What does not ineligible mean for unemployment NYS Department of Labor claim status?
I'm looking at my NYS Department of Labor account and my claim status shows 'not ineligible' instead of just 'eligible' or 'ineligible'. This is confusing me - does this mean I'm approved for benefits or not? I filed my initial claim two weeks ago and have been doing my weekly certifications but haven't received any payments yet. The wording is really throwing me off because it sounds like a double negative. Has anyone else seen this status before and can explain what it actually means?
11 comments


Adrian Connor
The 'not ineligible' status basically means you're eligible for benefits. It's confusing wording from NYS Department of Labor but it's their way of saying your claim passed the initial eligibility review. If you haven't received payments yet after two weeks, there might be an issue with your weekly certifications or there could be an adjudication hold on your account.
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Mikayla Davison
•Thank you! That makes more sense. Should I be worried that I haven't gotten paid yet? My weekly claims all say submitted successfully.
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Aisha Jackson
yeah i had the same thing happen to me last year, 'not ineligible' just means your good to go for unemployment. the payments might be delayed if its your first claim, mine took like 3 weeks before i saw anything in my account
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Ryder Everingham
If you're seeing 'not ineligible' but no payments, check if there's an 'Issue Delaying Payment' section in your account. Sometimes NYS Department of Labor needs additional verification even after approving your initial eligibility. Also make sure you're completing your work search activities correctly - they require 3 work search contacts per week now.
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Mikayla Davison
•I don't see any issues listed but I'll double check my work search log. I've been applying to jobs but maybe I'm not documenting them right.
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Lilly Curtis
The NYS Department of Labor website is SO confusing with all their weird status messages! I spent forever trying to figure out what 'pending adjudication' meant when I first filed. At least 'not ineligible' sounds positive even if it's backwards wording.
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Leo Simmons
I had trouble reaching anyone at NYS Department of Labor when I had payment delays. After getting hung up on multiple times, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to a real person. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth trying if you need to speak to someone about your payment delay.
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Lindsey Fry
•Did they charge you for that? Seems like something we should be able to do ourselves.
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Leo Simmons
•It was worth it for me since I was getting nowhere on my own. The agent was able to explain exactly why my payments were held up.
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Saleem Vaziri
UGH the whole NYS Department of Labor system is a nightmare! They use the most confusing language possible. 'Not ineligible' sounds like they're trying to confuse people on purpose. Why can't they just say 'APPROVED' like normal people??
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Carmen Vega
I went through this exact same confusion when I first filed! "Not ineligible" is definitely their weird way of saying you're approved - it's like they couldn't just use clear language. The payment delay is pretty normal for new claims though. I'd suggest calling the dedicated payment inquiry line (518-457-9000) early in the morning around 8 AM - that's when I had the best luck getting through. Also make sure your direct deposit info is correct in your account, sometimes that can cause delays too.
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