How many months to get unemployment benefits approved through NYS Department of Labor?
I'm trying to figure out the timeline for getting unemployment benefits. I lost my job 2 weeks ago and haven't filed yet because I'm not sure how long the whole process takes. How many months does it usually take to actually start receiving payments from NYS Department of Labor? I've heard horror stories about people waiting forever. I need to know if I should look for temporary work while waiting or if the benefits come through quickly enough that I can focus on finding a good permanent position. Anyone have recent experience with timing?
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Derek Olson
If you file correctly and have no issues, you can get your first payment in about 2-3 weeks. The key is filing immediately - don't wait! You can't get benefits for weeks before you file your claim. The process is: file initial claim, wait for monetary determination, then start filing weekly claims. As long as there's no adjudication needed, it's pretty straightforward.
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Rachel Tao
•Thanks! What would cause adjudication? I was laid off due to company downsizing, so it wasn't my fault.
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Danielle Mays
took me 6 weeks last year but that was because they had to verify my employment history with a previous employer who was slow responding
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Roger Romero
The standard timeline is 2-4 weeks for straightforward cases. However, if your claim goes into adjudication for any reason (employment verification, eligibility questions, etc.), it can take much longer - sometimes 6-8 weeks or more. I'd recommend filing immediately and also applying for jobs simultaneously. You're required to do job search activities anyway once benefits start.
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Anna Kerber
•Wait, what exactly counts as job search activities? I thought you just had to look for work but didn't know there were specific requirements.
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Roger Romero
•You need to complete 3 work search activities per week and keep a log. This includes applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or using career services. NYS Department of Labor can audit your search log, so keep detailed records.
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Niko Ramsey
I had major issues reaching anyone at NYS Department of Labor when my claim got stuck. Spent weeks calling and either getting busy signals or being hung up on after waiting on hold. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call myself.
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Rachel Tao
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already worried about money.
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Niko Ramsey
•It was worth it for me since I was stuck for weeks. Much better than the stress of calling dozens of times and never getting through.
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Seraphina Delan
Don't wait to file! I made that mistake thinking I needed to have all my paperwork perfect first. You can always submit additional documents later if needed. The worst thing is losing weeks of potential benefits because you delayed filing your initial claim.
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