th and have been certifying, you might still be in the waiting period. There's usually a one week waiting period before benefits start. So if you filed Nov 5, got approved Nov 20, the waiting week would be the week after approval, and then payments would start for weeks certified after that. Plus add processing time. But it shouldn't be this long - something might be wrong.

have you checked your spam folder for emails from nysdol? sometimes they need additional info and the emails get filtered. also check your online message inbox on the unemployment site, not just payment history.

Let me share what I've learned after going through this nightmare multiple times with NY unemployment: • First payments can take 2-6 weeks after approval, even though they claim 1-2 weeks • The most common delay reasons are identity verification issues, employer disputes, or some random flag on your account • The regular phone number is basically useless right now - almost impossible to reach a human • Your best options are: 1) Keep certifying weekly (crucial!) 2) Contact your state representative's office - they have special contacts at unemployment 3) Use a service like claimyr.com to get someone on the phone (this saved me when I was 8 weeks without payment) 4) Try calling right when they open at 8:00am or in the last 30 minutes before they close Once you DO get through to someone, they can usually release your payments within 1-3 business days. The system isn't broken per se, it's just impossible to reach anyone when there's a problem. Don't give up - all your approved weeks will be paid eventually!

something similar happened to me. turns out i had a hold on my account because my employer contested my unemployment claim. took forever to resolve. did you leave your job on good terms or was it contentious at all?

The system is totally borked right now. I'm on week 6 of waiting for payments after approval. Called 93 times yesterday. NINETY. THREE. TIMES. Never got through. This is criminal how they treat people who are already down on their luck.

Check if your identity verification is complete. With all the fraud lately, they've added extra verification steps. Look for any pending action items in your account.

there's a glitch in the system where sometimes ur approved but theres actually a hidden issue they need to resolve. happened to me & my roommates. u NEED to talk to a human to fix it, online messages don't work. i literally had to call 200+ times before getting thru.

try calling the 2nd number on their website, not the main one. The alternative number sometimes has shorter wait times. also try calling at exactly 7:58am, right before they officially open.

this is why the ny unemployment system needs a complete overhaul. they operate like its still 1995. my friend in michigan got approved and paid within 10 days with zero issues. meanwhile we're over here begging for scraps like oliver twist 🤮

This may sound strange but try logging in from a different device or browser. My account was stuck in limbo and wouldn't process payments when I used Chrome, but when I switched to Firefox suddenly everything worked and payments processed within days. Their website has weird compatibility issues.

honestly i gave up on calling and just went to the physical unemployment office in person. waited 3 hours but actually got someone to look at my account and fix the issue. if you're near one of their offices its worth a shot.