How long does it take to get approved for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits?
I just filed my initial claim with NYS Department of Labor last Tuesday and I'm wondering how long the approval process usually takes? I lost my job at a restaurant after they cut staff and I really need to know when I might see my first payment. My claim status just says 'under review' and I've been doing my weekly certifications but no payments yet. Is this normal? Should I expect to wait weeks or months?
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The Boss
The typical timeline for NYS Department of Labor unemployment approval is 2-3 weeks if there are no issues with your claim. Since you filed last Tuesday, you're still within the normal processing window. Keep filing your weekly claims even while it's under review - once approved, you'll get back payments for those weeks. The 'under review' status is standard for new claims.
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Mia Roberts
•Thanks! That makes me feel better. I was worried I did something wrong on the application.
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Evan Kalinowski
mine took exactly 18 days to get approved, no issues just the normal wait time
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Victoria Charity
Wait, how do you know if your claim needs adjudication? Mine has been saying 'pending' for almost 3 weeks now and I'm starting to panic. Is that the same as 'under review' or is that worse? I can't get through to anyone on the phone to ask what's happening.
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Jasmine Quinn
•If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was able to get my claim status clarified in one call after weeks of trying on my own.
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Oscar Murphy
The NYS Department of Labor system is so frustrating!! I've been waiting 4 weeks for my claim to be approved and they keep asking for more documentation. First they wanted my separation letter, then they wanted proof of my previous wages, now they want something else. It's like they're trying to make it impossible to get benefits!
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Nora Bennett
•That sounds like your claim went into adjudication, which can definitely take longer. What reason did they give for the separation? Some circumstances trigger additional review.
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Ryan Andre
just keep filing weekly even if not approved yet thats what i did
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