NY unemployment claim showing 'pending' status - can't claim weekly benefits online

This happens a lot with new claims. Your claim is still being processed, which is why it shows as 'pending.' You can't certify for weekly benefits until your initial claim is approved. The system won't show you the certification option until then. It typically takes 2-3 weeks for a new claim to be processed, though sometimes longer if there's information they need to verify with your employer.

same thing happend to me last month!! waited like 3 weeks before i could claim anything online. so frustrating!!

The pending status means your claim is still under review. During this time, you cannot certify weekly. However, once approved, you WILL be able to certify retroactively for any weeks since your initial filing date. If your claim remains pending for more than 3 weeks, you should try to speak with a representative. I know you mentioned trouble getting through on the phone - that's unfortunately common. The NYSDOL phone system is notoriously difficult to navigate, especially during high-volume periods. I recommend calling exactly at 8:00 AM when their lines open or trying throughout the day on Wednesday or Thursday when call volumes tend to be slightly lower.

This waiting game is RIDICULOUS!! I had the exact same problem in February and my claim was stuck on "pending" for FIVE WEEKS with no explanation! The DOL expects us to survive on what exactly while they take their sweet time?? And good luck trying to reach anyone - I called over 70 TIMES before I got through to a human being who could actually help me.

I had this same issue last month and was getting desperate to talk to someone. After days of calling and getting nowhere, I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and actually got through to a rep in about 20 minutes. They have this automated system that waits on hold for you and calls you when a real person answers. Saved me days of frustration. Here's a video of how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Anyway, once I got through, the rep explained my claim was pending because they needed additional wage verification. She expedited it and I could claim weekly benefits within 2 days. Without getting that cleared up, I might have been waiting for weeks.

when i filed in january my claim said pending for like 10 days then it changed to something else but still wasnt approved yet. then after another week it finally got approved. so dont worry if it changes to something else but still isnt approved right away

My husband had this problem and we were panicking because we have bills due next week! He found out they needed ID verification even though no one told him. Check your message inbox on the unemployment site, sometimes they send notices there but don't email you about them!

Just wanted to add: make sure you're checking both your NY.gov message inbox AND your email that's registered with your account. Sometimes urgent notices go to one but not the other. Also, while your claim is pending, document your work search activities anyway, as you'll need to report those for any back-certification periods once your claim is approved.

Quick update check - has there been any change to your claim status? Sometimes they process claims in batches toward the end of the week, so you might see movement by Friday.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago and it's so stressful not knowing what's happening! A few things that helped me: First, try logging in at different times of day - sometimes the system updates overnight and you might see changes in the morning. Second, if you do get through to someone on the phone, ask them specifically what documentation they need and if there's a way to upload it online instead of mailing it (saves time). Third, keep a record of every time you call with the date and time - if you end up needing to escalate later, having that documentation helps. Hang in there, it does get resolved eventually even though it feels endless right now!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now - filed my claim 10 days ago and it's still showing pending with no option to certify weekly benefits. It's so frustrating because I was told I could start claiming right away, but clearly that's not how it actually works. Reading through these comments is really helpful though - at least I know I'm not alone and that it's normal for new claims to take a few weeks to process. I'm going to try calling right at 8 AM tomorrow and see if I can get through to someone who can tell me specifically what's holding up my claim. Has anyone had luck getting through on the phone recently, or is it still impossible to reach a human?

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim about a week and a half ago and it's been stuck on pending status ever since. Like you, I was told I could start certifying right away, but there's literally no option to do it on the website. It's such a relief to read all these responses and know this is actually normal for new claims - the person who processed my application definitely didn't explain that part clearly. I've been calling every day but haven't gotten through yet. Going to try the 8 AM strategy tomorrow and also check my message inbox like someone suggested. Thanks for posting this question - it's really helpful to see everyone's experiences and know that the benefits will be backdated once it's approved!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation! Filed my claim about 2 weeks ago and it's still stuck on pending with no weekly certification option available. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea this was normal for new claims. The representative who helped me file definitely didn't explain that there would be a waiting period before I could start certifying. I've been calling daily but haven't gotten through yet. Planning to try the 8 AM strategy tomorrow and also going to check my message inbox thoroughly since I hadn't even known that existed. It's so reassuring to know that once approved, we'll be able to backdate and claim for all the weeks we've missed. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this frustrating process!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now and it's so stressful! Filed my claim 8 days ago and still showing pending with no weekly certification option. I was also told during the application that I could start claiming right away, so I've been logging in every day expecting to see the option appear. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief - I had no idea this waiting period was completely normal for new claims. The lack of clear communication from NYSDOL is really frustrating. I've been calling but can't get through the automated system. Definitely going to try the 8 AM strategy tomorrow and check my message inbox too since I didn't even know that was a thing. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps so much to know we're all in this together and that the benefits will be backdated once approved!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my unemployment claim about 12 days ago and it's still showing as pending with absolutely no option to certify for weekly benefits. Like so many others here, I was told during the application process that I could start claiming right away, but clearly that's not how it actually works. It's been really stressful not knowing what's happening or how long this will take. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring - I had no idea that waiting 2-3 weeks for a new claim to process was completely normal. The NYSDOL really needs to do a better job explaining this upfront instead of leaving people in the dark wondering if they did something wrong. I've been trying to call daily but keep getting that automated message about high call volumes. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm definitely going to try calling right at 8 AM tomorrow and also check my message inbox thoroughly since I didn't even know that existed. It's such a relief to know that once the claim is approved, we'll be able to backdate and claim for all the weeks we've missed during this pending period. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this frustrating process!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! Filed my claim about a week ago and have been checking the website obsessively every day hoping to see some change from that "pending" status. Like everyone else, I was told I could start certifying immediately, but there's literally no option anywhere on the site to do weekly claims. This thread has been such a relief to find - I was honestly starting to wonder if I had somehow messed up my application or if my claim got lost in their system. It's crazy how many of us are dealing with this at the same time! The lack of clear communication from NYSDOL is really frustrating. They should definitely tell people upfront that new claims typically take 2-3 weeks to process before you can start certifying. I've been calling multiple times a day but can't get past that automated message about high call volumes. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm definitely going to try calling right at 8 AM tomorrow and also check that message inbox I didn't even know existed. It's reassuring to know that once approved, we'll be able to backdate for all these weeks we're missing. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this waiting game!

I'm in the exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Filed my claim about 2 weeks ago and it's been stuck on "pending" ever since with no weekly certification option available. Like so many others here, the representative who processed my application told me I could start claiming right away, but clearly that's not how the system actually works. What's really frustrating is how NYSDOL doesn't explain this waiting period upfront - they should tell people during the initial filing that new claims typically take 2-3 weeks to process before you can start certifying. The lack of transparency just creates unnecessary anxiety when you're already dealing with job loss stress. I've been calling daily but haven't been able to get through yet. Based on all the advice here, I'm definitely going to try calling right at 8 AM tomorrow and also check my message inbox thoroughly since I had no idea that feature even existed. It's such a relief to know that this waiting period is completely normal and that we'll be able to backdate for all the weeks we miss during the pending status. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - knowing we're not alone in this process really helps ease the worry. Hopefully we'll all see our claims approved soon!