NY unemployment overpayment waiver still pending after 2 months - others already forgiven

The NYSDOL waiver processing times are extremely inconsistent right now. I submitted mine in February and got approval in 3 weeks, but my brother submitted his in January and just heard back last week. They seem to be reviewing applications in batches rather than chronologically. Have you checked your message center in your NY.gov account? Sometimes they send the decision there before mailing the physical letter.

did u submit all the required documentation? they're super picky about that stuff. i forgot to include one of my 1099s when i first applied and they just left my application sitting there with no updates until i called

The waiver processing timeline depends on several factors: 1. The complexity of your case (even minor differences from your coworkers could put you in a different processing category) 2. The workload of the specific examiner assigned to your case 3. Whether they need to verify additional information I recommend waiting until you hit the 10-week mark before taking action. At that point, you should file a formal inquiry through your NY.gov account and specifically request a status update on your waiver application. Include your application date and any reference numbers you received when you submitted it. This creates an official record of your follow-up.

I HAVE BEEN WAITING 4 MONTHS!!!! They are completely disorganized and don't care about how stressed we are. I've called 37 times (yes I counted) and either get disconnected or get told "it's in process" with no other information. The system is DESIGNED to wear you down until you just give up and pay!!

The inconsistency in processing times actually makes sense when you understand how they prioritize applications. NYSDOL is working through a major backlog of waiver requests since the announcement of the expanded forgiveness program in January. They prioritize cases based on: - Financial hardship indicators in your application - Whether collection actions are already in progress - The total amount of the overpayment - Clarity/completeness of documentation Two people with seemingly identical situations might be processed weeks apart based on these internal sorting criteria. If your coworkers indicated greater financial hardship on their applications, their cases may have been prioritized.

anybody else notice if u submitted online vs mail makes a difference? i did online and got approved in like 5 weeks but my friend sent hers by mail and shes still waiting after like 3 months

Update your original post when you finally hear back! It helps others estimate their wait times. I'm curious if they're still averaging 8-10 weeks for most cases.

I waited 11 weeks and then suddenly got an approval. Then a week later got a denial letter dated BEFORE the approval. Then got ANOTHER approval. Their system is completely broken lol. Just hang tight, you'll probably get approved eventually.

When I was waiting for my waiver decision, I finally called and learned there was a problem they never notified me about. After struggling to get through on the phones, I used Claimyr to get connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. The agent discovered my application was missing a signature on page 3 (which I had no idea about). I resubmitted that day and had my approval within a week. Sometimes calling is the only way to find out what's really happening with your case. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE to see how it works.

One final tip: if you do call, make sure to request that the agent documents the call in your case notes. This creates a paper trail showing you're actively following up. If you reach the 12-week mark with no resolution, you can escalate to a supervisor and reference your previous inquiries, which strengthens your case for expedited review.