How long does the unemployment application take to process with NYS Department of Labor?
I just submitted my initial unemployment claim through the NYS Department of Labor website yesterday and I'm wondering what kind of timeline I should expect. My last day of work was two weeks ago when my company laid off half our department. I have all my documentation ready and answered everything honestly on the application. Does anyone know how long it typically takes from when you submit your claim until you start receiving benefits? I'm getting nervous about my rent payment next month.
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Yara Khalil
The initial processing usually takes about 2-3 weeks from when you file your claim. NYS Department of Labor has to verify your employment history and wages with your former employer. If everything checks out and there are no issues, you should get your first payment within that timeframe. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval!
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LunarEclipse
•Thanks! I didn't realize I needed to keep filing weekly claims before approval. Where do I do that on the my.ny.gov site?
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Keisha Brown
mine took forever because they had to do some kind of adjudication thing, like 5 weeks total before i saw any money
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LunarEclipse
•What's adjudication? Did you have to do anything special or did it just take that long automatically?
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Paolo Esposito
Adjudication happens when NYS Department of Labor needs to investigate something about your claim - could be a discrepancy in employment dates, reason for separation, or wages reported. Most straightforward layoff cases don't go to adjudication. Since you were laid off with others, yours will likely be processed faster than someone who quit or was fired.
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Amina Toure
•Yeah I got laid off too and mine was approved in exactly 14 days. No adjudication needed.
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Oliver Weber
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check on your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me connect with an actual agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call and getting busy signals.
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LunarEclipse
•Is that legit? I'm worried about giving my info to third parties for something this important.
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Oliver Weber
•I was skeptical too but it just helps you get through the phone system faster. They don't handle your actual claim or anything like that.
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FireflyDreams
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!! I've been waiting 8 weeks and they keep saying my claim is under review. Meanwhile I can't pay my bills and they won't tell me what the holdup is. This is ridiculous.
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Paolo Esposito
•8 weeks definitely sounds like there's an issue that needs resolution. Have you received any correspondence about what they're reviewing?
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NebulaKnight
I just went through this process a few months ago when my company downsized. The 2-3 week timeframe mentioned by Yara is pretty accurate for most cases. Since you were part of a mass layoff, that actually works in your favor - the Department of Labor processes these faster because they can verify multiple claims from the same employer at once. One thing that helped me was checking my claim status regularly on the my.ny.gov portal and making sure I certified for benefits every week even before approval. Also, keep all your paperwork handy in case they need additional documentation. Hang in there - the waiting is the hardest part but it will come through!
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