How long does it take to get unemployment benefits approved through NYS Department of Labor?
I just submitted my initial unemployment application on the my.ny.gov website last Tuesday and I'm wondering what the typical timeline is for getting approved and receiving my first payment. I know they say it can take a few weeks but I'm trying to plan my budget accordingly. Has anyone gone through this process recently? How long did it actually take from filing to getting your first direct deposit? I lost my job at a retail store two weeks ago so I'm hoping to get some income flowing soon.
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AstroAdventurer
The NYS Department of Labor typically processes claims within 2-3 weeks if there are no issues. You'll need to file your weekly claims every Sunday starting the week after you applied, even while your initial claim is being processed. Make sure you're checking your account regularly for any requests for additional documentation.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Thanks! I did file my first weekly claim this past Sunday. Should I keep doing that even if my initial claim isn't approved yet?
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Javier Mendoza
mine took exactly 16 days from application to first payment but that was back in september, no issues with my claim though
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Emma Wilson
•That's reassuring to hear! Did you have to do anything special or just wait it out? I'm on day 8 and getting anxious about bills coming due.
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Malik Davis
If your claim goes into adjudication for any reason, it can take much longer - sometimes 4-6 weeks or more. This usually happens if there are questions about why you left your job or if your employer contests the claim. The key is to respond immediately to any requests from NYS Department of Labor and keep filing your weekly claims no matter what.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•What would cause it to go into adjudication? I was laid off due to store closure so I thought that would be pretty straightforward.
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Malik Davis
•Store closure should be fine, but sometimes employers still contest claims even for layoffs. If your claim status shows 'adjudication' instead of 'pending' that means they're investigating something.
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Isabella Santos
I've been waiting 3 weeks and still nothing!! Called the phone number like 50 times and can never get through to a real person. The whole system is broken if you ask me. My friend told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to NYS Department of Labor agents on the phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to actually talk to someone.
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Javier Mendoza
•never heard of that service before, does it actually work or is it just another scam?
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Isabella Santos
•It worked for me last month when my claim was stuck. They basically call for you and get you connected to a real agent instead of sitting on hold forever.
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Ravi Gupta
Just want to add that you should definitely keep filing your weekly claims even if your initial application is still processing. I made the mistake of not filing for two weeks thinking I should wait until I was approved and it caused issues with my payments later.
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