How long does it take to get your unemployment money from NYS Department of Labor?
I just filed my first unemployment claim last week and I'm wondering how long it usually takes to actually receive the money. My rent is due in 10 days and I'm starting to stress about it. The NYS Department of Labor website says my claim is pending but doesn't give any timeline. Has anyone recently gone through this process? I worked at a restaurant for 2 years before getting laid off so I should qualify.
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Josef Tearle
If your claim gets approved without any issues, you'll typically see your first payment within 2-3 weeks after filing. But that's only if everything goes smoothly. The NYS Department of Labor has to verify your employment history and wages first. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval!
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Charity Cohan
•Thanks! I've been doing the weekly claims online. Do you know if they pay you for those first weeks once approved?
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Shelby Bauman
took me almost 6 weeks to get my first payment last year, they had to do some kind of adjudication thing because my employer contested it
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Charity Cohan
•Oh no, did your employer give you any warning they were going to contest it? Mine seemed pretty understanding when they let me go.
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Quinn Herbert
The timeline really depends on your specific situation. For straightforward claims, you're looking at 2-3 weeks from filing to first payment. However, if your claim goes into adjudication (which happens when there are questions about your separation from work), it can take 4-8 weeks or even longer. The NYS Department of Labor is required to investigate certain issues like whether you quit voluntarily or were terminated for misconduct.
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Salim Nasir
•What exactly triggers adjudication? I'm worried because I had some attendance issues at my last job but I wasn't fired for cause.
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Quinn Herbert
•Adjudication can be triggered by several things - employer contests, discrepancies in wage information, or questions about your reason for separation. If you were laid off due to business reasons and not fired for misconduct, you should be fine.
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Hazel Garcia
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when my claim was taking forever. Kept getting busy signals or disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Got my issue resolved within a few days after months of trying on my own.
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Laila Fury
•Never heard of that service before but honestly anything that helps get through to them sounds worth it at this point
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Geoff Richards
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE!!! I waited 3 MONTHS for my money and they kept saying technical difficulties. Meanwhile I'm about to lose my apartment. NYS Department of Labor doesn't care about working people at all.
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Laila Fury
•I feel you, the waiting is brutal when you have bills to pay. Did you eventually get your back payments though?
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Laila Fury
Just want to add that you should definitely keep track of your job search activities from day one even while waiting for approval. The NYS Department of Labor requires proof that you're actively looking for work, and they can ask for your job search log at any time.
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