How long to get unemployment benefits approved through NYS Department of Labor?
I just applied for unemployment benefits last week after being laid off from my retail job. My employer said they weren't contesting it, but I'm wondering how long it typically takes to get approved and start receiving payments? I need to plan my budget and I'm getting nervous about bills coming up. Has anyone gone through this process recently with NYS Department of Labor?
8 comments
Join the conversation
Lena Kowalski
It usually takes about 2-3 weeks from when you file your initial claim to get your first payment, assuming there are no issues. You'll need to file your weekly claims every week even while waiting for approval. Make sure you're doing your job search activities because they'll ask for that log later.
0 coins
Toot-n-Mighty
•Thanks! Do I need to wait for some kind of approval letter before I start filing weekly claims?
0 coins
DeShawn Washington
Mine took exactly 3 weeks back in October. No issues with my claim, just the normal processing time. The first payment includes the waiting week so you'll get a bit more than expected. Just keep filing those weekly claims on time - that's super important.
0 coins
Mei-Ling Chen
•Same timeline for me too. The key is making sure you file every single week even if you haven't heard anything yet.
0 coins
Sofía Rodríguez
WAIT - mine has been sitting in adjudication for over a month now!!! No one can tell me what's wrong or when it will be resolved. I've called the NYS Department of Labor dozens of times and either get disconnected or told to wait. This system is absolutely broken.
0 coins
Aiden O'Connor
•If you're having trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor by phone, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped me resolve my adjudication issue.
0 coins
Zoe Papadopoulos
depends on ur situation tbh... if theres any red flags it could take months. but most ppl get approved pretty quick if everything checks out
0 coins
Jamal Brown
Oh this brings back memories! When I was laid off from my teaching job a few years ago, it took forever to get approved because they had to verify my work history or something. But my friend who got laid off from Target got approved super fast. I think it just depends on your specific case and how busy they are.
0 coins