For those who have filed unemployment within the last 6 months, how has the process been for you?

16 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 28,2023 at 9:11PM UTC

   This varies greatly by state. Some states are at least 6-months behind, some on time, others don't offer. Years ago I was given 1 year severance due to my length of employment. After the year, I went to apply for U/E and was told that I no longer qualified as it had been a year since I was severed. I told them that when I had applied a year ago, I was told that I could not collect U/E while being paid severance. I was out of luck. Make sure you check your state and google the office itself for processing reviews. Good Luck to you.

2. AnonymousMarch 28,2023 at 9:49PM UTC

   In California the process is seamless. It took me about a half an hour to fill everything out. I was kept updated via email on the status. I was approved in a week and my certification of weekly claims are every other Sunday. My deposits happen 24 hours from my weekly claims being submitted.

   It is so simple.

3. AnonymousMarch 28,2023 at 9:53PM UTC

   Each state is so very different. Just make sure you are prepared with all of the information needed and be organized.

4. Jennifer TannerMarch 30,2023 at 2:40AM UTC

   States are so different. I'm in Virginia, where unemployment is so paltry that I didn't even bother filing for it. It might be easier to google around for a guide to your state and make sure you find one that is recent, because a lot of COVID provisions have expired recently so the situation has changed even more. Good luck tho!

5. Ann BraunApril 1,2023 at 2:17PM UTC

   Virginia is terrible! I started filing in November and diligently entered my work contacts every week and sent in documentation of income. I never heard from them and their clunky website was so hard to navigate that I couldn't tell if I was going to receive anything. I eventually just gave up, which I suspect is their objective. 3 months later I got about 4 weeks of payment. Calling in didn't help AT ALL, even when I called and stayed on hold for more than an hour, only to be disconnected! I tried the option of having them call me back but they never did.

6. AnonymousMarch 31,2023 at 4:50PM UTC

   NY State is the worst. I just got paid 2 weeks ago (retro as well) and I filed in Oct. Forget trying to get someone on the phone. Literally the most frustrating experience ever! But I don’t think all states are this bad. Good luck!

7. AnonymousMarch 31,2023 at 7:11PM UTC

   And seriously who can live on what they give you??? It’s at min wage before taxes!!!! And that’s at the highest salary band. Nope not good. And in this job market, once your six months is up, no extensions!

8. K NMarch 31,2023 at 5:31PM UTC

   Texas here. I just filed two weeks ago and will keep you posted.

9. AnonymousApril 1,2023 at 12:38PM UTC

   Filed in New York State. It was easy Peasy.

10. Emily PhelanApril 1,2023 at 1:08PM UTC

    Filed in MA. There were a few nits with their systems, but when I spoke to someone on the phone, they were fantastic. You don't get paid for your first week, which I didn't know. I delayed filing and regretted not doing it sooner.

11. AnonymousApril 1,2023 at 1:42PM UTC

    Filed in CA where the state is very generous with UI benefits, food stamps, paying for electricity bills & health insurance at this time. Customer service has been sympathetic & good at giving tips to maximize my benefits!

12. AnonymousApril 1,2023 at 2:21PM UTC

    My husband filed for unemployment in Maryland and it was a cruel joke. I did all the work for him since I'm more tech-savvy and I was careful to enter all work contacts. He never heard from them and was never paid for the 5 months it took him to find a new job. It didn't do any good to call in and sit on hold for hours.

13. Susan MyersApril 1,2023 at 3:24PM UTC

    There were major difficulties accessing the FL DEO system as the ID.me and DEO did not work well together for me. It is difficult to talk to a rep. When I finally connected with a rep at DEO, she was lovely, communicative and would process my weekly report for during the duration while on unemployment. It was smooth sailing from then onwards.

14. AnonymousApril 2,2023 at 3:23AM UTC

    Filed in NYS (NYC area) and it was fairly simple. Any information that was needed my former employer provided on the form that was sent to me. The website can be a bit confusing, but once you know where to look it is easy to use. Here, if you have computer access, you can certify weekly on the website itself, so no need to be on the phone. I had 2 phone calls thus far--1 was the initial phone call that was about a month after I started receiving benefits and the woman I spoke with was very kind and gentle with me, understanding it can be quite defeating to be on unemployment (and also for my particular circumstances). The 2nd call was to check on my job search and provide any assistance if needed. Again, the woman who I spoke with very kind and gentle. The 2 calls were as pleasant as this type of phone call could be.

15. AnonymousApril 3,2023 at 2:37PM UTC

    I am in NYC and my experience has been AWFUL. I tried to register at the beginning of February, only to be told by NYC.gov that my SS# was already affiliated with another login. I tried calling a bunch of different numbers, but they either led to an endless chain of automated messages or literally hung up on me... so I went to the Dept. of Labor office on 125th Street. There's another one downtown as well, but most of the DoL staff in NY State is now only available on the phone (but how do you get to them??). The lady there looked my # up and said that someone in the Bronx had used my SS# in 2020 and 2021 to claim unemployment - and somehow no one noticed this. So I had to file a fraud report.
    The weeks flew by with no update; I filed a second one. I went down there again and they led me to a huge, empty office (clearly once staffed by actual real people) and put me on the phone; I did some additional ID stuff and at this point someone from the DoL has reached out to verify my identity, but I am still waiting for someone else to reach out to help me file my claim (the DoL guy told me this was the next step).
    So yeah, it's been a bureaucratic nightmare for me - one that could've easily been avoided had the DoL had some sort of system in place to check SS numbers on unemployment claims against people who were actually working :(

16. AnonymousApril 3,2023 at 6:09PM UTC

    Similar to my nyc experience minus the fraud. You literally can’t get a hold of anyone! It took me 6 mo to get paid. Such a mess! I hope they clear up your situation asap!