NYS Department of Labor unemployment application - how long does it take to get approved?
I submitted my unemployment application through the NYS Department of Labor website last Tuesday and I'm wondering how long I should expect to wait before I hear anything back. My last job ended two weeks ago when the restaurant I worked at closed permanently. I made sure to answer all the questions correctly and uploaded the required documents. The status just shows 'claim submitted' but doesn't give any timeline. I really need to know when I might start receiving benefits because I have rent due next week. Has anyone gone through this process recently? What should I expect for timing?
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Freya Larsen
The NYS Department of Labor typically takes 2-3 weeks to process initial unemployment claims, but it can vary depending on your specific situation. Since you mentioned uploading documents, make sure you submitted everything they requested - missing paperwork is the biggest cause of delays. You should receive a monetary determination letter within 7-10 business days that shows your benefit amount. After that, if there are no issues flagging your claim for adjudication, you'll get your first payment about a week later. Keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for approval.
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Ravi Sharma
•Thanks for the timeline! I did submit everything they asked for including my termination letter from the restaurant. Should I be worried if I don't hear anything by the end of this week?
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Omar Hassan
ugh the waiting is the worst part!! i applied 3 weeks ago and just got my first payment yesterday. my claim got stuck in adjudication for no reason and i couldn't get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to find out why. the phone lines are always busy
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Chloe Taylor
•If you're having trouble reaching the NYS Department of Labor by phone, you might want to check out claimyr.com - they have a service that helps people get through to unemployment agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I used it last month when my claim was stuck and finally got to talk to someone who could explain what was holding things up.
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ShadowHunter
Wait times have been crazy lately! I know someone who applied in December and didn't get their first payment until mid-January because their employer contested the claim. The NYS Department of Labor has to investigate those situations which adds weeks to the process. Hopefully since your restaurant closed permanently that won't be an issue for you.
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Ravi Sharma
•That's good to know - my employer definitely isn't contesting since they went out of business completely. Hopefully that means no adjudication delays for me.
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Diego Ramirez
been there! restaurant industry is tough right now. make sure you're doing your job search activities because NYS Department of Labor requires 3 work search contacts per week even while your claim is processing. keep good records of where you apply because they can audit your job search log at any time
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