NY Unemployment payments not showing up after certification - Rep said approved but nothing deposited
I've been certifying for NY unemployment since mid-January, but NONE of my deposits have shown up. It's been over a month now with zero payments hitting my account despite certifying every week as required. I finally got through to someone at unemployment on Friday and she specifically told me "Everything should be approved Monday and deposits will show up Tuesday or Wednesday this week." Well, it's Tuesday now and still NOTHING in my account. I'm getting really frustrated because my bills are piling up and I'm not sure if I should just wait until tomorrow or try calling again (which took me hours last time). Has anyone experienced long delays like this with their NY unemployment payments? What could be causing this? Did the rep just tell me what I wanted to hear?
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Melody Miles
this happened to me last year too. took like 5 weeks to get my first payment. sometimes they put a hold on new claims for review but dont tell u. its super annoying
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Jace Caspullo
•5 weeks?! That's ridiculous. Did they at least backpay you for all those weeks once it finally went through?
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
Call them again! Don't wait. They told me the same thing twice and nothing happened until I kept calling.
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Eva St. Cyr
•Agreed. While many new claims do take 3-4 weeks for processing, a month with no communication is excessive. Based on my experience with NYSDOL in 2024, if you've already been certified, the payments should process within 1-3 business days. You might be caught in what's called a "pending determination" status, where they need additional information but haven't properly notified you. Check your online account Message Center to see if there are any action items you missed.
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Kristian Bishop
Did you check if your payment method is set up correctly? I had an issue where I thought I set up direct deposit but it was still trying to put money on the debit card. You should log into your account and double check all your payment settings!!
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Kaitlyn Otto
After trying to call NYSDOL for DAYS with no success (constant busy signals and disconnects), I used Claimyr.com to get through to a live agent in about 20 minutes. They basically hold your place in line and call you when they get an agent. Totally worth it because the agent found that my claim had been flagged for a random identity review and fixed it right away. All my back payments came through 2 days later. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Axel Far
•is that service legit? sounds kinda sketchy tbh
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Jasmine Hernandez
This is a very common issue in 2025 with the NY system. There are several potential causes: 1. Payment method verification delay - NY has implemented stricter banking verification this year 2. Random audit selection - approximately 18% of new claims are selected 3. Employment history verification - if any former employer disputes information 4. Wage verification delays - especially if you worked in multiple states In any case, you should absolutely call again. Representatives sometimes provide standard responses about processing times that aren't specific to your claim's actual status. When you call, specifically ask if there's a "determination hold" or "pending issue" on your account that requires addressing. Also request the exact status code on your claim - this will tell you more about what's happening. And yes, once resolved, you will receive all backpay for properly certified weeks.
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Jace Caspullo
•Thank you for this detailed explanation! I worked for two different companies last year, so maybe that's causing the verification delay? I'll definitely call tomorrow and ask about those specific status codes and whether there's a determination hold.
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Kristian Bishop
I'm going through something similar right now!!! Been waiting for 3 weeks and I'm FREAKING OUT because my rent is due next week and I have literally $94 in my account. Did they tell you anything about how long the backpay would take once they finally approve it? Will it be same-day or another week of waiting?????
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Jasmine Hernandez
•Once your claim is fully approved and the hold is released, payments typically process within 1-2 business days. If you have direct deposit set up correctly, the funds should appear in your account within 48 hours of approval. Paper checks take 5-7 business days. If you're in a dire financial situation, be sure to mention this specifically when you speak with a representative. In some cases, they can expedite payment processing for hardship situations.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
Check your spam folder too! sometimes they email you about problems but they end up in junk mail
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Jace Caspullo
UPDATE: I just got through to someone at NYSDOL! Turns out there was a "wage verification issue" because one of my previous employers reported slightly different quarterly wages than what I had on my application. The rep said it's fixed now and I should receive ALL my back payments within 3 business days. Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions. I'll update again once the money actually hits my account.
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Eva St. Cyr
•That's great news! This is actually a common issue - even small discrepancies between your reported wages and employer records can trigger an automatic review. Glad to hear they resolved it. For anyone else reading this thread with similar issues, always double-check your wage information against your W-2s or paystubs before submitting your initial claim to avoid these types of delays.
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Axel Far
•nice! hope u get paid soon
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Melody Miles
how did u even get through to them?? ive been calling for 2 days straight and cant get past the automated system
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Jace Caspullo
•Honestly, I just got lucky today. I started calling right when they opened at 8am and kept redialing whenever I got disconnected. Took about 45 minutes of trying. Yesterday I tried for 3 hours with no luck.
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Luis Johnson
THE NY UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN!! They DELIBERATELY make it hard to get your money hoping you'll give up. I had the EXACT same issue last month and had to call 67 TIMES before getting through. When I finally talked to someone they said "oh it was just a glitch in the system" and fixed it in 30 seconds. They do this ON PURPOSE to save money!!!! Everyone should file complaints with the state oversight board!
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Jasmine Hernandez
•While the system certainly has its frustrations, most delays are due to verification procedures and high volume rather than deliberate obstruction. The NYSDOL processes thousands of claims daily, and the verification systems are designed to prevent fraud, which increased 400% during the pandemic. These protective measures sometimes create legitimate delays, but there's no evidence of intentionally withholding approved benefits.
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Jace Caspullo
FINAL UPDATE: All my payments just hit my account this morning! 5 weeks of backpay all at once. Such a relief! If anyone else is dealing with this, definitely keep calling until you get through to someone who can actually check your specific claim status. Don't just trust when they say "it's processing" or "it should be there next week" - ask for specific details about what's causing the delay.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•Congrats! So happy for you!
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Kristian Bishop
•Thanks for updating! This gives me hope mine will come through soon too!
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