How long does it usually take to get approved for unemployment benefits in NY?
I submitted my initial unemployment claim through the NYS Department of Labor website about 10 days ago and I'm starting to get anxious about when I might hear back. My employer laid me off due to budget cuts so there shouldn't be any issues with eligibility, but I keep reading horror stories about people waiting weeks or months. For those who have been through this process recently, how long did it take from filing your claim to actually getting approved and receiving your first payment? I'm trying to figure out if I need to panic about my bills yet or if this timeline is normal.
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Amara Okafor
The standard processing time for a straightforward unemployment claim is typically 2-3 weeks from when you file. However, if your claim requires adjudication (which happens when there are questions about your separation from work or eligibility), it can take 4-6 weeks or longer. Since you mentioned it was a layoff due to budget cuts, your claim should be more straightforward. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval - you can't get paid for weeks you don't certify for.
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Liam Sullivan
•Thanks for the info! I have been doing the weekly certifications. Should I be worried that it's been 10 days with no word yet?
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Giovanni Colombo
Mine took exactly 18 days from filing to first payment hitting my account. That was back in March 2024 and it was pretty straightforward - voluntary layoff, no issues with my work history. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking but 10 days isn't unusual at all. You should get a determination letter in the mail before you see any payments.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•18 days sounds about right for a clean case. I think mine was around 3 weeks total.
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StarStrider
Oh god I'm in the same boat! Filed 2 weeks ago and nothing yet. I keep checking my my.ny.gov account obsessively but it just says 'claim under review.' This whole process is so stressful when you're already dealing with losing your job. Are we supposed to call them or just wait it out?
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Amara Okafor
•I wouldn't recommend calling unless it's been more than 4 weeks or you received a specific request for information. The phone lines are swamped and you'll likely just get told to wait. Keep doing your weekly certifications and watch for mail from NYS Department of Labor.
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Dylan Campbell
If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor about your claim status, I had good luck with a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was stuck in adjudication for 5 weeks and couldn't get anyone on the phone until I used their service. Got connected to an agent within a day and they explained exactly what was holding up my claim.
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Sofia Torres
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Might be worth looking into if I hit the 4 week mark with no updates.
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Dmitry Sokolov
The whole system is broken honestly. I waited 7 weeks last year and when I finally got through to someone they told me my claim was held up because they needed to verify my identity, but I never got any notice asking for documents. Make sure you check your online account AND your mail regularly because sometimes they send requests that aren't obvious.
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Liam Sullivan
•Ugh that's frustrating! I'll make sure to keep checking both places. Did you eventually get all your back pay?
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Dmitry Sokolov
•Yeah I got all the back payments once it was resolved, but those 7 weeks were really tough financially.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
Just hang in there - 10 days really isn't that long in unemployment time. The anxiety is the worst part but most straightforward layoff cases get approved without major delays.
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