This is really valuable information! I've been on NY unemployment for about 2 months and never knew they could automatically recalculate your benefits like this. It makes me feel better knowing that if wages were missed initially, the system might catch it later and actually extend my benefits rather than cause problems. I've been so stressed about potentially running out of benefits before finding a new job, so hearing that these automatic adjustments usually work in favor of claimants is really reassuring. Thanks for sharing your experience and to everyone who explained how this works!

This is such helpful information! I've been on NY unemployment for about 4 months now and had no idea these automatic recalculations could happen. Reading through everyone's experiences here is way more informative than anything I could find on the official DOL website. It's really reassuring to know that when these adjustments happen, they're usually good news and not some kind of error that will cause problems later. I'll definitely be checking my account more regularly now to see if anything changes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and explained how this all works - it makes navigating the unemployment system feel a lot less intimidating when you have real people explaining what to expect!

Just want to add that holidays can mess up the timing too. If there's a federal holiday during the week you certify, everything gets pushed back by a day.

I've been certifying for about 6 months now and can confirm it's usually 2-3 business days with direct deposit. One tip I learned - if you certify really early Sunday morning (like 12:01 AM), sometimes you get paid by Tuesday instead of Wednesday. The NYS Department of Labor seems to process the Sunday night batch first. Also make sure your bank info is correct in your profile because any issues there will delay everything by at least a week while they sort it out.

Just so you know, there's also the state's unclaimed property database but that's for completely different stuff - like old paychecks or forgotten bank accounts. Unemployment benefits that you never claimed don't automatically go there. You have to work directly with NYS Department of Labor to recover any missed weekly certifications.

I went through something similar in 2022 and here's what I learned: you need to gather all your employment documentation from that time period before you call. Have your original claim confirmation, any correspondence from DOL, and proof of when you returned to work. The retroactive claim process requires you to prove you were unemployed and actively seeking work during those specific weeks. Also, make sure you're within the time limits - I think it's usually within 1 year of your benefit year end date, but double-check that. The sooner you start this process the better because it can take months to resolve.

wait so you can backdate unemployment?? i thought if you didn't file right away you were just screwed

I was in almost the exact same situation - lost my job in October and didn't file until February because I kept thinking "next week I'll find something." NYS DOL did approve my backdate request, but I only got about 60% of the weeks I requested. The adjudicator said my reason (expecting to find work quickly) was understandable but not considered "good cause" for the entire period. Still, getting partial backpay was better than nothing! My advice: file immediately and gather any evidence you have of job searching activities from September onward - even informal networking or browsing job boards counts as active search if you can document it somehow.

been getting UI for 8 months now and its always different timing. sometimes tuesday sometimes friday. just depends on their system i think. as long as you certified properly youll get it eventually

I've been on unemployment for about 6 months now and can share what I've learned about the timing. NYS DOL usually processes payments 1-3 business days after you certify, but there are a few factors that affect when it actually hits your account: 1) Your bank's processing speed (some credit unions are faster than big banks), 2) Whether you have direct deposit vs. debit card, and 3) Any system maintenance they might be doing. I keep a little buffer in my budget now since I've learned it's not always predictable. If you're really concerned about this week's payment, you can call the automated system at 1-888-581-5812 to check if it was released - that usually tells you if the delay is on their end or your bank's end.