NYS Department of Labor unemployment appeal - how long does an unemployment appeal take?
My unemployment claim got denied last month because they said I quit voluntarily (which isn't true - I was laid off due to budget cuts). I filed an appeal right away but haven't heard anything back yet. It's been 5 weeks and I'm starting to panic about my finances. Does anyone know how long does an unemployment appeal take with NYS Department of Labor? I've tried calling but can never get through to talk to someone.
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Aisha Hussain
Appeals typically take 6-10 weeks from the time you file to get a hearing scheduled. Then you'll have your hearing (usually by phone now) and the administrative law judge will issue a decision within 2-3 weeks after that. So you're looking at roughly 8-13 weeks total for the whole process. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while the appeal is pending - if you win, you'll get back pay for those weeks.
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Mateo Martinez
•Thank you! Should I keep looking for work and doing the job search requirements while waiting? I don't want to mess anything up.
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Aisha Hussain
•Yes, definitely keep doing your job search activities and log them. Even though you're not getting paid right now, if your appeal is successful you'll need to show you were available and actively seeking work for all those weeks to get the back pay.
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Ethan Clark
took 11 weeks for my appeal last year, they're really backed up. the hearing itself was only like 20 minutes though
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Mateo Martinez
•Ugh 11 weeks! Did you get all your back pay when it was approved?
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StarStrider
I had a similar issue with getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone. If you really need to check on your appeal status or get information, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. It was way easier than spending hours on hold just to get disconnected.
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Yuki Sato
•Never heard of that before, does it actually work? I've been trying to get through for weeks about my adjudication issue.
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StarStrider
•Yeah it worked for me. I was able to speak with someone within a few days instead of the endless busy signals I was getting. Worth checking out the demo at least.
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Yuki Sato
The whole appeal process is a nightmare honestly. Even if you win, you've been without income for months. Make sure you have all your documentation ready - termination letter, emails, anything that proves you were laid off and didn't quit. The burden of proof is on you to show the original determination was wrong.
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Carmen Ruiz
hang in there! mine took 9 weeks but I won and got like $4800 in back pay. definitely worth fighting if you know you're right
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Kendrick Webb
I'm going through the same thing right now - filed my appeal 3 weeks ago after being wrongly denied. It's so stressful not knowing when you'll hear back or get any income. Has anyone had success getting updates on their appeal status through the online portal, or is calling really the only way? The waiting is the worst part when you have bills piling up.
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Tate Jensen
•I feel your pain! The online portal is pretty much useless for getting real updates - it just shows the same basic status info. Calling is really your best bet, but like everyone says, it's nearly impossible to get through. I've been checking the portal obsessively but it hasn't changed since I filed my appeal 5 weeks ago. At least we know from others here that 8-13 weeks seems to be the norm, so hopefully we'll both hear something soon. The financial stress is real though - I'm burning through my savings just to keep up with rent.
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