Got laid off in August - NY unemployment rep says I can backdate my claim to then if I file next month?

Yes you can backdate! I went through this same process last year. you'll have to verbally certify each week one at a time with the agent. It takes forever and is super tedious, but I did get all my back pay eventually. Just be prepared with all your info for each week (any work, any interviews, etc

After wasting WEEKS trying to reach NY unemployment on my own, I finally tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a real agent within an hour! They called and waited on hold, then connected me when they got a real person. Was the only way I could actually talk to a human to backdate my claim. They sent me this video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - seriously saved me so much frustration and got my money flowing again.

Wow, so your State Senator's office actually helped? I've been emailing my Assemblyman for 3 weeks with no response. Maybe I should try my Senator instead...

You WILL have to certify for every week individually. Have a calendar ready with any days you couldn't work, any job applications you submitted, any income you had. I had to backdate for 6 weeks and it took almost an hour just for the certifications.

I worked for NY unemployment during covid (quit because it was a nightmare lol). The BRI Pre-date Dept is legit - they handle backdating claims. But they're SUPER backed up right now. Even after you talk to them, expect to wait 4-6 weeks for the money to actually hit your account. The system is a disaster behind the scenes.

I backdated 3 months last summer. Here's what happened for me: 1. Filed my claim online 2. Called the next day (took about 25 tries to get through) 3. Explained I needed backdating 4. Got transferred to BRI Pre-date 5. Had to verbally certify each week one by one 6. They asked for work search details for each week 7. Had to explain why I didn't file sooner (I said I was confused about eligibility since I had some 1099 income) 8. Approved on the call 9. Money came in two separate payments about 10 days later The whole process took about 90 minutes on the phone but was worth it. Having trouble getting through? I used claimyr.com after wasting days trying to call myself - it was the best money I've spent in a long time considering how much back pay I got.

The same thing happened to me and they DENIED my backdate request saying I didn't have a "good cause" for delay. Complete BS. It depends entirely on which agent you get. Some are helpful, others just want to deny everything.

lmao good luck actually reaching that department. i've been trying for FIVE WEEKS to get transferred there. every time i call they say "we'll transfer you" and then i get disconnected 🤡 the whole system is designed to make you give up

Quick tip: when you do the verbal certifications, they'll ask if you were ready, willing and able to work each day. If you say no for ANY day (even if you were sick for one day), they'll reduce that week's payment. Learned this the hard way.

I feel like every State Senator/Assembly office has different levels of helpfulness. Mine was useless but my friend got help from hers in like 2 days. Might be worth trying both?

Been through this EXACT situation. When you file in February, immediately call after and request the backdating. Don't wait for them to contact you. The system won't automatically know you need backdating - you have to specifically request it. And yes, they'll make you verbally certify each week, so have all your info ready about what days you were available to work, what jobs you applied for, etc.

Something nobody's mentioned: you might get a different benefit amount depending on which quarter your claim is based on. If you file in February using the backdated August date, they'll use your earnings from a different base period than if you file with February as the start date. This could mean more or less $ depending on your specific work history. Worth asking about when you talk to them.

NY unemployment is a freaking disaster right now. I work at a nonprofit that helps people navigate benefits, and about half our clients have backdating issues. They're rejecting a lot more backdating requests than they used to, claiming people don't have "good cause" for late filing. Have a REALLY solid explanation ready for why you waited.

Anyone else notice how they changed the backdating rules after covid? Used to be way easier to get backdated payments.