How many times does NYS Department of Labor unemployment pay out benefits?
I'm trying to understand the payment schedule for unemployment benefits in New York. I filed my first weekly claim last Sunday but haven't received anything yet. How many times does unemployment pay and when should I expect my first payment? I'm getting stressed about bills coming up and need to know what to expect. Also wondering if there's a limit to how many payments I can receive total?
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Arjun Patel
NYS Department of Labor typically pays unemployment benefits once per week if you file your weekly claim on time. Your first payment usually takes 2-3 weeks after your initial claim is approved, then it's weekly after that. You can receive up to 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits in New York, though this can be extended during high unemployment periods. Make sure you're filing every week even if you haven't received your first payment yet.
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Julia Hall
•Thank you! So I should keep filing weekly claims even though I haven't gotten paid yet? I was worried I was doing something wrong.
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Jade Lopez
yeah its weekly but sometimes it takes forever to get started... mine took like 3 weeks for the first payment then was pretty regular after that. just keep filing your weekly claims or you'll lose benefits
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Tony Brooks
The payment schedule depends on your claim status. If your claim is still in adjudication, payments will be held until that's resolved. You can check your payment history on the my.ny.gov portal. Each week you're eligible, you'll receive one payment for that week's benefits. The maximum is 26 weeks unless there are federal extensions in place.
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Ella rollingthunder87
•How do you know if your claim is in adjudication? My account just says 'claim filed' but no other details.
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Tony Brooks
•If it's in adjudication, it will usually say 'adjudication in progress' or show pending issues that need review. If you just see 'claim filed', it might still be processing your initial application.
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Yara Campbell
I had so much trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when my payments were delayed! Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful when I could actually talk to someone about my payment status.
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Isaac Wright
•Never heard of that but honestly anything is better than trying to call NYS Department of Labor directly. Their phone system is a nightmare!
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Maya Diaz
The whole system is so confusing! I got my first payment after 4 weeks but then nothing for two weeks after that. Turns out I missed filing one weekly claim and it messed everything up. You really have to stay on top of it every single week or they just stop everything. No warnings or anything, just suddenly no money coming in.
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Julia Hall
•That's terrifying! I definitely don't want to miss any weekly claims. Is there a way to set reminders or something?
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Isaac Wright
Just remember you have to file between Sunday and Saturday each week. Most people do it Sunday morning to get it out of the way. And yes, keep filing even if you haven't been paid yet - those weeks won't be lost if your claim gets approved.
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