NYS Department of Labor - how do I claim my waiting week for unemployment benefits?

I tried that but when I go to claim weekly benefits it only shows me the current week and maybe one week back. The first week from when I applied doesn't show up in the dropdown at all.

How long did it take you to reach someone? I've been trying to call for days and either get disconnected or the line is busy.

like 3 hours of calling over and over. finally got through around 2pm on a wednesday

Wait, so there's no waiting week at all anymore? I definitely didn't get paid for my first week though. This is so confusing.

Correct, NY eliminated the waiting week, but there can still be unpaid weeks due to processing delays or if your claim needed adjudication. Check your payment history in your online account to see exactly which weeks were paid.

How much does something like that cost? Seems like you shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to unemployment.

I thought the same thing at first, but when I calculated how much time I was wasting trying to call and the stress it was causing, it was worth it. Plus I got my missing $435 back so it paid for itself.

Tell me about it. Been dealing with this mess for months. At least the website works better than it used to during COVID.

Thanks for the tip about checking the Payment History! I just looked and my first week isn't showing up there at all - it's like it never existed. I'll try calling at 8am tomorrow on Tuesday. Really appreciate the specific advice about the best days/times to call, that's super helpful!

@Yara Khoury This is really helpful info! I just checked my Payment History and you re'right - my first week isn t'showing up at all either. Going to try calling at 8am Tuesday morning like you suggested. Did you end up getting through when you called? I m'hoping the early morning timing works better than my afternoon attempts that just result in busy signals.

@Yara Khoury I m'in the exact same boat - my first week is completely missing from Payment History too. I ve'been putting off calling because I dreaded waiting on hold for hours, but your timing advice gives me hope. Going to set my alarm for 7:45am Tuesday and start dialing right at 8. Fingers crossed we can all get our missing weeks sorted out!

@Yara Khoury Just wanted to follow up - I tried your advice about calling at 8am on Tuesday and it worked! Got through after only about 20 minutes on hold. The rep was able to see that my first week was stuck in their system and manually processed it. Should see the payment in 2-3 business days. Thanks so much for the specific timing tip - saved me hours of frustration!

@Amina Diallo This is exactly the kind of detailed help I was looking for! Thank you so much for including the specific phone number and all those helpful details. I m'going to call 888 (209-8124) at 8am tomorrow Wednesday (and) make sure I have my confirmation number ready. It s'really encouraging to hear that you actually got your missing week plus the federal supplement - gives me hope that this will work out. I ll'update everyone here once I get through and hopefully get this resolved!

@Amina Diallo Thank you so much for sharing the phone number and your success story! I m'definitely going to try calling 888 (209-8124) at 8am tomorrow. Quick question - when you say you had your confirmation number ready, is that the confirmation number from when you first applied for unemployment, or from a specific weekly certification? I want to make sure I have the right documentation pulled up when I call. Also, did they ask for any other information during the call? Really appreciate you taking the time to share all these helpful details!

@Amina Diallo This is super helpful! I ve'been struggling with this same issue for weeks. Quick question - did you keep calling the same number repeatedly at 8am if it was busy, or did you try calling just once and then wait? I m'wondering about the best strategy since I know these lines get flooded right when they open. Also, when you say 2 weeks for the payment to hit your account, was that 2 weeks from when you called or 2 weeks from when they said they processed it? Just trying to set realistic expectations for myself. Thanks again for sharing your experience!

@Amina Diallo This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I ve'been stuck on this same issue for over a month now. Just to clarify - when you called 888 (209-8124,) did you have to navigate through any phone menu options or does it connect you directly to a claims representative? Also, did they put the payment through immediately during the call, or did they have to escalate it to another department? I m'planning to call at 8am sharp tomorrow and want to be prepared for whatever process they might put me through. Really appreciate you sharing the successful outcome - it gives me hope that this nightmare will finally be resolved!

@Amina Diallo Thank you for this detailed breakdown! I m'in the same situation as everyone else here - missing my first week payment. I m'going to try calling 888 (209-8124) at 8am tomorrow following your advice. One quick question - did you have to provide any specific reason for why the first week wasn t'paid, or did the rep figure that out on their own when they looked at your account? I m'worried they might ask me technical questions I can t'answer. Also, were there any other documents besides the confirmation number that you d'recommend having ready just in case? Really hoping this works - that missing $435 would make a huge difference right now!