This thread has been so helpful for understanding the difference between unemployment and disability benefits in NY! I'm currently dealing with a similar medical situation and was completely lost about where to turn. It's really encouraging to see so many people who've successfully navigated the NY State Disability Benefits process through the Workers' Compensation Board. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who've been approved, how did you handle the gap period between stopping work and receiving your first disability payment? I'm worried about covering my expenses during those 3-4 weeks of processing time. Did any of you use savings, or are there other emergency assistance programs available while waiting for the disability benefits to kick in? Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's made this overwhelming situation feel much more manageable!

I'm in a really similar situation right now - just got told by my doctor that I need to take extended leave for mental health reasons and I was panicking about how I'd pay my bills. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief! I had no idea that NY State Disability Benefits was even an option. I was getting so frustrated trying to figure out the unemployment "able and available" requirement when I clearly can't work right now. It sounds like the wcb.ny.gov online application is definitely the way to go based on what everyone's shared. I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow to make sure they understand what forms they'll need to fill out. Thank you all so much for sharing your stories - it's really comforting to know that other people have gotten through this process successfully. Sometimes you just need to hear that there's actually help available when you're dealing with health issues!

Don't forget about New York State Disability Insurance if you're temporarily unable to work due to illness or injury. It's separate from unemployment but might provide some income while you're recovering. You pay into it through payroll deductions so you might be eligible even if you don't qualify for UI.

I work in HR and deal with these questions a lot. The key thing to understand is that New York has two separate systems: unemployment insurance (UI) through NYS Department of Labor and temporary disability insurance (TDI). If you can't work due to health issues, TDI is usually the better option - it pays up to 50% of your average weekly wage for up to 26 weeks. You're eligible if you've been paying into the system through payroll deductions. For UI, you'd need to prove you can work within your medical restrictions and are actively seeking jobs you can physically perform. The confusion comes from people calling disability benefits "medical unemployment" when they're really different programs with different eligibility rules.

Keep filing your weekly claims even if your employer contests! A lot of people stop filing thinking they have to wait for the decision but you'll lose those weeks if you don't certify. You can always pay back overpayments later if needed but you can't go back and claim weeks you missed.

Just wanted to add that if your employer does contest the claim, don't panic! I went through adjudication last year and it took about 3-4 weeks to get a determination. The fact that you have documentation about the safety issues you reported could actually work in your favor - retaliation for reporting workplace safety violations is illegal and can strengthen your case. NYS Department of Labor adjudicators do consider the circumstances around terminations. Keep detailed records of everything and stay on top of your weekly certifications like Santiago mentioned. The process is stressful but manageable if you stay organized.

Wow, thank you for updating us with your success story! I'm still in the middle of this nightmare myself - been trying for over a week now. Hearing that Claimyr actually worked for you gives me hope. I was hesitant about using a third-party service, but at this point I'm willing to try anything. The fact that your employer didn't respond to their verification request is infuriating - why do WE have to jump through hoops because THEY can't be bothered to respond? Anyway, so happy you got it resolved and will definitely be trying Claimyr tomorrow!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same ordeal last year. The verification process is absolutely brutal, but don't give up! A few additional tips that helped me: 1) If you do get through to someone, ask them to email you a confirmation of what was discussed and any next steps - this saved me when my claim got "lost" again weeks later. 2) Keep detailed notes of every call attempt (time, what happened, any reference numbers) because they may ask about previous attempts. 3) If your employer is unresponsive to NYSDOL's verification requests, you can actually provide your own documentation as backup - pay stubs, W2s, even screenshots of your work schedule if you have them. The agents can often work with what you provide directly. Hang in there everyone - it's a broken system but persistence does pay off eventually!

Hey! Just wanted to chime in as someone who literally just went through this exact process last week. That approval email is your green light - you're all set to start certifying! A couple things that really helped me: - The labor.ny.gov website can be super slow on Sunday mornings, so I ended up using the phone system (888-581-5812) which was way faster - Make sure you answer all the certification questions honestly - they ask about any work you did, income earned, etc. Even if you worked just a few hours, report it - Keep track of your certification dates! I use my phone calendar to set weekly reminders The waiting week thing threw me off too but it's pretty straightforward - you certify for that first week but don't get paid for it. Think of it like a one-week "deductible" before your benefits kick in. One more thing - if you haven't already, definitely check that your address is correct in the system. My friend had issues because his mailing address was wrong and his determination letter got sent to the wrong place. You're in the home stretch now! The approval is the hardest part to get through 👍

Just wanted to add my experience since I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago! That approval email is basically your "you're done with the hard part" notification - you can absolutely start certifying this upcoming Sunday. A few things that really saved me headaches: 1. The online system at labor.ny.gov works best if you clear your browser cache first. I had so many issues until someone told me this trick. 2. When you certify, they'll ask if you looked for work that week. During my claim period you had to say yes and list 3 job search activities, but I heard they might have changed the requirements recently. Just answer honestly based on what you actually did. 3. About the tax withholding - definitely think about this carefully! I opted to have taxes taken out (10% federal, 2.5% state) and was glad I did come tax season. But if you need every penny right now, you can always opt out and deal with taxes later. 4. The determination letter they mentioned should have your weekly benefit amount. Mine took about a week to arrive in the mail, but you don't need to wait for it to start certifying. You're basically at the finish line now! The approval email means all the review stuff is done and you just need to do your weekly check-ins to get paid. Congrats on getting through the worst part! 🙌