NY unemployment approval confusion - got email saying claim can be paid but no money?

That email is just step 1 of like 87 steps in the whole process. The system is sooo slow. After I got that email it still took like 10 days before I saw any $$$. Make sure you're definitely completing the weekly certification correctly - that's usually the holdup for most people.

After dealing with this exact same issue for WEEKS, I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at unemployment. I was at my wits end but they connected me with an agent who fixed everything in like 10 minutes. Literally best money I ever spent to get my benefits flowing. Here's their site: claimyr.com - they also have a helpful video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Check ur payment method on file. When I first applied I didnt realize my banking info was entered wrong and they tried to send my $ to a nonexistent account. Had to update to direct deposit with the right account number and then it worked.

This happened to my brother. The email means your eligible but there might be a hold on the actual payments. In his case there was a question about his previous employer that needed to be resolved. He had to call to get it fixed. Try calling right when they open at 8am - thats how he got thru.

Ok heres actually whats happening. That email means ur ELIGIBLE but doesnt mean payments are coming yet. There could be an issue that needs resolving through a phone interview. Check your online account messages - do you have anything about a "pending determination" or "additional information needed"? That would explain the delay.

Let me try to give you a complete answer since I'm a former NYSDOL employee (left last year): The "claim can now be paid" email means your application has been processed and you're eligible for benefits. However, there are several reasons you might not see money yet: 1. There's a one-week waiting period for most claims (unpaid) 2. The system needs about 3-5 business days to process payments after certification 3. There could be an unresolved issue that requires manual review 4. Your bank info could be incorrect 5. Your employer might be contesting your claim First step is to double-check your payment method in your online account. Then check for any messages about pending issues. If everything looks correct and it's been more than 7 business days since certification, you absolutely need to speak with an agent. The phone system is completely overwhelmed, so your best option is using claimyr.com - it's a service that navigates the phone system for you and gets you connected to an agent. It's what I recommend to friends and family when they need help with their claims.

Anyone notice how the unemployment system seems designed to be confusing on purpose? Like they want people to give up or miss payments? 🙄

Did u check ur bank account directly? Sometimes the payment history doesnt update right away but the $ is already in your account.

Do you have direct deposit set up or did you get the debit card? If its the card, that takes wayyy longer bc they have to mail it to you first. Usually 7-10 business days just for the card to arrive.

This literally just happened to me last month! The problem was I had answered one of the weekly certification questions wrong. When they asked "were you ready, willing and able to work" I said no because I had a doctor's appointment one day that week. Apparently you're supposed to say YES unless you were completely unavailable all week. Had to call to get it fixed.

make sure you didnt miss any ID verification steps. they send those in a separate email sometimes and if you miss it your payments get held up.

ny unemployment is complete trash rn. took me 2 months to get my first payment. and that was only after I contacted my state rep's office for help. try doing that if u cant get answers.

you might be in Purgatory™️ - thats what we call it when your claim is approved but stuck in processing limbo. only solution is talking to an actual human unfortunately.

did u get an actual monetary determination letter? that would tell u how much ur supposed to get each week. if u didnt get that yet then somethings definitely wrong

Hey Zara! I went through this exact same thing last month. That email basically means you're approved but there's usually still a processing delay before you actually see the money. A few things to check: 1) Make sure you're answering the weekly certification questions correctly - especially the "ready, willing and able to work" one (answer YES even if you had appointments or interviews during the week), 2) Double check your direct deposit info is correct in your account, and 3) Be patient - the first payment often takes 2-3 weeks after that approval email. If it's been longer than that or you think you answered a certification question wrong, you'll need to call them. The phone lines are brutal but keep trying right at 8am or consider using one of those callback services people mentioned. Hang in there!