Why am I not getting my unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?
I filed my initial claim 6 weeks ago and have been doing my weekly certifications every Sunday but still haven't received a single payment. My online account just shows 'claim under review' but doesn't give any details about what's wrong. I lost my job at a restaurant in December when they had to cut staff and I thought I did everything right when I applied. Has anyone else had this issue with NYS Department of Labor taking forever to process claims? I'm getting really stressed about rent and bills piling up.
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CosmicCowboy
The 'claim under review' status usually means your case is in adjudication. This happens when NYS Department of Labor needs to verify information about your separation from employment or eligibility. Common reasons include questions about why you left your job, work availability, or wage verification. You should receive a determination letter explaining the specific issue, but these can take 4-8 weeks during busy periods.
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Paolo Longo
•Thanks for explaining that. I haven't gotten any letter yet though. Should I be worried that it's taking this long?
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Carmen Vega
Pending status usually means your claim is in adjudication. This happens when NYS Department of Labor needs to verify something about your employment history or the reason you became unemployed. Common reasons include job separation issues, wage verification, or identity confirmation. Check your my.ny.gov account for any messages or requests for additional documentation. The adjudication process can take 4-8 weeks unfortunately.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•I checked and there are no messages requesting anything. Should I call them or just keep waiting?
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QuantumQuester
ugh same thing happened to me last year, took forever to get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor. their phone lines are always busy and when you do get through they just tell you to wait more
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Andre Moreau
•I had success using Claimyr to get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. It's a service that helps you navigate their phone system and get connected to a real person who can check your claim status. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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Zoe Stavros
Did you quit your job or were you actually laid off? Because if there's any question about whether you quit voluntarily that could be holding up your claim. NYS Department of Labor has to investigate job separations to make sure you're eligible for benefits.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•I was definitely laid off - the whole store closed down. I have the layoff notice they gave us.
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Carmen Vega
•If you have documentation of the layoff, you should upload that to your my.ny.gov account or mail it to NYS Department of Labor. That could speed up the adjudication process significantly.
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Amina Diallo
ugh same thing happened to me last year, took almost 2 months before they finally approved my claim. the worst part is you cant even get through to talk to anyone on the phone to find out whats going on
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Oliver Schulz
•I had luck getting through to NYS Department of Labor by calling right when they open at 8am. Also try using Claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to unemployment agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Jamal Harris
6 weeks is ridiculous but not unheard of unfortunately. The system is completely overwhelmed. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even if you're not getting paid yet - once they approve your claim you'll get back pay for all the weeks you certified.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Good to know about the back pay. I was worried I was missing out on those weeks.
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Natasha Orlova
Are you sure you're filing your weekly claims correctly? Sometimes people miss the job search requirements or don't answer the questions right about being able and available for work. Also if there was any confusion about whether you quit or were laid off that could delay everything.
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Paolo Longo
•I'm pretty sure I'm doing the weekly claims right. I was definitely laid off not fired, my manager even said they might call me back when business picks up. Maybe something got confused in the system?
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Javier Cruz
The NYS Department of Labor system is so broken right now. They're probably just backed up because of all the claims from the holidays when restaurants and retail had to cut workers. I'd keep doing your weekly claims no matter what because if they approve you you'll get backpay for all the weeks you certified.
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Emma Wilson
•This exactly! Don't stop filing your weekly claims even if you're not getting paid yet.
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Dmitry Volkov
I went through this exact same situation last year with NYS Department of Labor. The "claim under review" status is frustrating because they don't give you any details about what they're reviewing. In my case, it turned out they needed to verify my wages with my former employer, which took about 8 weeks total. The good news is once they finally processed my claim, I got all the back pay for every week I had certified. My advice is to keep filing your weekly claims religiously and check your my.ny.gov account daily for any messages requesting documents. Also try calling first thing Monday morning at 8am sharp - that's when I finally got through to someone who could at least confirm my case was moving forward.
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Hannah White
•Thanks for sharing your experience! 8 weeks sounds awful but it's reassuring to know the back pay comes through. I've been checking my account obsessively but no messages yet. Did they ever send you any notification about what documents they needed or did you just have to wait it out? I'm worried I'm missing something they want from me.
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Ava Rodriguez
•@fd802658100b Did you have to provide any specific documentation during those 8 weeks, or did NYS Department of Labor handle the wage verification directly with your employer? I'm in week 6 now and still haven't received any requests for documents, so I'm wondering if they're just working behind the scenes. Also, when you called at 8am Monday morning, how long did you have to wait on hold before getting through to someone?
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