How long to be approved for unemployment NYS Department of Labor - timeline unclear
Filed my initial unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor three days ago after getting laid off from my warehouse job. The confirmation said my claim was received but I have no idea what to expect for timing. My friend said it took her forever but that was during COVID so maybe things are different now? I need to know how long to be approved for unemployment because I have rent due in two weeks. The my.ny.gov portal just shows 'claim under review' with no other details. Should I be worried that it's taking this long already or is this normal processing time?
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Freya Christensen
The typical timeline for NYS Department of Labor to process a new claim is 2-3 weeks if there are no complications. Since you just filed 3 days ago, you're still well within normal processing time. Your claim status will update to show either approved or if they need additional information. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval - you can do this through the my.ny.gov portal.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Oh I didn't know I was supposed to file weekly claims already! I thought I had to wait until approved first. Thanks for letting me know.
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Omar Farouk
mine took exactly 18 days last year, no issues just slow processing. keep checking your account for any requests for additional info
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Chloe Davis
The 2-3 week timeline is accurate for straightforward cases. However, if NYS Department of Labor needs to verify your employment history or if there are any questions about your separation reason, it can take longer. You might see your claim go into adjudication status, which adds another 2-4 weeks. Since you mentioned being laid off, that should be a clear-cut approval case. Keep filing those weekly claims and maintain your job search log - you'll need to show you're actively looking for work.
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Ravi Malhotra
•What exactly is adjudication? Should I be worried if my claim goes into that status?
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Chloe Davis
•Adjudication just means they're reviewing your case more carefully, usually to verify information with your employer. It's not necessarily bad, just takes longer.
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AstroAlpha
I've been waiting 6 weeks now and still nothing!! NYS Department of Labor is absolutely useless, they never answer the phone and the online system gives you no real information. Don't count on getting approved anytime soon, the whole system is broken.
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Diego Chavez
•That's way too long! Have you tried calling the technical support line or is your claim stuck in adjudication? There might be something specific holding it up.
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Anastasia Smirnova
I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when my claim was delayed last year. Ended up using a service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent who could check my status. It's at claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me weeks of trying to call on my own. Might be worth trying if you need to talk to someone about your timeline.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Interesting, I've never heard of that before. Did they charge you anything or was it free to use?
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Anastasia Smirnova
•There is a cost but it was worth it to actually reach someone who could give me real answers about my claim status instead of just waiting and wondering.
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Sean O'Brien
Just want to say hang in there! I know waiting is stressful especially with bills coming up. The good news is that if you get approved, your benefits will be backdated to when you first filed. So even if it takes a few weeks, you'll still get paid for this waiting period.
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