Certified on wrong day after NY unemployment specialist gave confusing instructions - will I mess up my benefits?
I'm confused about when I should be certifying for my benefits. I certified for my weekly benefits yesterday, but then I got a call from a NY unemployment specialist who told me I should actually certify tomorrow (Wednesday). Now I'm worried I messed something up! On top of that, I just received a letter in the mail saying I need to follow specific instructions before any benefits can be issued to me. Has anyone dealt with conflicting info like this before? I don't know if certifying on the wrong day will affect my payment or delay things. Should I try certifying again tomorrow like the specialist said, or will that make things worse? Really stressed about this since I need these payments to cover rent next week.
32 comments
Issac Nightingale
You should be fine. The system automatically assigns certifying days, but as long as you certify within the week (sunday-saturday) you'll get your money. The letter is probably a standard thing they send to everyone. Just follow whatever it says - usually its like verifying identity or sending in proof of employment. They make everything confusing on purpose i swear.
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Serene Snow
•Oh that's a relief! The letter is asking for some additional documentation about my last employer. I'll get that sent in asap. Thanks for the help!
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Romeo Barrett
•They DO make everything confusing on purpose! I think its so people give up and they dont have to pay out as much 🤔
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Issac Nightingale
•np! just make sure u send in anything they ask for RIGHT AWAY or they'll freeze ur payments. happened to me and it was a nightmare to fix
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Marina Hendrix
I had a similar issue trying to reach someone at ny unemployment. After weeks of calling and waiting on hold, I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual agent in like 30 minutes. Totally worth it since talking to the agent got my benefits unlocked immediately. Check out this video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Justin Trejo
•Is this for real? I've been trying to get through to someone for over a month now.
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Marina Hendrix
•Yeah it actually works! I was skeptical too but I was desperate after trying for weeks. The agent I spoke to cleared up all my issues in one call.
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Alana Willis
•sounds like another scam to me. why would I pay for something that should be free? the whole system is broken 🙄
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Marina Hendrix
•Not a scam at all - it's just a service that calls and waits on hold for you. When they get a real person, they transfer the call to your phone. Saved me hours of frustration and got my money flowing again.
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Justin Trejo
•just checked out that video link. might give it a shot since i've literally wasted days of my life on hold.
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Romeo Barrett
The weird thing about NY unemployment is that they tell everyone different things!!! I was told to certify on tuesdays but my friend with the same exact situation was told mondays. As long as you certify within the week you should be fine. The letter is probably just additional steps - make sure to read it carefully and do exactly what it says.
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Tyler Murphy
Don't stress about the certification day. I've certified on different days plenty of times and still got paid. What you SHOULD worry about is that letter - those instructions are probably required before you'll see any money. What does the letter specifically ask you to do?
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Serene Snow
•The letter wants me to upload proof of my last day worked and something about my employer's business closing temporarily. I didn't realize that would hold up my payments though!
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Tyler Murphy
•Yeah get that stuff in ASAP! Anytime they ask for additional docs, your payments get held until you provide them. The sooner you send it in, the sooner you'll get paid.
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Sara Unger
Listen carefully: DO NOT certify twice in the same week! That could flag your account for fraud! If you already certified, just wait until next week to certify again. For the letter, you need to follow those instructions immediately or your benefits will be delayed. The NY unemployment system is a complete mess and the reps themselves often don't know what they're talking about.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•THIS ⬆️ certifying twice in one week will definitely cause problems. I made that mistake and it took me 3 months to fix it.
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Serene Snow
•Omg thank you! I was seriously considering certifying again tomorrow. Definitely won't do that now.
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Freya Ross
The specialists working for NY unemployment are so incompetent! Here's what you need to know: First, certifying on a specific day only matters for your FIRST certification. After that, you can certify any day during the week (Sunday-Saturday), but most people do it Sunday or Monday to get paid faster. Second, that letter is crucial. It's probably a request for additional documentation that WILL hold up your payments until you complete it. Upload whatever they're asking for through your online account ASAP. Don't mail it if you can avoid it - things get lost. Third, if you need to speak to someone (which you probably will because their system is broken), use claimyr.com - it's the only reliable way to get through. I spent weeks trying to call before I found them, and they got me connected to an agent who fixed my issues in minutes. Don't listen to the specialist about certifying again tomorrow if you've already certified this week. That's terrible advice and could flag your account.
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Serene Snow
•This is super helpful! I'll upload the documents tonight. The letter mentions something about proving my last day of work and some other details about my employer. Really appreciate the detailed info!
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Leslie Parker
•I second the claimyr recommendation. I wasted 3 weeks trying to get through on my own, used their service, and had my issue resolved same day.
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Sergio Neal
welcome to the wonderful world of ny unemployment where nothing makes sense and the rules change daily 🤡 just do whatever the letter says and pray to the unemployment gods
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Savanna Franklin
•lmaooo this is so accurate it hurts 😂
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Juan Moreno
•unemployment gods have forsaken us all
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Amy Fleming
Just to be clear - ur supposed to certify once per week, any day during that week. The 'assigned day' thing was only during peak covid times. The letter is the more important issue - u need to complete whatever its asking for or ur payments will be held. And dont bother calling the regular number, you'll never get through. Use claimyr.com if u need to actually talk to someone.
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Alice Pierce
I bet that specialist was new and didn't know what they were talking about. Happens all the time with NY unemployment. They hire people with minimal training and everyone gives different information. The letter is the real concern - those are official instructions you need to follow.
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Serene Snow
•That makes sense. They did sound a bit unsure when I was talking to them. I'll focus on the letter instructions.
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Esteban Tate
Ok so here's my experience - I had almost the EXACT same situation happen to me in April. Already certified then got told to do it a different day. I ended up calling (spent like 5 hours on hold) and the agent told me it was fine as long as I didn't try to certify twice in the same week. The letter is normal too - I got one asking for additional proof of employment. Just follow the instructions exactly and you'll be ok.
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Serene Snow
•That's reassuring to hear! Did your payments come through on time after you sent in the additional documents?
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Esteban Tate
•Tbh there was about a 2 week delay after I sent everything in. But then they paid me all at once including back pay.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
Ughhh their system is THE WORST. You're supposed to certify on your assigned day BUT you can certify any day of the week. The assigned days are just to prevent everyone hitting the system at once. But NEVER certify twice in one week or youll be flagged for fraud. As for the letter - you must follow those instructions or your benefits will be held until you do.
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Elin Robinson
bro the ny unemployment people don't even know their own rules half the time so don't sweat it 🤣 just make sure you follow whatever that letter says EXACTLY and you'll eventually get paid
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Atticus Domingo
•frfr their left hand don't know what the right hand doin 💀
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