How long until you can get unemployment benefits approved by NYS Department of Labor?
I just got laid off from my warehouse job yesterday and need to know realistically how long until you can get unemployment payments started? My supervisor said the company would process everything quickly but I'm worried about paying rent next month. I've never filed for UI benefits before and don't know what to expect with NYS Department of Labor processing times. Should I file today or wait until I get my final paycheck? Really stressed about the timeline here.
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Mason Davis
File your claim as soon as possible - don't wait for your final paycheck. NYS Department of Labor typically takes 2-3 weeks to process initial claims if there are no issues. You won't get paid for your first week (that's the waiting week), and payments usually start the second week after filing if everything goes smoothly. Make sure you have all your employment info ready when you file.
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Sophia Miller
•Thanks! Do I need my W2 from last year or just recent pay stubs? I can get those from HR tomorrow.
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Mia Rodriguez
honestly it took me like 5 weeks last time but that was because my claim went into adjudication. if you quit or got fired for cause it takes longer. but if you got laid off should be pretty quick
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Jacob Lewis
•Adjudication can definitely slow things down. OP since you mentioned being laid off, your claim should process faster than someone who quit or was terminated for misconduct. Just make sure to file your weekly claims even while the initial claim is pending.
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Amelia Martinez
The whole system is a joke tbh. I waited 6 weeks and had to call like 50 times before anyone would even look at my case. Good luck getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone - you'll be on hold forever.
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Ethan Clark
•I had similar issues getting through to NYS Department of Labor agents until someone told me about claimyr.com - it's a service that calls them for you and gets you connected to an actual person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and actually got my adjudication issue resolved.
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Amelia Martinez
•Interesting, might have to check that out if I run into problems again. Thanks for the tip!
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Mila Walker
Wait I'm confused - do you get money the first week or not? And what if your employer contests the claim? I'm in a similar situation and panicking about how long this might take.
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Mason Davis
•No payment for the first week - that's called the waiting week and everyone has to serve it. If your employer contests, it can add several weeks for adjudication. But most layoffs aren't contested since the employer isn't claiming misconduct.
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Logan Scott
Just went through this myself last month. Filed on a Tuesday, got approved the following Thursday, and received my first payment (covering week 2) three days after that. So about 2.5 weeks total from filing to money in my account. The key is filing immediately and being 100% accurate with your info.
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