Why is my NYS Department of Labor unemployment claim taking so long to process?
Filed my UI claim back in early December and it's been 6 weeks now with barely any movement. The status keeps showing 'under review' but no one can tell me what they're actually reviewing or how much longer this is gonna take. I've submitted every document they asked for twice, called probably 50 times, and still nothing. My savings are completely gone at this point and I'm starting to panic. Is this normal for NYS Department of Labor to take this long? What could possibly be causing such a massive delay?
25 comments
Join the conversation
Sayid Hassan
Six weeks is definitely longer than normal processing times. Usually NYS Department of Labor claims process within 2-3 weeks unless there's an adjudication issue. Check if you have any messages in your online account that need responses - sometimes they send requests for additional documentation that aren't obvious. Also verify that your employer information was entered correctly during filing.
0 coins
Arnav Bengali
•I've checked the messages section multiple times and there's nothing there. All my employer info looks correct too. This is so frustrating!
0 coins
Rachel Tao
Ugh same thing happened to me last year, took almost 8 weeks before I got my first payment. Turns out they flagged my claim because I had worked part-time for two different employers in the same quarter and their system couldn't automatically verify my wages. Had to submit additional pay stubs and tax documents.
0 coins
Derek Olson
•How did you find out about the wage verification issue? Did they eventually contact you or did you have to call?
0 coins
Rachel Tao
•I had to call repeatedly to find out what was going on. Took forever to get through but that's how I learned about the documentation they needed.
0 coins
Miguel Diaz
Six weeks is definitely longer than usual, but unfortunately not unheard of with NYS Department of Labor right now. There are several things that could be causing the delay - incomplete work history verification, employer disputes, or issues with your ID verification. Have you checked your online account for any pending actions or documents they might need? Sometimes there's a task sitting there that you haven't seen.
0 coins
Ava Johnson
•I check my account every single day and there's nothing showing that needs action from me. It just says under review with no explanation whatsoever.
0 coins
Zainab Ahmed
The system is completely overwhelmed right now. I had a similar situation last year where my claim sat in limbo for 8 weeks before suddenly getting approved with no explanation. Try calling first thing at 8am when the phone lines open - you have a better chance of getting through. Also make sure you're still filing your weekly claims even while it's under review, otherwise you could lose benefits for those weeks.
0 coins
Ava Johnson
•Yeah I've been filing every week religiously. The 8am thing is good advice, I'll try that tomorrow morning.
0 coins
Connor Byrne
•8am is when EVERYONE calls though, the lines are jammed immediately. I've had better luck calling around 2pm on Tuesdays.
0 coins
Danielle Mays
Have you tried calling the NYS Department of Labor directly? I know the phone lines are always busy but sometimes you can get answers about what's causing the delay. When I had issues reaching them, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and redialing.
0 coins
Arnav Bengali
•Never heard of that service before. Is it legit? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.
0 coins
Danielle Mays
•Yeah it's legitimate, they basically handle the waiting and calling for you. Much easier than spending your whole day trying to get through.
0 coins
Yara Abboud
I was stuck in the same situation for months until someone told me about this service called Claimyr. They basically call NYS Department of Labor for you and get you connected to an actual agent who can see what's going on with your claim. I was skeptical at first but they got me through to someone within a few days and my claim was resolved the same week. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. Way better than spending hours on hold every day.
0 coins
PixelPioneer
•How much does something like that cost though? I'm already broke from waiting for my unemployment.
0 coins
Yara Abboud
•They focus on getting you results rather than the cost aspect. For me it was worth it just to finally talk to someone who could actually help instead of being stuck in this endless loop of calling and getting nowhere.
0 coins
Roger Romero
THE SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN! I've been waiting 4 months for my appeal hearing and still nothing. NYS Department of Labor is a joke - they have NO ACCOUNTABILITY and don't care if people become homeless waiting for benefits they're entitled to. Six weeks is nothing compared to what some of us are dealing with!
0 coins
Anna Kerber
•That's awful, 4 months is insane. Have you tried contacting your local assembly representative? Sometimes they can help escalate these situations.
0 coins
Keisha Williams
UGH the NYS Department of Labor is such a nightmare right now!!! I swear they're doing this on purpose to discourage people from claiming. My cousin waited 3 MONTHS for her claim and when it finally went through they said there was never any issue in the first place. The whole system is broken.
0 coins
Paolo Rizzo
•same here, this is ridiculous
0 coins
Derek Olson
could be a bunch of things - did you quit your job or get fired? if you quit they have to do adjudication to see if you had good cause. also if your employer disputes the claim that adds time too
0 coins
Arnav Bengali
•I was laid off due to budget cuts, so that shouldn't be an issue. My employer even said they wouldn't contest the claim.
0 coins
Niko Ramsey
Hang in there! I know it's stressful but the money will come eventually. When I finally got approved after a long wait, they paid me all the back weeks I was owed. Keep filing those weekly claims even while waiting - that's super important for getting your full benefits.
0 coins
Miguel Diaz
One more thing to check - if you worked in multiple states in the past 18 months or had any 1099 income, that can sometimes cause verification delays. Also if your employer is disputing the claim for any reason, that would explain why it's taking so long. The adjudication process for disputed claims can take 6-8 weeks easily.
0 coins
Lauren Zeb
I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed in mid-December and still stuck in "under review" status with no explanation. It's incredibly frustrating when you've done everything they asked and still get radio silence. I've been documenting everything (screenshots, call logs, submission confirmations) just in case I need to escalate this later. Has anyone had luck reaching out to their local state representative's office? I've heard they sometimes have direct contacts at the Department of Labor who can actually look into specific cases.
0 coins