Why haven't I gotten my NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits yet - been waiting 2 weeks
Filed my initial claim with NYS Department of Labor two weeks ago and still haven't received any payments. My weekly certifications are showing as processed but no money has hit my account. The my.ny.gov portal just says 'claim under review' but doesn't give any details about what's holding it up. I lost my job at a restaurant in Brooklyn and really need these benefits to cover rent. Is this normal or should I be worried? How long does it usually take for first payments to come through?
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Liam O'Sullivan
Two weeks is actually pretty normal for first-time claims. NYS Department of Labor has to verify your employment history and wages with your former employer. The 'claim under review' status usually means they're doing standard verification, not that there's a problem. Your first payment should include back pay from your claim start date.
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Mei Liu
•That's a relief! I was starting to panic thinking I did something wrong on the application.
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Amara Chukwu
mine took 3 weeks for the first payment then after that it was regular every week. just keep doing your weekly claims even if you havent gotten paid yet or you'll mess up your benefits
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Giovanni Conti
•This is correct - definitely continue filing your weekly claims. If you miss weeks while waiting for initial approval, you can lose those benefit weeks permanently.
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
I had the same issue last month and was getting nowhere calling the NYS Department of Labor directly - always busy signals or getting hung up on. Someone here recommended using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to a real person. They have this video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Helped me reach an agent who could explain exactly what was happening with my claim.
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Mei Liu
•Thanks for sharing this! I'll check it out if I don't hear anything by next week.
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NeonNova
•Never heard of that service before but honestly anything that helps get through to NYS Department of Labor has to be worth it. Their phone system is impossible.
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Dylan Campbell
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! I've been waiting 5 WEEKS for my benefits and they keep giving me the runaround. Every time I call they tell me something different about what documents they need. It's like they don't want to pay anyone.
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Five weeks is definitely too long. You should definitely escalate that - either through your state assembly member's office or using one of those callback services to speak with a supervisor at NYS Department of Labor.
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Sofia Hernandez
Restaurant workers sometimes have delays because tips aren't always reported correctly by employers. NYS Department of Labor has to verify your actual wages which can take extra time if there are discrepancies in the wage records.
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Avery Saint
•That makes sense - I did work as a server so tips were a big part of my income. My former employer might not have reported them accurately. Should I contact them directly to make sure they have the right wage information, or will NYS Department of Labor handle that verification process themselves?
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