Unemployment determination letter shows $0.00 benefit amount - still processing since 04/10, how long until actual payments?
I just lost my job and filed for unemployment on 04/10/2023. Got my monetary determination letter but I'm confused because everything shows $0.00 for weekly benefit amount and $0.00 for maximum amount payable. My benefit year ending date shows as 04/14/2024 and I have 104 effective days remaining. The letter is dated 05/02/2023 and it states: "We are continuing to work on your application and are determining the amount of benefits you will receive. You may get a call from us if we require further information. You will receive a status update as your application progresses through the system." It also has this information about Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation: "Weekly payments for $600 showing "0" under the "Effective Days" column, and Debit Card or Direct Deposit under the "Type" column, are the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) payments." There's also an explanation about effective days: "Each day in a week (Monday through Sunday) that you qualify for benefits is called an effective day. There is a maximum of 4 effective days each week, and you must qualify for all 4 effective days in order to receive your total." Anyone know how long this usually takes to get actual payments? I started my claim April 10th and it's now been weeks with no updates. Getting worried since I have bills piling up and need to know when I might actually see any money. Has anyone else received a $0.00 determination initially and then had it updated later?
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Ryan Young
Same exact boat rn. Been waiting since March 31st and still showing zeros. Called them like 50 times but cant get through 😤
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Sophia Clark
•fr fr the phone lines are a joke. Been trying since 8am everyday this week 🤡
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Katherine Harris
•took me 6 weeks to get my first payment. hang in there
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Madison Allen
Hey I found a way to actually get someone on the phone! Used this service called claimyr.com - they dial and wait on hold, then connect you when someone picks up. Costs $20 but totally worth it. Here's a video about it: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Joshua Wood
•sounds kinda sketchy ngl... they legit?
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Madison Allen
•100% legit. got through in like 45 mins when i was trying for weeks. they even give refunds if they dont get u through
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Justin Evans
•can confirm, used them twice now. worth every penny when ur desperate to talk to someone
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Emily Parker
Usually the $0 means they need wage info or other documents from your employer. Did you work out of state at all? That can slow things down too.
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Samantha Hall
•Nah all in NY. Should I just keep certifying weekly while I wait?
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Emily Parker
•YES! Always keep certifying even if showing $0. They'll backpay once approved 💯
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Ezra Collins
Listen up because this is important for anyone with $0 benefit amounts showing. The system does this automatically while they verify your wages and employment history. Here's what you need to do: 1. Keep certifying every week no matter what 2. Check your message inbox daily 3. Upload any documents they request immediately 4. If you haven't heard anything in 3 weeks, you NEED to speak with an agent Fastest way to get through is using claimyr.com - they'll wait on hold and connect you to an agent. Otherwise you'll be calling hundreds of times. Once they verify everything, they'll update your benefit amount and backdate payments to your filing date. Average processing time is 4-6 weeks but can be faster if you stay on top of it.
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Victoria Scott
•this should be pinned fr fr 📌
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Benjamin Johnson
•wish i knew this months ago smh
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Zara Perez
u need 2 call them asap. dont wait. the longer u wait the longer itll take trust
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Daniel Rogers
NY unemployment system is straight garbage these days. good luck getting anyone on the phone without some kind of hack 🙄
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Aaliyah Reed
•facts. system needs a complete overhaul fr
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Mei Zhang
Been in the exact same situation since mid-April. Filed 4/15 and got the same $0 determination letter. Finally got through to someone last week using that claimyr service everyone mentioned - totally worth the $20. The agent told me they were still waiting on wage verification from my previous employer and that's what was holding everything up. She said once that comes through (should be any day now), they'll update my benefit amount and I'll get all the back payments from my filing date. Keep certifying every week like others said - that's super important for getting your back pay. Hang in there, it's frustrating but you will eventually get your money!
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Andrew Pinnock
•Thanks for sharing your experience! Super helpful to know it's the wage verification holding things up. Did the agent give you any timeline on when employers usually respond with wage info? I'm in week 3 of waiting and getting anxious about my bills piling up 😰
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•She said employers have 10 business days to respond but sometimes it takes longer if they're being slow or if there's missing paperwork. In my case it took almost 4 weeks total. The good news is once it goes through, the back pay comes pretty quick - usually within a few days of your benefit amount updating. I know it's stressful with bills but definitely keep certifying and maybe try calling again in another week if you haven't heard anything!
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Diego Chavez
I'm dealing with something similar - filed 4/8 and got the same $0 determination letter about 3 weeks ago. The waiting is killing me financially but reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope. Sounds like the wage verification is the main bottleneck. I've been certifying every week religiously and checking my inbox daily like @Ezra Collins suggested. Probably going to try that claimyr service this week if I don't hear anything soon. At least knowing that back pay comes once approved makes the wait slightly more bearable. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines - really helps to know I'm not alone in this mess!
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Oliver Schmidt
•You're definitely not alone! I'm in almost the exact same timeline - filed 4/12 and got my $0 letter around the same time as you. Been lurking here for weeks trying to figure out what's going on. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences, especially @Mei Zhang and @Fatima Al-Qasimi with the wage verification details. That explains so much! I was starting to think I did something wrong with my application. Going to keep certifying and probably bite the bullet on that claimyr service too. Fingers crossed we all get our updates soon 🤞
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The Boss
Just wanted to update everyone - I was in the exact same situation and finally got some movement! Filed 4/3 and had the $0 determination for almost 8 weeks. Used claimyr.com last Tuesday (totally worth the $20 like everyone said) and got through to an agent who explained that my employer had finally submitted the wage verification the day before. She said it would take 2-3 business days to process and update my benefit amount. Sure enough, checked my account Friday morning and my weekly benefit amount was updated to $405! First payment should hit my account by Wednesday. The agent also confirmed I'll get all the back pay from my original filing date. So hang in there everyone - the system is slow but it does eventually work. Keep certifying weekly no matter what and don't give up! 🙏
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Sebastian Scott
•This is exactly what I needed to hear! 🎉 Been stressing about this for weeks thinking something was wrong with my application. Your timeline gives me so much hope - I'm at about 6 weeks now so hopefully I'm close to getting movement too. Definitely going to try claimyr this week, seems like everyone who used it got results. Thanks for taking the time to update us with the good news! Really helps to see someone actually make it through the process 💪
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Anastasia Kozlov
OMG thank you @The Boss for that update!! 🙌 I've been checking this thread obsessively for weeks and your success story just made my day. Filed 4/17 so I'm right behind you timeline-wise. Getting that $0 determination letter was so confusing and scary - I thought maybe I wasn't eligible or messed something up. But hearing that it's just the wage verification process and that you got $405/week plus all that back pay gives me so much relief! Definitely ordering claimyr today, seems like that's the key to actually talking to someone. Can't wait to update everyone here when my benefits finally come through. This community has been a lifesaver during this stressful waiting period! 💙
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Declan Ramirez
•Just wanted to jump in as someone new to this whole unemployment process - reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful! I just filed last week and was getting worried when I saw that $0 determination letter, but now I understand it's just part of the waiting game while they verify wages. Really appreciate how supportive everyone is being here, especially @The Boss for sharing the success story and @Anastasia Kozlov for expressing exactly what I m feeling'right now. Sounds like patience and persistence are key, plus that claimyr service seems to be the real MVP for actually getting through to talk to someone. Thanks for creating such a helpful thread everyone!
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Ella Harper
Just went through this exact same thing! Filed 3/28 and got the dreaded $0 determination letter that had me panicking for weeks. Finally got through using claimyr (yes it's legit and worth every penny) and the agent explained it's totally normal - they show $0 while waiting for employer wage verification. Took about 7 weeks total but once my employer finally sent the info, my benefits updated within 3 days and I got all my back pay dating to my original filing date. The key things: keep certifying every single week even with $0 showing, check your messages daily, and don't panic! The system is just super slow but you WILL get your money eventually. Hang in there! 💪
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