How to check status of unemployment claim through NYS Department of Labor online portal?
I submitted my initial unemployment application about 10 days ago and I'm trying to figure out how to check the status. I keep logging into my.ny.gov but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for exactly. The dashboard shows my claim but it just says 'processing' without any details. Is there a specific section where I can see if there are any issues or how long it might take? I'm getting nervous because I haven't heard anything back yet and bills are piling up.
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Oliver Alexander
Once you log into my.ny.gov, look for the 'Unemployment Services' section. Your claim status should show one of several things: 'Pending', 'Under Review', 'Adjudication in Progress', or 'Approved'. If it says adjudication, that means they need to verify something about your claim. You can also check if there are any 'To Do' items that require your attention. The processing time varies but typically takes 2-3 weeks for initial claims.
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Kaylee Cook
•Thanks! I see it says 'Under Review' - does that mean there's a problem with my application?
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Lara Woods
Under Review is normal, don't panic. They're just verifying your employment history with your former employer. You should also check the 'Messages' section regularly because sometimes NYS Department of Labor will send requests for additional information there. Make sure you respond to any requests quickly or your claim could get delayed even longer.
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Kaylee Cook
•Good to know about checking messages. I hadn't thought to look there.
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Adrian Hughes
I was in the same boat last month! Couldn't get through to anyone on the phone to check my status. Someone here told me about claimyr.com - it's a service that calls NYS Department of Labor for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. I watched their demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI and decided to try it. Got through to someone within a few hours and found out my claim was just waiting for employer verification. Totally worth it for the peace of mind.
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Molly Chambers
•How much does that service cost though? Seems like something we should be able to do ourselves.
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Adrian Hughes
•I get that, but I had been trying to call for weeks with no luck. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to get answers, and this was the only way I could actually reach someone at NYS Department of Labor.
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Ian Armstrong
The NYS Department of Labor phone system is absolutely useless. I've been calling every day for two weeks and either get disconnected or the line is 'too busy to take calls.' It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to find out what's going on with our own claims. The online portal barely tells you anything useful.
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Eli Butler
•totally agree the phone system sucks!! i gave up trying to call
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Marcus Patterson
Just wanted to add that you should keep filing your weekly claims even while your initial claim is being processed. I made the mistake of waiting until my claim was approved and it delayed my payments by another week. The weekly claims are separate from your initial application status.
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Muhammad Hobbs
One thing that helped me was setting up text notifications through the portal. Go to your profile settings and enable SMS alerts - they'll text you when there are updates to your claim status or new messages. Also, if you're really stuck, try calling first thing in the morning right when they open at 8am. The wait times are usually shorter then. I finally got through after about 45 minutes on hold and the rep was actually really helpful in explaining what was happening with my claim.
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