Most employers just confirm the separation details honestly. The ones who fight every claim usually get flagged by NYS Department of Labor for review. Companies know that fighting legitimate layoffs just wastes everyone's time and can hurt their relationship with the unemployment office for future issues.

Just went through this process myself a few months ago when my retail job was eliminated. The employer response thing stressed me out too, but it turned out to be pretty straightforward. NYS Department of Labor sent my former employer the paperwork, they confirmed it was a layoff due to store closure, and my benefits were approved within 2 weeks. Since you mentioned it was a legitimate layoff due to budget cuts, you should be fine. Most employers won't waste time fighting claims they know are valid. Keep any documentation you have about the layoff just in case, but try not to worry too much about it!

I've been collecting NY unemployment for about 7 months now and I'm with Webster Bank. My payments are really consistent - always exactly 2 business days after showing "released" on the DOL website. The first payment took 4 business days though, which had me pretty stressed at the time! One thing I learned that might help others - if you log into your bank account online, sometimes you can see the deposit listed under "pending transactions" or "recent activity" even before it shows up in your available balance. This saved me so much anxiety because I could see it was actually there, just not available yet. Also, Webster Bank's customer service can see pending ACH deposits on their end if you call and ask specifically about unemployment payments. For anyone still waiting, especially on their first payment, try not to stress too much! The state system is slow but reliable. Once it says "released" the money is definitely coming - it's just a matter of the banking processing time. Good luck everyone!

I've been getting NY unemployment for about 2 months now with KeyBank and wanted to share my experience since I see a lot of people waiting anxiously for their first payments. My payments consistently take exactly 2 business days after showing "released" - very reliable timing. But my very first payment took 5 business days and I was absolutely panicking by day 4! Turns out that's completely normal for the initial payment since they have to verify all your banking information. One thing that really helped me was calling KeyBank directly and asking if they could see any pending ACH deposits from New York State Department of Labor. They were able to confirm it was in their system on day 3, which gave me so much peace of mind even though it didn't actually post until day 5. Also want to echo what others have said about setting up account alerts - total game changer! I get a text the moment any deposit hits my account so I don't have to constantly check the app. The waiting is definitely stressful but once you get through that first payment, the timing becomes very predictable. Hang in there everyone!

I'm currently dealing with the same exact situation - week 4 of pending status and getting absolutely nowhere with the regular NYSDOL channels! This thread has been incredibly helpful in showing there are actual solutions beyond the endless automated phone loops. @Sean Kelly congratulations on finally getting your backpay - the employer verification issue explanation is really eye-opening since my former employer has also been slow to respond to documentation requests. @Emma Wilson the Office of Special Investigations complaint option is something I never would have found on my own - definitely adding that to my backup plan! @Giovanni Mancini your point about systematic documentation is spot on, I've been loosely tracking my failed calls but need to start recording reference numbers and dates more carefully. It's both frustrating and reassuring to know so many others are stuck in identical situations - really highlights how broken this system is. Based on all the success stories shared here, I'm planning to contact my assembly person first thing tomorrow morning. This community has provided more actionable advice in one thread than weeks of trying to navigate official channels. Will definitely update with my results - thank you everyone for sharing what actually works instead of the usual "keep calling" advice that goes nowhere!

I'm currently on week 3 of pending status and this thread has been a lifesaver! Reading everyone's experiences has given me hope that there's actually a way out of this nightmare. @Sean Kelly so glad you finally got your backpay - the employer verification issue makes perfect sense since my previous company has been dragging their feet on everything post-termination. @Emma Wilson I had no clue about the Office of Special Investigations complaint option, that's definitely going on my list of backup strategies! @Giovanni Mancini your documentation advice is gold - I've been casually tracking my failed calls but clearly need to get more systematic about recording reference numbers and dates. It's incredible how this community has figured out what actually works while the official system just leaves you hanging in limbo. I'm calling my assembly person's office first thing Monday based on all these success stories. The fact that so many of us are dealing with identical situations really shows how fundamentally broken this system is, but at least we're helping each other find real solutions! Will definitely report back with my progress. Thank you everyone for sharing actionable advice instead of the useless "keep trying" responses you get from official channels.

dont overthink it just file and be honest about everything. the worst that happens is they tell u to wait a week or two

I went through this same situation a few months ago. The important thing to remember is that vacation pay is allocated to specific time periods - usually the weeks immediately following your last day of work. So if you got laid off on a Friday and have 2 weeks of vacation pay coming, that pay typically covers the next two weeks. During those weeks, you might not be eligible for unemployment benefits (depending on the amount), but after that period ends, your regular benefits should kick in. Definitely file your initial claim right away though - there's usually a waiting period anyway, and you don't want to delay the process. Just be upfront about the vacation pay situation when you do your weekly certifications.

I went through this same exact situation about 2 months ago and wanted to share my timeline to give you some hope! I completed ID.me on a Tuesday and was also staying with family who kept asking about money every single day - the pressure is so real! My experience: ID.me completed Tuesday → payment status stayed "on hold" until Friday → changed to "pending" Friday afternoon → got paid Monday morning with ALL 8 weeks of back pay in one deposit. So 6 calendar days total, only 4 business days. The key thing I learned is that once your ID.me is complete, NYSDOL has to manually match it to your claim in their system. Sometimes this happens automatically in 2-3 days, sometimes it takes a week. There's really no way to predict it, but the vast majority of people get their money within that 3-8 business day window everyone's been mentioning. About the family situation - what saved my sanity was printing out some screenshots from forums like this one and showing my relatives that this waiting period is completely normal and happens to everyone. Once they understood it wasn't something I could control or speed up, they stopped asking daily. Since you did yours yesterday, I'd watch for that status change to "pending" by early next week. If nothing changes by Thursday, definitely call. But honestly, you did the hardest part already - the verification itself is way more complicated than the payment release. You should have your money soon! 🙏

Just want to add my recent experience to help ease everyone's anxiety! I completed ID.me verification about 10 days ago and was in the exact same boat - staying with family and dealing with constant questions about when the money would come. My timeline: ID.me completed on a Monday → payment status changed from "on hold" to "pending" Thursday morning → got paid the following Tuesday with all 9 weeks of back pay in one deposit. So about 8 calendar days total, 6 business days. The biggest thing that helped me was setting realistic expectations with family upfront. I showed them this exact thread and said "look, everyone waits 3-8 business days, it's completely normal." Once they saw it wasn't just me making excuses, the daily pressure stopped. Also want to mention - when you do get paid, it's likely to be a pretty big lump sum if you're owed multiple weeks. Mine was over $4,000 for 9 weeks, so definitely set up those bank notifications people mentioned so you don't miss it! @Katherine Shultz since you did yours Wednesday, I'd expect movement by early next week. The verification part is definitely the hardest - once that's done, the payment release is pretty automatic. You're almost there! 🙌