How long does it take to determine unemployment eligibility with NYS Department of Labor?
I submitted my initial unemployment application through my.ny.gov about 2 weeks ago and I'm still waiting to hear back on my eligibility determination. My claim status just says 'under review' and I haven't received any correspondence from NYS Department of Labor yet. I worked at a manufacturing company for 3 years before getting laid off last month due to downsizing. I'm getting really anxious because I need to know if I qualify and when I might start receiving benefits. Has anyone been through this process recently? How long should I expect to wait for NYS Department of Labor to determine my eligibility?
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Sophia Carter
The typical timeframe for NYS Department of Labor to make an initial eligibility determination is usually 2-4 weeks from when you file your claim. Since you're at the 2 week mark, you're still within the normal processing window. The determination process involves verifying your work history, wages, and reason for separation with your former employer. If there are no complications or need for additional documentation, you should hear something within the next week or two.
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Aaron Boston
•Thanks for the info! Should I be doing anything while I wait or just sit tight? I've been filing my weekly claims but I'm not sure if that's necessary before I'm approved.
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Chloe Zhang
mine took almost 5 weeks last year but that was because my former employer contested it initially. if your layoff was straightforward downsizing you'll probably get approved faster than that
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Brandon Parker
•Wait, employers can contest unemployment claims? I didn't know that was a thing. What happens if they do?
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Adriana Cohn
Yes, definitely keep filing your weekly claims even before you get the eligibility determination! This is really important - you need to file for each week you're unemployed to preserve your right to benefits for those weeks. Even if your claim is still pending, continue filing weekly. Once you're approved, NYS Department of Labor will backdate your payments to your benefit year begin date as long as you've been filing consistently.
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Aaron Boston
•Oh good, I have been filing weekly so I should be covered. I was worried I was wasting my time doing that before approval.
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Jace Caspullo
The whole system is so slow and frustrating. I've been trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my pending claim but the phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected. There's got to be a better way to get answers about claim status without sitting on hold for hours.
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Melody Miles
•I actually found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to a NYS Department of Labor agent when I couldn't reach them myself. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was really helpful for getting my adjudication issue resolved quickly instead of waiting weeks for a callback.
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Jace Caspullo
•Interesting, I'll have to look into that. Anything has to be better than the endless busy signals I've been getting.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
Just went through this myself - got my determination letter exactly 3 weeks after filing. Since you were laid off due to downsizing and didn't quit or get fired for misconduct, you should be fine. The delay is probably just normal processing time, not because there's an issue with your claim.
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Jade Lopez
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim 10 days ago after being laid off from my retail job and still showing "under review" status. It's nerve-wracking not knowing when you'll get an answer, especially when bills are piling up. Reading these responses is really helpful though - sounds like 2-4 weeks is pretty standard. At least I know I'm not alone in this waiting game. Fingers crossed we both hear back soon!
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