Can you get NY unemployment back pay from previous claim after filing new claim?

Yes, you can still get back pay from your previous claim even after filing a new one. The key is to make sure you document everything properly. You'll need to file what's called a 'retroactive certification' for those weeks. Log into your NY.gov account, go to your payment history, and look for any weeks marked as 'unpaid' or 'pending'. You should be able to certify for those weeks specifically. Make sure to note the exact dates of the unpaid weeks when you contact them.

i had this exact problem in feb. u gotta call them bc the website wont let u backdate certify after a new claim starts. been there done that lol

After struggling with the same issue (4 weeks of back pay from my previous claim), I finally got it resolved last month. Calling was impossible - I'd wait for hours and then get disconnected. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent right away. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent I spoke with explained that you absolutely CAN get your back pay even after filing a new claim, but it requires manual intervention from their side. They processed my retroactive certifications over the phone and I got my payments within 3 days.

THEY ALWAYS DO THIS!!! The system is DESIGNED to make you lose benefits you're entitled to. I went through this EXACT thing last year and had to fight for 2 MONTHS to get my back pay. Half the reps will tell you it's impossible once a new claim starts, the other half admit they can do it but claim they need "supervisor approval" which NEVER happens!!! I finally got mine after filing a formal complaint with both NYSDOL and my state rep's office. Don't let them scam you out of YOUR MONEY!!!

I had a similar situation last year where I had to file a new claim while still having unpaid weeks on my old one. It doesn't automatically erase those weeks - you're still entitled to them. But the process isn't straightforward.

Question related to this - does anyone know if there's a time limit for requesting back pay? I have a similar situation but it's been about 7 weeks since my last claim ended and I'm worried it might be too late to request those unpaid weeks.

I got my backpay after about 3 weeks of trying. The key was getting to an actual claims specialist, not just the frontline reps. Regular reps often don't have the system access to process retroactive payments from a previous claim period.

@OP - After you get through to someone (either through regular calling or using Claimyr), ask specifically for a "claims examiner" or "claims specialist" - not all phone agents can handle retroactive payments from previous benefit years. Once you get the right person, they'll need to process what they call a "retroactive certification authorization" for those specific weeks.

One more important detail: after they process your retroactive certification, make sure to check your payment history daily. The payments likely won't come all at once - they'll release them individually as they process each week. If you don't see movement within 7-10 business days, call back and reference your previous call (have the date and representative's name if possible).

update us if u get ur $$$ thru! dealing w/the same issue rn so would love to know what works

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and it was a total nightmare at first. The good news is you absolutely can get your back pay from the previous claim - it doesn't just disappear when you file a new one. The bad news is the system doesn't make it easy and you'll probably need to call multiple times. What worked for me: I kept a detailed log of every unpaid week (dates, amounts, confirmation numbers if I had them) and called first thing Monday morning at 8am sharp. It took about 4 tries to get someone who actually knew how to handle retroactive certifications. When I finally got the right person, they were able to see my old claim history and process all 5 missing weeks in one call. The payments showed up over the next week. Don't give up - that money is rightfully yours and they have to pay it out eventually. Just be persistent and document everything!

Just wanted to chime in with my experience - I was in the exact same boat about 8 months ago with 4 unpaid weeks from my previous claim when they made me file a new one. The key thing that finally worked for me was being super specific about what I needed when I called. Instead of just saying "I need back pay," I said "I need retroactive certification for benefit weeks ending [specific dates] from claim number [old claim ID]." The first few reps told me it wasn't possible, but when I got transferred to someone in the claims review department, they knew exactly what I was talking about and handled it right away. Took about 10 days to see the payments hit my account after that call. Pro tip: if the first person says they can't help, politely ask to speak with someone in "claims review" or "benefit payment resolution" - those departments seem to have the actual system access to fix these issues. Good luck!

I'm dealing with this same issue right now - filed a new claim last week but have 2 unpaid weeks from my old claim that I'm worried about losing. Reading through everyone's advice here is really helpful! Quick question for those who successfully got their back pay - when you called and got the right person, did they need you to re-certify for those weeks over the phone, or did they just process the payments based on your previous certifications? I certified for those weeks when they were due originally but never got paid, so I'm wondering if I'll need to go through the whole certification process again or if they can just release the payments that were already approved but never sent out. Also planning to try that early morning Monday call strategy - seems like that's when you're most likely to get through to someone who actually knows what they're doing!

I went through this exact same thing about a year ago and it was so stressful! You definitely don't lose your back pay when you file a new claim - those are two separate things in their system. I had 6 weeks of unpaid benefits from my previous claim and was panicking when they told me to file new. What finally worked for me was calling the UI customer service line and specifically asking to be transferred to the "Payment Resolution Unit" - that's the department that handles retroactive payments and back pay issues. Regular customer service reps often can't access the tools needed to process payments from previous claim periods. When I got through to the right department, the specialist was able to pull up both my old and new claims simultaneously and process all my missing payments within about 15 minutes. She explained that they see this situation all the time and it's totally fixable - the key is just getting to someone with the right system access. One thing that helped speed up the process was having my old claim confirmation number ready, plus the exact dates of the weeks I was missing payments for. The payments showed up in my account within 5 business days after that call. Don't give up - that money is definitely still yours to claim!