How long will my unemployment claim be on hold - NYS Department of Labor adjudication timeline?
My unemployment claim has been on hold for 2 weeks now and I'm starting to panic about paying my rent next month. The status just says 'adjudication in progress' but doesn't give any timeline or explanation of what they're reviewing. I was laid off from my restaurant job in December and thought filing would be straightforward. Has anyone else dealt with this? How long should I expect my claim to stay on hold before they make a decision? I've tried calling the NYS Department of Labor but can never get through to speak to an actual person.
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Lorenzo McCormick
Adjudication timelines vary a lot depending on what issue triggered the hold. Most straightforward cases resolve within 3-4 weeks, but if there's something complex like a separation issue or previous overpayment, it could take 6-8 weeks. Keep filing your weekly claims even while it's on hold - you'll get backpay if approved. The NYS Department of Labor is required to make a determination within a reasonable timeframe but they don't publish specific deadlines.
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Ayla Kumar
•Thanks, that's helpful. Do you know if there's any way to find out what specific issue is causing the delay? My account doesn't show any pending items I need to complete.
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Carmella Popescu
same thing happened to me last year, mine was on hold for almost 6 weeks before they finally approved it. super frustrating when you need the money to survive
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Kai Santiago
•Six weeks is brutal! Did they ever tell you what was causing the delay or did it just randomly get approved one day?
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Carmella Popescu
•they never explained it, just got an email one morning saying my claim was approved and backpay would be deposited. honestly the whole system is a mess
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Lim Wong
I had success getting through to someone at NYS Department of Labor using claimyr.com - it's a service that calls for you and waits on hold until they connect you to an agent. Saved me hours of trying to get through myself. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth trying if you want to check on your specific adjudication issue.
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Dananyl Lear
•Interesting, never heard of this before. Is it legit or just another scam targeting desperate people?
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Lim Wong
•It's legitimate - they don't ask for any personal info, just your phone number. I was skeptical too but it actually worked and I got connected to a real NYS Department of Labor agent who could explain what was holding up my claim.
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Noah huntAce420
The whole adjudication process is RIDICULOUS. They put your claim on hold for weeks without explanation while you're supposed to just magically survive without income. I've been waiting 5 weeks now and still no word. The NYS Department of Labor acts like they're doing us a favor when unemployment is literally our legal right!
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Ana Rusula
•I feel your frustration but getting angry won't speed up the process unfortunately. Have you tried reaching out to your local assembly member's office? Sometimes they can help push things along.
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Fidel Carson
just keep filing ur weekly claims thats the main thing, even if its on hold you gotta keep certifying or youll lose weeks
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Toot-n-Mighty
I'm going through the exact same thing right now - claim has been on hold for 3 weeks with just "adjudication in progress" showing. What's really frustrating is that they don't give you any indication of what they're even reviewing or how much longer it might take. I've been keeping detailed records of all my job search activities and filing my weekly claims like everyone suggests, but it's nerve-wracking not knowing when (or if) the money will come through. Has anyone had luck contacting their local unemployment office directly instead of the main state line? Wondering if that might be easier to get through to.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•I tried calling a few local offices directly and had mixed results - some just redirect you back to the main state line, but the Albany office was actually helpful when I finally got through. They couldn't speed up the process but at least confirmed what was being reviewed in my case. The wait times are still brutal though, usually 45+ minutes even at the local level. Keep documenting everything like you're doing - that paper trail becomes really important if there are any issues later.
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Pedro Sawyer
I'm in week 4 of adjudication hell myself and completely understand your anxiety about rent. What helped me was contacting my local legal aid society - they have advocates who specialize in unemployment issues and can sometimes intervene on your behalf with NYS DOL. Also, if you're facing eviction, reach out to your county's rental assistance programs ASAP while you're waiting for benefits to come through. Most have emergency funds specifically for people waiting on unemployment decisions. Don't wait until you're behind on rent to apply - the paperwork takes time to process too.
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Yuki Ito
•This is really solid advice about legal aid and rental assistance - I hadn't thought about applying for emergency rent help while waiting. Do you know if using rental assistance programs affects your unemployment eligibility at all? I'm worried about doing anything that might complicate my case further while it's already under review.
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