When is the best time to file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
I just got laid off from my job at a manufacturing plant yesterday and I'm wondering about timing for filing my NYS Department of Labor claim. Should I file immediately or wait a few days? My supervisor mentioned something about the first week being unpaid anyway so I wasn't sure if there's any advantage to filing right away. Also heard from a coworker that filing on certain days of the week might affect how quickly you get processed but not sure if that's true. Any advice on the best timing strategy?
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Abigail Patel
File as soon as possible! Your claim effective date is based on when you file, not when you lost your job. Even though there's a one-week waiting period before benefits start, filing immediately protects your claim start date. The NYS Department of Labor processes claims in the order received, so don't delay.
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Rhett Bowman
•Thanks! I didn't realize the effective date was tied to filing date. I'll get on the my.ny.gov website tonight and start the application.
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Daniel White
yeah definitely file right away, I made the mistake of waiting a week and lost out on that week of benefits permanently
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Nolan Carter
The day of the week you file doesn't matter for processing speed - that's an old myth. What matters is filing promptly after job separation. You can file online 24/7 through my.ny.gov or call the NYS Department of Labor claim center. Online is usually faster and you get immediate confirmation of your filing date.
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Natalia Stone
•Is there any difference between filing online vs calling? I'm better with talking to people than navigating websites.
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Nolan Carter
•Phone filing works fine but expect longer wait times during busy periods. Online gives you a paper trail and lets you upload documents immediately if needed. Both methods result in the same claim processing.
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Tasia Synder
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone when I needed to check my claim status after filing. Kept getting busy signals for days. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you connected to an actual agent without the wait. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration trying to reach someone about my adjudication issues.
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Rhett Bowman
•Interesting, never heard of that service. Good to know there are options if I run into phone issues later.
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Selena Bautista
The waiting period thing is confusing - you still need to file weekly claims during that first week even though you won't get paid for it. I almost missed filing my first weekly claim because I thought I could skip it since it was unpaid.
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Abigail Patel
•Exactly right - you must file every weekly claim starting from your first eligible week, even the unpaid waiting week. Missing that first weekly claim can delay your entire benefit timeline.
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Mohamed Anderson
File NOW. The NYS Department of Labor system is overwhelmed and any delay just makes things worse. I filed three months ago and I'm still dealing with adjudication issues. Don't give them any excuse to slow down your claim processing.
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