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Can my son still claim NY unemployment benefits he missed certifying for 6 weeks ago?

My son lost his job at the end of September due to downsizing and started getting unemployment benefits in mid-October. The system was working fine until about 6 weeks ago when he went on a short trip to visit his sick grandmother and completely forgot to certify for two consecutive weeks. He didn't realize this until he checked his account last week and saw no payments for those periods. He tried calling NY unemployment but couldn't get through after waiting for hours. The website doesn't seem to have any clear instructions for retroactive certification either. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? Is it too late for him to claim those missed weeks? He's really stressing about this since rent is coming up and he was counting on that money.

Yes, he can definitely still get it! You have 30 days from the end of the week to certify retroactively. He needs to call the NY unemployment office and explain the situation - they'll help him backdate those claims. Been there myself.

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Thanks for the quick reply! Did you have to wait a long time to get through on the phone? My son says he's been trying for days.

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Yeah the wait times are BRUTAL. I was on hold for like 2+ hours and got disconnected twice before finally getting through. Keep trying though, it's worth it for the backpay.

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I thought it was only allowed for good cause reasons? Did they ask for any proof or reason why you missed certifying?

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They just asked why I missed it. I told them I was dealing with a family emergency (which was true) and they were pretty understanding. No proof required in my case.

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After spending 3 days trying to get through to someone at unemployment, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that basically waits on hold for you and then calls your phone when an actual human picks up. Talking to an agent got my missed payments processed in like 10 minutes. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after trying for days on my own. Check out this video too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

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this sounds too good to be true tbh... has anyone else tried this?

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It's definitely real. I was skeptical too but was desperate after being on hold for like 4 hours and getting disconnected. They connected me with someone in about 90 mins.

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another 'miracle solution' huh? what's the catch? 🙄

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No catch, it just works. They call and wait on hold instead of you having to do it. When an agent picks up, they connect the call to your phone. Simple as that.

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I've used this too! Saved me hours of frustration and got my backpay situation fixed. Worth every penny considering how much $ I was waiting for.

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He's prob out of luck. After 14 days they usually dont let you claim those weeks. NY unemployment system is designed to make you fail and they love when people miss certifications so they dont have to pay you.

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This is not true. You can request backdating within 30 days. Please don't spread misinformation.

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I missed ONE week last year and they refused to let me claim it. Different reps tell you different things. The whole system is a disaster.

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Yep, totally depends on who you get on the phone. Some agents are helpful, others act like their job is to deny you money.

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Here's what your son needs to do to get those missed weeks: 1. Call the NY unemployment office ASAP - don't wait longer as there's a time limit for backdating claims 2. When you finally reach someone, explain that he missed certifying due to a temporary situation (visiting sick relative counts as good cause) 3. Be prepared to answer questions about what weeks were missed and why 4. If they give you trouble, politely ask to speak with a supervisor 5. Document everything - date/time of calls, rep names, etc. I've had to do this twice and both times I got my back payments, but it took persistence. The hold times are awful - I finally used claimyr.com to get through after wasting days trying on my own. The service waits on hold and calls you when a human answers, which saved me literally hours of hold music. Whatever method you use, just keep trying until you get someone helpful.

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Thank you for such a detailed response! This is incredibly helpful. I'll pass this info to my son right away.

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I can confirm this works. Had almost identical situation last month.

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i just went thru this exact same problem. they will let him certify for missed weeks but ONLY if he calls and explains. website won't let u do it after like 2 weeks. i had to call like 57 times before i got thru 😭

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The official rule is that you have to request backdating within 30 days of the missed week for them to consider it. After that it gets much harder but not impossible. Having a good reason (like visiting sick family) helps a lot. The key is actually getting through to a human who can help.

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do you have a source for this 30 day thing? i cant find it on their website anywhere

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It's buried in their policy docs, but multiple reps confirmed this to me. Here's the exact language from their handbook: "Claimants may request retroactive certification within 30 days of the end of the week they wish to claim for good cause reasons."

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Probably too late tbh. NY unemployment is ridiculously strict about claiming every week. I missed ONE certification during covid and they made me restart my whole claim. The system is designed to make u fail.

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That's not accurate. You can request backdating within 30 days with a good cause reason. Visiting a sick relative counts.

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maybe the rules changed then? this happened to me in 2021 and they wouldn't budge at all 🤷‍♂️

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CALL THEM!!! Don't listen to anyone saying it's too late. I literally just got 3 weeks of backdated payments last month after missing certifications because I was in the hospital. The key is actually getting through to someone on the phone who can help you.

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just to add a datapoint: my brother went through this exact scenario about 2 months ago. he forgot to certify for 2 weeks because he was dealing with some personal stuff. he called, explained the situation, and they let him certify for those weeks. took about 10 business days for the money to hit his account after that.

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That's reassuring to hear! How long did it take your brother to get through on the phone?

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he tried for 3 days with no luck, then used some service that calls for you and connects when a human answers. i'll ask him what it was called.

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just texted him - it was claimyr.com

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The official NY unemployment rules state that you can request backdating within 30 days of the missed certification week, but you MUST speak with a representative to do this. It cannot be done online. Your son should call and explain the situation clearly. Missing certification because he was visiting a sick relative should qualify as "good cause" under their guidelines.

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Ugh, the NY unemployment system is such a nightmare! I feel for your son. I've been there before and it's so frustrating. Best advice: call right when they open (like literally start dialing at 7:59am) and keep trying until you get through. Once you actually talk to someone, they can usually help with backdating for a reasonable excuse like visiting a sick relative.

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the early morning trick doesnt even work anymore 😩 everyone knows about it now so the lines are jammed from the second they open

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oof really? that used to be my go-to strategy. this system is so broken it's not even funny.

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I had the exact same issue a couple months back! Totally fixable. Call the office, explain that your son was helping care for his sick grandmother (which is true), and ask to backdate those missed weeks. The key is actually getting a human on the phone - I had to use claimyr.com after trying for days on my own with no luck. Took about 15 mins once I got someone on the line and I received my backpay within a week.

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For anyone saying "call them" - HOW?? 😂😂 I've been trying to reach NY unemployment for THREE WEEKS about my own issue. Their phone system is a joke. OP, if your son figures out how to actually get a human on the line, please share the secret!

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Try claimyr.com - basically calls for you and connects when a human answers. Only way I got through after two weeks of trying.

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seriously? does that actually work?

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100%. Got me connected in about 2 hours after I spent days trying on my own with no luck. Totally worth it considering how much back pay I was waiting for.

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I work in HR and deal with unemployment stuff all the time. Here's the official word: missed certifications can be backdated within 30 days for good cause reasons (illness, family emergency, technical issues, etc). After 30 days it gets much harder but not impossible. The key is documentation - have your son write down EXACTLY why he missed those weeks, dates, etc. before calling. Be polite but persistent with the rep.

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Thank you for this professional perspective! That's very helpful information.

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The real question is how tf do you even get someone on the phone at ny unemployment 🤡 i swear they have like 2 people working the phones for the entire state

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Fr tho 💀 I've never successfully gotten through in less than 3 hours of trying

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I used a service called Claimyr that basically waits on hold for you. Game changer tbh.

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wait whut? for real? how does that even work?

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You sign up on claimyr.com, they call unemployment and wait on hold, then when a person answers they connect the call to your phone. Saved me literally hours of my life.

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Been dealing w/ NY unemployment for way too long. Here's what works: 1) You CAN backdate missed certifications within 30 days 2) You CANNOT do this online - must be done by phone 3) Visiting sick family absolutely counts as good cause 4) Document everything - when he called, who he spoke to 5) Be nice to the reps! They deal with angry people all day If your son can't get through on the phone (which is likely), I recommend using claimyr.com - it's the only thing that worked for me after days of trying. They wait on hold and then connect you when a real person answers.

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Thank you for this detailed advice! I'll definitely look into the service you mentioned - at this point we just need to talk to someone who can help.

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