What happens if you apply for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor?
I might need to file for unemployment soon and I'm honestly clueless about the whole process. What actually happens when you apply for unemployment through NYS Department of Labor? Like do they contact your employer right away? How long does it take to get approved? Do you have to prove you're looking for work immediately? I've never been unemployed before and I'm kind of freaking out about the whole thing. Any advice would be really helpful.
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Emma Johnson
The process is actually pretty straightforward once you understand it. When you file your initial claim on my.ny.gov, NYS Department of Labor will send a separation notice to your employer asking them to verify the reason you left. You'll need to file weekly claims every week to certify you're still unemployed and actively seeking work. The job search requirement is 3 work search activities per week. Your first payment usually comes 2-3 weeks after filing if there are no issues.
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Faith Kingston
•Do they call your employer or just send paperwork? I'm worried about making things awkward at my current job if I have to file soon.
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Liam Brown
they send paperwork to your employer not call them usually but yeah your employer will know you filed. its required by law they have to verify why you left the job. took me about 2 weeks to get my first payment when i filed last year
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Olivia Garcia
One thing to know is that your claim might go into adjudication if there's any question about your separation. This means NYS Department of Labor needs to investigate further - maybe your employer disputes the reason you left or there's missing information. During adjudication you can't receive payments until it's resolved. Keep filing your weekly claims though even during adjudication because you'll get backpay if approved.
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Noah Lee
•How long does adjudication usually take? I've been waiting 3 weeks and getting really stressed about bills.
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Olivia Garcia
•It varies a lot - anywhere from 2-8 weeks depending on how complex your case is. If you can't get through on the phone to check status, there's actually a service called Claimyr that helps people reach NYS Department of Labor agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth trying if you need answers.
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Ava Hernandez
The job search thing is no joke - you need to keep detailed records of every application, networking contact, job fair etc. NYS Department of Labor can audit your job search log at any time and if you don't have proper documentation they can disqualify you and make you pay back benefits. I learned this the hard way.
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Isabella Martin
•omg yes this! I got audited and almost lost my benefits because I wasn't keeping good records
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Elijah Jackson
The WHOLE SYSTEM is designed to make you jump through hoops and deny you benefits! They'll find ANY excuse to delay or deny your claim. I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for months over a simple separation issue. They make it so complicated on purpose to discourage people from applying. Just be prepared for frustration and bureaucratic nonsense.
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Faith Kingston
•That's really discouraging to hear. I was hoping it would be more straightforward than that.
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Emma Johnson
•While the system can be frustrating, most straightforward claims do get processed without major issues. Don't let horror stories scare you from applying if you're eligible.
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