How long to get unemployment approved by NYS Department of Labor?
Filed my initial claim with NYS Department of Labor 2 weeks ago after getting laid off from my retail job. Status still shows 'under review' and I haven't received any determination letter yet. I'm starting to stress about bills piling up. For those who've been through this process recently, how long did it take from filing to actually getting approved? Is 2 weeks normal or should I be worried something's wrong with my application?
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Aaron Lee
Two weeks is actually pretty typical for NYS Department of Labor to process initial claims. The standard timeframe is usually 2-4 weeks depending on your situation. If your claim requires adjudication (like if there were any issues with your separation from work), it can take longer. You should receive a determination letter either way - approved or denied. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the initial determination.
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Alexis Robinson
•Thanks for the info! I have been doing my weekly claims. What exactly triggers adjudication? My layoff was pretty straightforward - just company downsizing.
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Chloe Mitchell
mine took 3 weeks back in september but my friend got hers in like 10 days so it really varies
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Michael Adams
If you're getting anxious about the timeline, you can try calling NYS Department of Labor directly to check on your claim status. Fair warning though - their phone lines are absolutely swamped and you'll probably be on hold forever. I had luck calling right when they opened at 8am. You can also check your online account for any updates or requests for additional information.
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Alexis Robinson
•I've tried calling but keep getting the busy signal or getting disconnected after waiting. The online account just shows the same 'under review' status.
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Natalie Wang
•I had the same problem with their phone system being impossible to get through. I actually found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected - saved me hours of frustration. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone urgently about your claim status.
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Noah Torres
ugh the whole system is so slow, i remember when unemployment used to be processed way faster but now everything takes forever. probably because they're understaffed or something. anyway i think retail layoffs are usually pretty straightforward so you should be fine
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Samantha Hall
Wait, should I be worried if mine has been pending for 3 weeks?? I got fired for attendance issues (had to take care of my sick mom) and now I'm freaking out that they're going to deny me. Does anyone know if that affects approval time?
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Aaron Lee
•Attendance-related terminations often do require adjudication to determine if it was misconduct or not. Having a legitimate reason like caring for family can help your case, but you'll likely need to provide documentation. The process takes longer but doesn't automatically mean denial.
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Chloe Mitchell
honestly just keep filing weekly and try not to stress too much about it. the money will be backdated to when you first filed anyway so you won't lose anything by waiting
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