How long till NYS Department of Labor unemployment pays you after filing?
Just filed my unemployment claim last Monday and I'm wondering how long it actually takes to get paid from NYS Department of Labor. My rent is due next week and I'm starting to stress about the timing. I know they say it can take time but does anyone know the actual timeframe? I filed online through my.ny.gov and got a confirmation but haven't heard anything since. Should I be calling them or just waiting it out?
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Lena Schultz
The typical timeframe for NYS Department of Labor to process an initial claim is 2-3 weeks if there are no issues. First payment usually comes within a week after approval. However, if your claim goes into adjudication for any reason, it can take 4-6 weeks or longer. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the initial decision.
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Caesar Grant
•Thanks for the info! What would cause it to go into adjudication? I was laid off due to company downsizing so I thought it would be straightforward.
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Gemma Andrews
i got my first payment exactly 3 weeks after filing last year, but my friend waited almost 6 weeks because they had to verify her employment history with multiple employers
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Pedro Sawyer
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone to check your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Super helpful when you need to know what's holding up your payment.
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Mae Bennett
•How much does something like that cost? I've been trying to call for days and just get busy signals.
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Pedro Sawyer
•It's worth checking out their site for details, but honestly the time savings was huge for me when I was stressed about my claim being stuck.
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Beatrice Marshall
The whole system is a joke honestly. They expect you to survive on nothing while they take their sweet time processing paperwork. I waited 5 WEEKS for my first payment and when I finally got through to someone they couldn't even explain the delay!
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Melina Haruko
•I feel you on this. The stress of not knowing when money is coming is almost worse than being unemployed.
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Dallas Villalobos
Just to add some practical advice - keep filing your weekly claims even if you haven't been approved yet. If you miss filing weeks, you can lose benefits for those periods even after approval. Also check your online account regularly for any requests for additional documentation.
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Isabella Brown
Based on my experience filing last year, the 2-3 week timeframe is pretty accurate for straightforward cases. One thing that helped me track progress was logging into my.ny.gov account every few days - they'll post updates there before you get any mail or calls. Also, if you're really stressed about rent, consider reaching out to local assistance programs while you wait. Many counties have emergency rental assistance that can bridge the gap. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but try to stay patient with the process.
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