NYS Department of Labor unemployment status says 'open' - what does it mean if my unemployment status says open?
I've been checking my my.ny.gov account and my unemployment claim status shows as 'open' but I'm not really sure what that means. I filed my initial claim about 2 weeks ago and have been doing my weekly certifications. The status has been 'open' for the past week but I haven't received any payments yet. Is this normal? Should I be worried that something is wrong with my claim? I'm getting anxious because I need these benefits to pay my rent.
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Connor Byrne
An 'open' status is actually good news! It means your claim has been accepted and is active in the NYS Department of Labor system. This is different from 'pending' or 'under review' which would indicate problems. The delay in payments is likely just the normal processing time - first payments usually take 2-3 weeks after filing your initial claim.
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Zainab Ahmed
AuthorThank you so much! That's a huge relief. I was starting to panic thinking something was wrong.
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Yara Abboud
yeah open means your good to go, just keep filing those weekly claims on time every week or you'll mess it up
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PixelPioneer
Open status means your claim is established and you're eligible to receive benefits as long as you continue meeting the requirements. Make sure you're completing your job search activities - NYS Department of Labor requires 3 work search contacts per week. Keep detailed records because they do audit these randomly.
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Keisha Williams
Wait, I thought it was only 2 job searches per week? I've been doing 2 this whole time... am I going to get in trouble?
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PixelPioneer
It's 3 per week for most people, but check your specific requirements on your claim. If you've been doing 2, you should probably increase it to 3 going forward to be safe.
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Paolo Rizzo
I had so much trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when my claim was stuck. Spent hours on hold every day for weeks. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me connected to a real person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration!
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Zainab Ahmed
AuthorThat's interesting, I'll keep that in mind if I run into issues. Hopefully I won't need it since my claim seems to be processing normally.
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Amina Sy
Open is definitely what you want to see. I've been through this process multiple times unfortunately and open means you're all set. Just don't miss any weekly certifications or your claim will go inactive and then you have to reopen it which is a pain.
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Freya Thomsen
Just wanted to add that "open" status is definitely the green light you want to see! I was in a similar situation last year - filed my claim, saw "open" status, but had to wait about 2.5 weeks for my first payment. The waiting is nerve-wracking when bills are due, but it's completely normal processing time. One tip: make sure your direct deposit info is correct in your account because that can speed up payments once they start processing. Also keep doing those weekly certifications even if you haven't been paid yet - missing one can really mess things up down the line.
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Jamal Carter
I can definitely relate to this anxiety - I went through the same thing earlier this year! "Open" status is exactly what you want to see, it means your claim has been processed and approved. The 2 week wait you're experiencing is totally normal, though I know it doesn't make the stress any easier. My first payment came through at the 18-day mark. One thing that helped me was setting up text alerts through the NY.gov website so I'd get notified as soon as there was any update. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you're keeping track of your work search activities in writing - even though payments are delayed, the requirements still apply from day one. You're doing everything right by keeping up with the weekly certifications!
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KylieRose
This is such great advice, especially about setting up the text alerts! I didn't even know that was an option. I'm definitely going to do that right now since constantly checking the website is making me more anxious. And you're absolutely right about keeping track of work search activities - I've been doing them but haven't been writing them down properly. Thanks for the reminder that the clock started ticking from day one, not from when payments begin. Your 18-day timeline is really encouraging too since I'm still well within that window.
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