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Unemployment is basically a safety net but NYS Department of Labor makes it so hard to access! They act like they're doing us a favor when we paid into this system through our paychecks. The whole adjudication process is just them trying to find reasons to deny claims.
I've been on unemployment for 6 months now and honestly the whole system is a mess. Good luck getting consistent answers from different NYS Department of Labor reps about anything. My neighbor got approved for benefits immediately while my claim sat in adjudication for weeks with no explanation.
just to add - u also need to register with the NY job search website i think its called jobs.labor.ny.gov or something like that. its part of the requirements now
The whole process is honestly a nightmare. I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and they make everything so complicated. But basically: file initial claim online, wait for monetary determination letter, start filing weekly claims, do your job searches, and pray nothing goes wrong because good luck reaching anyone if it does. The system is broken but you have to work within it.
I helped my sister file hers last month and it was pretty smooth actually. The my.ny.gov website walks you through everything step by step. Just make sure you have your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment info from the last 18 months ready before you start.
honestly the worst part is the waiting and not knowing whats happening with your claim. like you file and then its just radio silence for weeks. at least when i finally got approved the back pay came all at once which helped with bills that had piled up
Nia Thompson
The NYS Department of Labor system is so slow right now!! I've been waiting 3 weeks for my approval and every time I call they just say to wait longer. It's ridiculous that they can't give you a straight answer about timing.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•I feel you on this - the waiting is the worst part. At least you know layoffs are usually approved pretty quickly once they get to reviewing your case.
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Aisha Abdullah
Just want to clarify something important - even if your initial claim is still pending, you should start filing your weekly claims as soon as you're able to. You can file weekly claims even before your initial application is fully processed. This ensures you don't lose any benefit weeks while waiting for approval. The weekly claims will just sit there until your main claim gets approved, then they'll process all the back weeks.
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Sean O'Donnell
•Oh wow, I didn't know that! I thought I had to wait for approval first. I'll start filing my weekly claims right away. Thank you!
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