How long does unemployment take to kick in after filing with NYS Department of Labor?
Filed my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor last Tuesday and still haven't seen any payments or even confirmation that it's been approved. My employer laid me off two weeks ago and I'm starting to panic about rent. The website just shows my claim is 'under review' but doesn't give any timeline. Does anyone know how long it typically takes for unemployment benefits to actually start coming through? I've never filed before so I have no idea what to expect.
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Ravi Sharma
Usually takes about 2-3 weeks from when you file for your first payment to come through. NYS Department of Labor has to verify your employment history and make sure everything checks out. The 'under review' status is normal - that's the adjudication process where they confirm you're eligible.
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Isabella Santos
•Three weeks?? That seems like forever when you have bills to pay. Is there anything I can do to speed it up?
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Freya Larsen
mine took almost a month last year because they had questions about my separation from my job. if your layoff was straightforward it should be faster but yeah the waiting sucks
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Omar Hassan
The initial claim processing can vary widely depending on your situation. If you were laid off (not fired for misconduct or quit voluntarily), it 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. Also check that you've completed any required job search activities as that can hold up payments.
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Isabella Santos
•Wait, I'm supposed to be filing weekly claims already? I thought I had to wait until they approved my initial claim first!
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Omar Hassan
•No, you need to file weekly claims starting the week after you become unemployed, even if your initial claim is still pending. Log into your my.ny.gov account and look for the weekly certification option.
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Chloe Taylor
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE!!! I waited 6 weeks for my benefits and when I finally got through to someone they said there was some stupid paperwork issue that could have been resolved in 5 minutes if anyone had bothered to tell me. Meanwhile I'm behind on everything because NYS Department of Labor moves at the speed of molasses.
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ShadowHunter
•I feel you on the frustration but 6 weeks isn't typical anymore. They've gotten better since the pandemic mess.
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Diego Ramirez
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone to check on your claim status, I had good luck with Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get connected to an actual agent when I was stuck in adjudication limbo for weeks. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me from calling hundreds of times just to get busy signals.
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Isabella Santos
•Never heard of that service before. Is it legit or just another way to take advantage of desperate people?
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Diego Ramirez
•It's legit - they just help you get through the phone queue. I was skeptical too but it actually worked and I found out there was a simple verification step I'd missed that was holding up my whole claim.
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Anastasia Sokolov
Oh man I'm in the same boat! Filed 10 days ago and nothing yet. Starting to think I did something wrong on the application. Did you have to upload any documents or just fill out the online form?
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Isabella Santos
•Just the online form for me. They said they'd contact me if they needed anything else but so far radio silence.
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ShadowHunter
hang in there - the first payment always feels like it takes forever but once you're in the system it's usually pretty reliable. just make sure you're doing everything they ask for job searches and weekly certs
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Malik Johnson
I went through this same anxiety when I filed last year. The waiting period is definitely stressful, but 2-3 weeks is pretty standard for NYS. One thing that helped me was calling the automated phone line (1-888-209-8124) to check my claim status - sometimes it shows more detail than the website. Also, make sure you have your direct deposit info set up correctly in your account because that can add extra time if there are any issues with your banking information. The good news is that once it's approved, you'll get back pay for all the eligible weeks you've been waiting.
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