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I'm in a similar situation - filed my claim about 2 weeks ago after being laid off and still waiting to hear back. One thing that helped me was creating a folder with all my employment documents organized (last paystub, termination letter, any severance info) so I'm ready if they ask for more proof. Also downloaded the NYS Department of Labor mobile app which seems to update faster than the website sometimes. The waiting is definitely stressful when bills are due! Hang in there Emma, hopefully we both hear something soon.
That's a great tip about organizing all the documents ahead of time! I wish I had thought of that before submitting my claim. I'm going to gather everything now just in case they ask for more info later. Good luck with your claim too Diego - hopefully the 2-3 week timeframe Isabella mentioned is accurate for both of us!
I went through this process about 6 months ago and it took exactly 3 weeks for my initial approval. One thing that really helped speed things up was making sure I had uploaded a clear copy of my termination letter and last paystub when I first filed - I think having complete documentation from the start prevented any delays. Also, Isabella is absolutely right about filing your weekly certifications immediately! I made the mistake of waiting and lost my first week of benefits. The good news is that once you're approved, the payments usually start flowing pretty quickly. Since you were downsized rather than fired for cause, your case should be pretty straightforward. Hang in there!
Thanks Collins, that's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same process recently! I'm definitely going to make sure I have all my documentation ready. Quick question - did you upload everything through the my.ny.gov portal or did they have a separate document submission process? I want to make sure I'm doing this the most efficient way possible since I'm already 3 days in.
THE FRAUD DETECTION SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN! They flag honest people all the time while actual fraudsters slip through. I know three different people who got investigated for stupid reasons - one because their employer filed their quarterly report late, another because of a computer glitch that double-counted their wages. Meanwhile you hear about people collecting benefits in multiple states and nothing happens to them. The whole NYS Department of Labor system needs an overhaul.
same thing happening to me right now! they want like 10 different documents and I don't even know where some of them are. this is so stressful
I totally get how overwhelming the document requests can be! When I went through something similar, I made a checklist and tackled one document at a time. For any missing paperwork, try contacting your employer's HR department or payroll company - they usually keep records longer than you might think. Also, your bank statements can help show when you received paychecks if you can't find pay stubs. Don't panic, just gather what you can and submit it with a note explaining any missing items.
Just to update everyone - my payment actually came through yesterday morning! It took exactly 4 business days after they fixed the fraud flag. All 12 weeks of back payments came at once, which was a huge relief. Thanks to everyone who offered advice!
That's so encouraging to hear @Ryan Andre got their payment so quickly! I'm still waiting (it's been 2 business days since they told me it was fixed) but your timeline gives me hope. I'm checking my account obsessively every few hours lol. Did you get any kind of notification when the payment was processed, or did it just show up in your bank account?
The whole fraud thing is out of control right now. My neighbor works for NYSDOL (not in fraud dept tho) and she said they're completely overwhelmed with all the identity verification backlogs. There was some massive data breach earlier this year and now they're being super cautious with everything. Annoying for us but I guess better than paying out to scammers.
UPDATE: Just saw that all my backpay finally came through! It took exactly 32 days from when my account was flagged until resolution. Hang in there everyone - keep certifying weekly and eventually it should resolve.
This is super helpful! I'm definitely going to ask for a supervisor next time I call. It sounds like the regular agents don't always have the ability to actually fix these issues. Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on getting your money!
Sean Murphy
Check your Way2Go card balance online or call the number on the back - sometimes the money hits but you don't get a notification right away. Also make sure you're checking the right card if you have multiple ones!
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Amelia Dietrich
•good tip! i'll check the balance online right now, didn't think about that
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Anastasia Ivanova
Same thing happened to me last month! Got the text on a Tuesday and the money didn't hit my Way2Go until Thursday morning. First payments can be slower than usual - they gotta process everything through their system. Just keep checking your balance every few hours, it'll show up soon 👍
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