Make sure your employer fills out the standby paperwork correctly!! My company messed up the dates on mine and it caused a whole mess with my claim being put into adjudication. Took 3 weeks to sort out.

I went through something similar during a company merger last year. One thing to watch out for - make sure you understand exactly when your benefits week starts and ends. I made the mistake of not filing immediately when my separation began because I thought I had to wait, and it delayed my first payment. Also, keep all the documentation your HR gives you about the standby status - you might need to upload it to your online account or fax it to the department. The whole process was actually smoother than I expected once I got the paperwork right.

Just wanted to add that if you're worried about any part of this process affecting your unemployment, you can always call NYS Department of Labor directly to confirm. But honestly, bankruptcy is a financial fresh start and shouldn't interfere with your right to collect benefits you've earned through your work history.

I'm going through a similar situation right now and this thread has been so helpful! My bankruptcy attorney also confirmed that filing won't affect my unemployment benefits. One additional tip - make sure to keep detailed records of all your unemployment payments for your bankruptcy paperwork. The trustee will want to see documentation of all income sources. Also, if you're doing Chapter 7, the whole process moves pretty quickly so you shouldn't have to worry about this affecting your benefits for very long. Hang in there!

Maybe your friend was talking about partial lump sum pension payments or something totally different? Because I've been collecting UI for 8 weeks now and there's definitely no option for this on the weekly certification.

I'm new here but I've been dealing with NYS unemployment for a while now. Everyone here is correct - there's absolutely no way to get a lump sum payment of your remaining benefits. I actually asked a DOL representative about this directly when I first started my claim because I had heard similar rumors. They explained that the weekly certification system is mandated by federal and state law, not just policy. Each week you have to certify that you're unemployed, available for work, and actively job searching. Without completing these weekly certifications, you can't receive any benefits at all. Your friend's cousin either received a different type of benefit (like workers comp settlement, disability backpay, or tax refund) or the story got mixed up somewhere along the way. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's better to know the truth than chase something that doesn't exist.

Great to hear you made progress with the IDme verification! The phone interview is definitely a positive sign - it means they're actively working on your case. Just wanted to add that when you have your phone interview, they might ask about your alternate base period eligibility too, especially since your initial monetary determination was low. Make sure to mention any employment you had in the 18 months before you filed your claim, even if it was part-time or temporary work. Sometimes they can use a different 12-month period that gives you higher benefits. Also, if you miss their call, don't panic - they usually reschedule pretty easily. Rooting for you!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm going through something similar right now - got a confusing monetary determination but then also received IDme letters. Reading everyone's experiences here really clarifies that these are separate parts of the process. @Anastasia Kozlov - glad to hear you made progress with the IDme and got scheduled for a phone interview! That gives me hope for my own case. I think the key takeaway is that even if the initial monetary determination looks discouraging, it's worth completing all the steps because there are multiple factors and they can recalculate using different base periods. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge - this system is so confusing without community support like this!

I'm new to this community and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually dealing with a very similar situation right now - my waiting week was processed about 5 days ago but I haven't received any payments yet. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing this might be more common than I initially thought. What really stands out to me is how many people have experienced this exact same pattern - waiting week processes fine, then nothing happens while some backend issue creates a hold that we're never told about. It's so frustrating that the system doesn't communicate what's actually wrong! Christian's success story through Claimyr is really encouraging, and I appreciate everyone sharing all these practical solutions. I'm going to start with the 8am calling strategy since multiple people have confirmed that works best, but it's good to know about the backup options like Claimyr and contacting assembly members if I can't get through. The biggest takeaway for me is definitely continuing to certify weekly no matter what - knowing that I'll get backpay once this gets resolved makes the waiting less stressful. Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences and solutions. This community is already proving way more helpful than the official NYSDOL resources!

This thread has been such a goldmine of information! I'm currently dealing with a similar delay - my waiting week processed about a week ago and I'm already getting nervous about the lack of payments. Reading through everyone's experiences really shows how systematic these communication failures are at NYSDOL. What's most helpful is seeing the clear pattern: waiting week processes fine, then mysterious backend holds happen without any notification. Christian's resolution through Claimyr is really encouraging, especially that it only took minutes once an agent actually looked at the issue. I'm going to be proactive and start with the 8am calling strategy tomorrow since multiple people have confirmed that timing works best. If that doesn't pan out after a few attempts, I'll definitely look into Claimyr or reach out to my assembly member. The key takeaway about continuing weekly certification is crucial - knowing I'll get all the backpay once this gets sorted out makes the whole situation much less stressful. Thanks to everyone for creating such a supportive community and sharing real solutions that actually work. This is already more helpful than anything I've found through official NYSDOL channels!