If ur not certifying for a full week that could be why. Like if your benefit week starts on a Monday and you certified from Wednesday-Sunday you'd only get partial payment. Just a thought.

This exact thing happened to me two months ago! Got $180 instead of my usual $360 with zero explanation. Turns out they had flagged my claim for "review" because I had briefly worked a temp job 4 months earlier that somehow triggered their system. The kicker? They never sent any notification about the review or the payment reduction. I only found out when I finally got through to someone after calling for literally 3 weeks straight. The agent said it's becoming super common lately - their system is automatically flagging claims for various reasons and reducing payments without proper notice. Keep trying to get through because mine got resolved once I spoke to an actual person, but it took about a week after that call for payments to return to normal.

Just make sure you file your claim as soon as possible after losing your job! There's no waiting period in New York but you can't get benefits for any week before you actually file your initial claim. And you have to file weekly claims to continue getting payments even after you're approved.

One thing to add about the "unemployed through no fault of your own" requirement - this also includes certain situations where you quit for "good cause." Things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to your job duties or pay, or domestic violence situations can qualify as good cause. So even if you technically quit rather than being laid off, you might still be eligible depending on the circumstances. The NYS DOL will evaluate each case individually to determine if your reason for leaving meets their good cause criteria.

What was your original denial reason? That can affect timing too - if it's a simple eligibility issue vs something more complex like misconduct allegations, the process might be different.

I'm going through a similar situation right now - filed my appeal about 7 weeks ago after getting denied for "voluntary quit" even though I was laid off. Still no hearing notice either. From what I've read on the NYS DOL website, they're supposed to send the hearing notice at least 10 days before your scheduled date, so you might still be in the normal timeframe. The uncertainty is definitely the hardest part when you're already stressed about finances. Have you tried creating an online account on the DOL website? Sometimes you can see status updates there before you get anything in the mail.

I'm also waiting for my appeal hearing and it's been about 4 weeks now. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and nerve-wracking at the same time! It sounds like 6-8 weeks total is pretty normal right now. I've been keeping track of my case status on the NY.gov portal and it still just says "pending review" - has anyone else noticed if that status ever changes before you get the hearing notice? Also wondering if there's any difference in timing between virtual vs in-person hearings, though it sounds like most are virtual now anyway.

I went through this exact same process earlier this year and can share what worked for me. After waiting about 4 weeks with no word, I started calling every morning right at 8 AM when they open - that's when you have the best chance of getting through. It took me about a week of daily calls, but I finally reached someone who could confirm my appeal was in the system and give me a rough timeline. They told me I was in the "scheduling queue" and to expect another 2-3 weeks. Sure enough, I got my hearing notice exactly 3 weeks later. The whole process from appeal to hearing was about 7.5 weeks total. One tip: when you do get your hearing date, prepare thoroughly - organize all your documents, practice your explanation, and test your video setup if it's virtual. The hearing itself was actually less stressful than all the waiting! Hang in there, it will happen eventually.

Just want to add that sometimes they'll ask for your 'UI number' which is the same thing as your unemployment claim number. Don't let the different terminology confuse you - UI just stands for Unemployment Insurance.

Another thing that helped me was checking my online account dashboard - all your important numbers are usually displayed there once you log in. I bookmark that page because it has my claim confirmation number, benefit year dates, and weekly benefit amount all in one place. Much easier than digging through emails when you need to reference something quickly.