NY unemployment denied because they ignored my recent quarter earnings - how fast do they respond to reconsideration requests?

The NYSDOL is notoriously inconsistent with response times for reconsideration requests. They should be using your alternate base period (ABP) which allows them to count your most recent completed quarter if you don't qualify under the standard base period. In your case, they should include your January-March 2025 earnings. Typically, reconsideration requests take 2-3 weeks for a response, but I've seen it take anywhere from 10 days to 6+ weeks depending on their current workload. Make sure you've uploaded all your wage documentation (W-2s, paystubs) to support your case.

they do this ALL THE TIME...they did exact same thing to me last month!! they ignored my last 3 months of work and said i didnt qualify!!! took me calling them 50 times to get someone on the phone who fixed it. once they fixed it i got paid in like 3 days

I had this exact same problem in January. They kept using my old quarters even though I had been working full-time for months. The online document system is incredibly slow - took them 5 weeks to even look at my documents! I was desperate and finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes after trying for days. Check out their demo video here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE It was totally worth it because the agent was able to immediately see that they should have been using my alternate base period and fixed my claim on the spot. Got my first payment 4 days later. The website is claimyr.com if you need to actually talk to someone.

my cousin works at unemployment and says they're super backed up right now because of all the tech layoffs happening this quarter. she said document reviews are taking at least 3-4 weeks minimum.

I went through this EXACT same thing in December!!! They denied me saying I didn't meet the income requirements even though I worked the whole previous quarter. I submitted a reconsideration request and heard NOTHING for 3 weeks. Every day checking my account, no updates, nothing!!! I was going CRAZY!!! FINALLY I got through to someone on the phone (took me 2 days of constant calling) and they told me I needed to not just request reconsideration but SPECIFICALLY request an ALTERNATE BASE PERIOD review. Apparently those are two different things in their system?? Once I did that and mentioned the specific law (Labor Law 527) they fixed it within 48 hours. DON'T just wait for them to respond to your online submission - you NEED to talk to a human!!!

To clarify some confusion in this thread: 1. In New York, if you don't qualify using the Standard Base Period (last 4 completed quarters before filing), they should automatically check your eligibility using the Alternate Base Period (last 3 completed quarters plus the current incomplete quarter). 2. You don't need to specifically request an Alternate Base Period review - it's automatic by law. However, sometimes their system misses this step during high volume periods. 3. Your best course of action is to call and speak with a claims specialist who can verify your wages and manually trigger the ABP review. Online document submissions for wage reconsiderations currently have a processing timeframe of 10-15 business days. 4. Make sure you've uploaded documentation showing your earnings during that most recent quarter (January-March 2025) including all pay stubs covering that period.

Just wait it out...thats what I did...took about a month but they eventually fixed it automatically and I got backpay for all the weeks I certified.

I called this morning using Claimyr and got through to an agent in about 15 minutes. Just wanted to update that they were able to verify that my wages from January-March 2025 should have been included in my base period calculation. They've submitted an expedited review of my claim that should be completed within 72 hours. The agent confirmed this happens fairly often when people have recent employment after periods of not working or being on unemployment. Huge relief!

when u finally get thru ask them specifcally to look at ur "ALTERNATIVE BASE PERIOD" not just reconsderation...thats the magic words that fixed mine

UPDATE: I FINALLY got through to someone on the phone! Used that Claimyr service someone recommended and got through in about 25 minutes. The agent confirmed they should have automatically checked my eligibility under the Alternate Base Period but didn't for some reason. They're expediting a review of my wages from January-March 2025, and she said I should see a determination within 3-5 business days. She also put notes on my account about the situation. So relieved to have actually spoken to a human being about this!

For anyone else experiencing this issue in the future, here's what the NY Unemployment Insurance law actually states regarding Base Periods: 1. Standard Base Period: The first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. 2. Alternate Base Period: The last four completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. 3. Extended Alternate Base Period: If you were out of work because of a work-related injury, you may qualify for an extended alternate base period that includes the last complete calendar quarter. The system should automatically check all applicable base periods to determine if you qualify, but system errors do occur. If you believe your most recent work history should qualify you for benefits, always request a review of your monetary determination. Call center wait times are currently averaging 2-3 hours during peak periods (Monday-Wednesday), with somewhat shorter wait times on Thursdays and Fridays.