Who approves unemployment claims at NYS Department of Labor?
I've been waiting on my unemployment claim for almost 2 weeks now and it's still pending. My coworker got approved in 3 days so I'm wondering what's taking so long. Does anyone know who actually approves these claims at NYS Department of Labor? Is it automated or do real people review them? I'm getting worried something is wrong with mine.
12 comments
Join the conversation
Mei Chen
NYS Department of Labor has both automated and manual review processes. Initial claims that meet standard criteria get approved automatically within a few days. But if there are any flags - like gaps in employment, reason for separation issues, or wage discrepancies - your claim gets sent to an adjudication specialist for manual review. That's probably what happened to yours.
0 coins
Jamal Thompson
•That makes sense, I did have a brief period between jobs last year. How long does the manual review usually take?
0 coins
CosmicCadet
The adjudication specialists are the ones who approve claims that need manual review. They're actual NYS Department of Labor employees who look at your work history, reason for separation, and eligibility. During busy periods it can take 2-4 weeks unfortunately. You can check your claim status on the my.ny.gov portal to see if it shows 'adjudication in progress'.
0 coins
Jamal Thompson
•Yes it does say adjudication in progress! At least now I know what that means. Should I keep filing my weekly claims while waiting?
0 coins
Mei Chen
•Definitely keep filing your weekly claims. If you stop filing you could lose benefits for those weeks even after approval.
0 coins
Liam O'Connor
ugh the whole system is so slow, took them 3 weeks to approve mine and no explanation why
0 coins
Amara Adeyemi
I had a similar delay last month and couldn't get through to anyone by phone. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you connected to actual NYS Department of Labor agents. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Was able to get my claim status updated within a day of talking to someone.
0 coins
Jamal Thompson
•Interesting, I might try that if this drags on much longer. Did they charge you a lot?
0 coins
Amara Adeyemi
•They focus on getting you connected rather than the cost. Worth it when you need answers and can't get through the regular phone lines.
0 coins
Giovanni Gallo
From what I understand, there are different levels of review. Simple claims get auto-approved by the computer system. More complex ones go to claims examiners, and really complicated cases might go to hearing officers. The whole process depends on your specific situation and how busy they are.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Mazrouei
been there! the waiting is the worst part but once they approve it you'll get backpay for all the weeks you were waiting
0 coins
Jamal Thompson
•That's reassuring, thank you! I was worried I'd lose those weeks completely.
0 coins