How to speed up unemployment adjudication - NYS Department of Labor claim stuck for weeks
My UI claim has been in adjudication for almost 6 weeks now and I'm getting desperate. I filed back in early December after getting laid off from my warehouse job and everything seemed fine at first. Then suddenly my weekly claims stopped processing and the status changed to 'adjudication in progress.' I have no idea what triggered this or how long it's supposed to take. I've tried calling the NYS Department of Labor dozens of times but either get disconnected or told there's nothing they can tell me. My savings are completely gone and I'm about to lose my apartment. Is there any way to speed up unemployment adjudication or at least find out what's causing the delay? This is insane.
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Diego Flores
Adjudication delays are unfortunately common right now, especially if there are any discrepancies in your work history or earnings. The NYS Department of Labor has to verify information with your employer, which can take weeks. You should check your my.ny.gov account for any pending questionnaires or documents they might need. Sometimes there are forms sitting there that you didn't know about. Also make sure you're continuing to file your weekly claims even during adjudication - this is required to maintain eligibility.
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Chloe Taylor
•I've been checking my account daily and there's nothing pending. Still filing weekly claims but they just sit there unpaid. How am I supposed to live for 6+ weeks with no income?
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Anastasia Ivanova
The whole adjudication process is a black box and they give you zero information. I was stuck for 8 weeks last year because my previous employer disputed my claim, but nobody told me that until I finally got through to someone. You need to be more aggressive about calling. Try calling right when they open at 8am or use the callback feature if it's available.
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Sean Murphy
•Same thing happened to me! Employer disputed and I had no clue for weeks. The NYS Department of Labor really needs to improve their communication.
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StarStrider
I had luck using Claimyr to get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent when I was stuck in adjudication. It's a service that handles the calling for you - you just give them your info and they get you connected to someone who can actually look at your case. Cost me like $20 but totally worth it since I was able to find out my employer had submitted incorrect wage information. Check out claimyr.com, they even have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI
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Zara Malik
•Never heard of that but might be worth trying. Did they actually help resolve your adjudication issue or just tell you what was wrong?
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StarStrider
•They got me to someone who could see exactly what was holding up my claim and gave me the fax number to send corrected documents to. Took another week after that but at least I knew what was happening.
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Luca Marino
6 weeks is nothing unfortunately... mine took 11 weeks during covid times and there was literally nothing I could do to speed it up. The system is just broken and understaffed. Have you applied for emergency assistance programs in your area? Food banks, rental assistance, etc? That might help bridge the gap while you wait.
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Chloe Taylor
•11 weeks?? How did you survive that long? I'm already behind on rent and my landlord is threatening eviction.
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Nia Davis
honestly the whole adjudication thing seems random. some people get through in days others wait months for the same exact situation. i think they just throw darts at a board to decide who gets processed when
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Diego Flores
One more thing - if your employer is disputing the claim, you can request an expedited hearing by calling the hearings division directly. That number is separate from the main NYS Department of Labor line and sometimes you can get through easier. If there's a legitimate dispute, a hearing might actually be faster than waiting for adjudication to complete.
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Amara Torres
I'm going through the exact same thing right now - 5 weeks in adjudication with zero communication from NYS DOL. What's really frustrating is that they don't even tell you what specific issue triggered the review. I've tried the callback system but it never actually calls back. Has anyone had success contacting their local state assembly member's office? I heard they sometimes have staff who can reach out to the department on your behalf when constituents are facing hardship due to delays.
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