NY unemployment 10-week hold during pregnancy - will childbirth affect my claim?

The 10-week hold is their standard investigation period when they need to verify employment details or have questions about your separation reason. You're doing the right thing by continuing to certify each week. Regarding your pregnancy - technically you need to be 'able and available to work' to receive benefits, so if you're medically unable to work immediately after giving birth, you should indicate that during your weekly certification. BUT! Don't worry too much. I was in a similar situation in 2025 and found a lifesaver service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person at unemployment who explained everything. Check out their video demo: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - they got me connected to a rep in 15 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks. The agent helped me understand exactly how to handle my medical situation without losing benefits. Worth every penny during that stressful time.

i had a 10 wk hold last yr but mine was becuz my employer contested. got denied at first but won on appeal. just keep certifying like they said dont miss any weeks.

The 10-week hold is part of their standard investigation procedure for certain types of claims. It's frustrating but normal. Regarding your pregnancy, you'll need to report after giving birth if you're not available for work during recovery. You can claim temporary medical unavailability without losing your claim, but benefits typically pause during that period. Once your doctor clears you to work, you can resume benefits. Make sure to document everything!

DONT TELL THEM UR HAVING A BABY!!!! They will use ANY excuse to deny you benefits!!! My sister lost everything when she mentioned her pregnancy last year. The system is RIGGED against mothers!!!

Congrats on the baby! 💕 I was on unemployment when I had my baby in January. You'll need to answer the certification questions honestly about your availability to work. I was able to get my benefits again once I was cleared by my doctor (took about 4 weeks for me). Good luck with everything!

The 10-week investigation period is standard for claims that require additional review. This commonly happens when there are questions about your separation from employment or when your former employer contests the claim. Regarding your pregnancy: 1. You must be honest on your weekly certifications about your availability for work 2. When you're medically unable to work after childbirth, you should indicate this 3. Your claim will remain open, but benefits will pause during recovery 4. Once medically cleared to work, you can resume certifying and collecting benefits 5. You will need to provide medical documentation of both your inability to work and your clearance to return The weeks you're medically unavailable don't count against your total benefit entitlement - they simply extend your benefit year. Make sure to upload all documentation through your online portal.

Same thing happened to me but my hold was for 12 weeks!!! I had to borrow money from everyone I knew. Its ridiculous how they leave ppl hanging like this. I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and it actually worked - got through to someone who explained what was happening with my claim. Still took forever but at least I understood what was going on.

Update: I spoke with a DOL rep today after using that Claimyr service (it actually worked!). They explained that I should continue certifying weekly but answer truthfully about my availability after giving birth. My claim will stay open, but benefits will pause while I'm medically unable to work. Once my doctor clears me, I can resume benefits without having to reapply. The 10-week investigation is still ongoing separately from this. Thank you all for your help and advice!