How long does it take to get accepted for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
I just submitted my initial unemployment claim through the NYS Department of Labor website last Tuesday and I'm wondering what kind of timeline I should expect. My former employer laid me off due to budget cuts, so it should be pretty straightforward, but I keep reading different things online about processing times. Some people say a few days, others mention weeks. Has anyone recently gone through this process? I need to know if I should be looking for other income sources while I wait.
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Mei Chen
Processing times vary depending on your situation. If it's a straightforward layoff with no complications, you might hear back within 7-10 business days. However, if your claim requires adjudication for any reason (like if there are questions about your separation from work), it can take 3-6 weeks. Make sure you file your weekly claims starting the week after you submit your initial application, even while waiting for approval.
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Jamal Harris
•Thanks! What exactly triggers adjudication? I was laid off clearly due to company downsizing, so hopefully that won't be an issue.
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Liam Sullivan
took me almost a month last year but that was because my employer contested it. if theres no contest from your employer it should be faster
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Amara Okafor
The key is staying on top of your weekly certifications while you wait. I made the mistake of not filing my first week because I thought I had to wait for approval first - cost me a week of benefits. Also, if you don't hear anything after two weeks, try calling the NYS Department of Labor helpline, though getting through can be challenging during peak hours.
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CosmicCommander
•OMG yes the phone situation is terrible! I've been trying to call for three days about my pending claim and either get busy signals or sit on hold for hours before getting disconnected. There has to be a better way to reach someone.
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Giovanni Colombo
•Actually, I had this exact problem trying to reach NYS Department of Labor agents about my claim status. After weeks of failed calls, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that basically calls for you and gets you connected to an actual person. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. It saved me so much frustration - got through on the first try and finally got my adjudication issue resolved.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
Mine got approved in exactly 8 days but I think I got lucky. My friend filed the same week and hers took almost 3 weeks because they had questions about her work history. The system is just really inconsistent unfortunately.
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