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UGH the NYS Department of Labor processing times are ridiculous!! They expect us to survive on nothing while they take their sweet time reviewing obvious cases. Meanwhile they're quick to send overpayment notices if you make the slightest mistake later on.
I'm going through the same thing right now - filed 12 days ago and still showing "under review." What I've learned from calling different offices is that 10 days is still within the normal range, especially if you filed correctly with all your documents. The system automatically flags certain claims for additional review even when there's nothing wrong. Try not to panic yet, but definitely keep checking your online account daily for any requests for additional info. If you hit the 3-week mark with no updates, that's when I'd start making more aggressive attempts to contact them directly.
Thanks Sofia, this is really helpful to know I'm not alone in this! The "automatic flagging" part makes sense - I was wondering why my straightforward case would need so much review time. I've been checking my account obsessively but haven't seen any requests for additional info yet. Definitely will keep the 3-week timeline in mind as my next checkpoint for escalating. Appreciate you sharing your research from calling around!
I went through something similar last year when my employer cut everyone's hours due to "restructuring." The key thing that helped me was documenting everything - I kept all my old schedules showing full-time hours, new schedules showing the drastic cut, and even calculated how the reduced income was below my basic living expenses (rent, utilities, food). NYS DOL approved my claim because I could prove the hour reduction was substantial and made continuing employment economically unfeasible. Make sure you emphasize that you didn't have a choice - the employer's decision to cut your hours forced you into an impossible financial situation. It's not considered "voluntary" quitting when the working conditions become untenable through the employer's actions.
Update: I filed my weekly claim today and reported my first week of work. The system let me file and it looks like I'll still get some benefits even though I'm working. Thanks everyone for the advice about not stopping my claim completely!
Congratulations on the new job! Just wanted to add that you should also keep all your pay stubs and track your exact work hours each week. NYS Department of Labor sometimes audits claims and having good records makes everything smoother. Also, if your part-time job ever ends or your hours get reduced, you'll already have an active claim and won't have to go through the whole application process again. The partial benefits system is actually pretty helpful for people in situations like yours where you're working your way back to full-time employment.
This is really helpful advice! I didn't think about keeping detailed records but that makes total sense. Quick question - when you say track exact work hours, do you mean just for my own records or do I need to report specific hours worked on the weekly claim? I've been reporting my gross earnings but wasn't sure if they also want to know the actual number of hours.
Same thing happened to me! My Wells Fargo account is empty this morning when I usually get my deposit by 8am on Tuesdays. Really stressing me out since I have bills due today, but reading all these comments is making me feel better that it's just the holiday delay. Fingers crossed it shows up tomorrow morning. At least we're all in the same boat - misery loves company I guess 😅
Hang in there! Wells Fargo is usually pretty reliable for UI deposits so if it's not there today it's definitely just the holiday delay. I've been through this stress before and the money always shows up the next business day. Try calling your bill companies if they're due today - most are understanding about holiday delays especially for unemployment payments. We're definitely all in this together! 💪
Just wanted to update everyone - my deposit finally hit my account this morning (Wednesday) around 6:30am! So everyone who said it would be delayed by one day due to Labor Day was absolutely right. Thanks for all the reassurance yesterday when I was freaking out about rent money. Really appreciate this community having each other's backs during these stressful times. For anyone still waiting, hang tight - it should come through today! 🙏
Thanks for the update! This is exactly what I needed to hear - I'm still waiting on mine and was starting to worry again this morning. Good to know it's coming through today for people. Really shows how much stress these delays cause when you're living paycheck to paycheck (or in our case, UI payment to UI payment). Glad you got your rent money sorted! 🙌
Malik Johnson
Same thing happened to me! Was so stressed when I got the denial letter. Turns out I had filed too early - you have to wait until your last day of work plus any severance period ends. Also if you're getting any kind of pension or retirement payments that can disqualify you even if you're young. Really recommend reading through the whole denial letter carefully, sometimes the reason is buried in legal language at the bottom.
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Kolton Murphy
I went through the same thing with NYS DOL last year. The most important thing is to request your "Notice of Determination" if you haven't already - it should have more specific details than just "not meeting eligibility requirements." Also check if you filed during the right base period. Since you worked 8 months but some was part-time, you might need to look at wages from 15-18 months ago, not your recent employment. The timing of when you file matters a lot for which quarters they count. Don't give up - many denials are overturned on appeal if you have the right documentation.
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