NY unemployment asking for wage documents - how long until they respond?

I had to submit wage verification docs back in February. Took them almost 3 weeks to process! No phone call, the status just changed in my account and then the money appeared a few days later. Hope yours is faster though.

3 WEEKS?? Omg I can't wait that long. Did you try calling them to speed things up?

mine only took like 5 days but that was last month. think it depends how busy they are tbh

That gives me some hope! Did you submit pay stubs or W2s or both?

just my last 3 paystubs and a letter from my employer. didnt even need to send my w2

It's completely unpredictable right now. I've been helping people with their NY unemployment claims for years, and the processing times for wage verification documents vary wildly depending on their current backlog. I've seen anywhere from 4 days to 5 weeks.\n\nA few tips that might help:\n1. Make sure you submitted ALL requested documents. If anything is missing, they won't tell you - your claim will just sit there.\n2. Double-check your NY.gov account to see if there are any messages or requests for additional information.\n3. If you submitted over a week ago and haven't heard anything, you should definitely try calling.\n\nThe standard timeframe they tell people is 2-3 weeks, but that's not always accurate.

Thank you for this info! I checked my account and there are no new messages. I submitted everything they asked for (W2s, last 4 pay stubs, and the termination letter). I've been trying to call but can never get through - just endless busy signals or it hangs up after I go through all the menu options.

When I had to submit wage documents back in January, I was stuck in the same situation. Tried calling for days but couldn't get through. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They told me my documents were received but flagged for manual review because my employer submitted different quarterly wage amounts.\n\nThe agent was able to expedite the review once I explained my situation. Money came through 3 days later! You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE\n\nDefinitely worth it in my situation since I needed the money for rent.

Is this legit? Sounds like a scam to me. Why would you pay someone just to call unemployment for you?

It's not a scam - they don't call for you, they get you through the phone system so YOU can talk to an agent yourself. I was skeptical too but I was desperate after trying to call for over a week straight.

Thanks, I might try this if I don't hear anything by Friday. I've been trying to call for 3 days straight with no luck. Getting really stressed about it.

The NY DOL is dealing with a ton of fraud cases right now, which is why they're requesting more employment verification documents than before. That's also why processing times are all over the place. I've been through this three times in the past year (seasonal worker).\n\nThe type of documents you submit can affect processing time:\n- If you only submitted digital copies of paystubs, expect 2-3 weeks\n- If you submitted W2s and employer verification letter, usually 1-2 weeks\n- If you submitted bank statements showing direct deposits, those take longer to verify (3+ weeks)\n\nIf it's been more than 10 business days, you should definitely try to reach an agent. If you're getting close to missing rent/bills, explain that to the agent and ask for expedited processing. They CAN flag accounts for faster review when there's hardship involved.

This happened to my brother too! He was freaking out about rent and when he finally got someone on the phone they expedited it. The whole system is such a mess right now.

Exactly. The system is overwhelmed but they do have procedures for hardship cases. The key is actually reaching someone.

Also make sure you're still certifying every week even while waiting for them to process your documents! I made the mistake of not certifying thinking I should wait until they verified my wages first. When they finally processed everything, I had to request backpay for those weeks which delayed things even more.

Oh! I didn't know this. I haven't certified this week because I thought I needed to wait. Thank you so much for mentioning this!

my cousin works for unemployment (not in NY tho) and she says they have targets for how many claims they process each day. so sometimes if they're behind the easy ones get done first. if ur claim has ANY issues it goes to the bottom of the pile!! that mite be why people get such different wait times

I waited FIVE WEEKS in March!!! The whole system is broken. They never called me back, never sent any updates, then suddenly the money appeared. When I finally got through to ask why it took so long, the lady just said

Five weeks is insane! I'd be evicted by then. Did you try contacting your state representative? I've heard they can sometimes help.

No, wish I had thought of that. Would have been better than sitting around waiting and stressing! Definitely try that if yours takes too long.

Just checking in - any updates on your situation? Did you get through to anyone or see any changes in your account yet?

Thanks for checking! I actually tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and got through to an agent yesterday. They said my documents were received but waiting for review. The agent marked my account for expedited processing due to financial hardship. Hoping to see movement in the next few days. I'll update when I hear something!

I'm going through something similar right now - submitted my wage documents about 10 days ago and haven't heard anything back yet. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both helpful and nerve-wracking! The inconsistency in processing times is really frustrating when you're counting on that money for basic expenses. @Mohammad Khaled - glad to hear you got through to someone and they marked your account for expedited processing! That gives me hope that there are actual people working on these cases, even if the wait times are all over the place. Please do update us when you hear back - it would really help to know how the expedited process works out. I think I'm going to try calling again tomorrow and if I can't get through, might look into that Claimyr service too. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get some clarity on where my claim stands.