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I was in the same boat last year! The waiting period for NYS Department of Labor approval was brutal - took almost 6 weeks for my first payment. I had to call them so many times but could never get through. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent who could check my claim status. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me weeks of frustration trying to get answers about my delayed payments.
Don't forget about the waiting week! In NY there's no waiting week anymore - you can get benefits for your first week if you're eligible. A lot of quiz questions still include old info about waiting periods that don't apply here. Also, benefits can last up to 26 weeks typically, but that can change during economic emergencies.
The whole system is designed to pay out as little as possible while making you jump through endless hoops. Even if you qualify for the maximum, they'll find ways to delay or reduce your payments. I've been fighting with them for weeks over some arbitrary adjudication issue that makes no sense.
Just wanted to add that the dependent allowance can really help if you have kids. I get an extra $200 per week for my two children on top of my regular benefit amount. Make sure you claim your dependents when you file - you can't add them later easily.
The whole system is so confusing honestly. I tried to file last year and got denied because apparently I didn't work enough hours even though I had two jobs. Then I had to appeal and it took FOREVER to get resolved. Make sure you double check everything before you submit because once it's in the system it's hard to fix mistakes.
Don't forget you also need to file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still being processed. A lot of people miss this and then lose out on benefits for those weeks. The weekly claim asks about any work you did that week and any income you received. You have to do this every single week to keep getting benefits.
Isabella Ferreira
ugh the phone interviews are such a pain! I had mine last month and they asked me like 20 questions about every single job I had in the past 18 months. Why I left each one, what my duties were, how much I made... it was exhausting. But I got approved after so I guess it worked out.
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CosmicVoyager
Don't overthink it too much. They just want to make sure you're eligible and that everything adds up. Common reasons for interviews include voluntary quit situations, misconduct allegations, or if your employer contests your claim. Just be prepared to explain your work history clearly and why you're unemployed now.
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Ravi Kapoor
•This is good advice. Also make sure you know your social security number and have any documentation handy about your previous jobs in case they ask for specific details.
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