How to get unclaimed unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor - missed weeks recovery?
I think I might have unclaimed unemployment benefits sitting somewhere in the NYS Department of Labor system. Back in 2023 I was laid off from my warehouse job and filed for UI but then got called back to work after only claiming like 3 weeks. I never properly closed out my claim and now I'm wondering if there are weeks I was eligible for but never claimed. Is there a way to check if I have unclaimed benefits? The my.ny.gov portal doesn't show anything obvious about this. Has anyone dealt with recovering missed unemployment weeks before?
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The Boss
You'll need to look into retroactive claims with NYS Department of Labor. If you were eligible for specific weeks but didn't file weekly claims, you might be able to request those weeks retroactively. However, there are strict time limits - generally you have to request retroactive weeks within a certain period after your benefit year expires. Check your original claim effective date and benefit year end date first.
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Mia Roberts
•Thanks! How do I find my benefit year end date? I can log into my.ny.gov but I'm not seeing that info clearly displayed anywhere.
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Evan Kalinowski
had something similar happen to me last year... turned out I had like 8 weeks of benefits I never claimed because I got confused about the weekly certification process. You have to call NYS Department of Labor directly to request retroactive weeks, the online system won't let you file for past weeks beyond a certain point.
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Mia Roberts
•Were you able to get those 8 weeks paid out? And how long did the whole process take?
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Evan Kalinowski
•yeah I got them but it took forever... like 6 weeks just to get someone on the phone who could help me file the retroactive claims properly
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Victoria Charity
The key thing is understanding the difference between unclaimed benefits and unpaid weeks. If you never filed weekly claims for eligible weeks, those aren't automatically 'unclaimed' - you have to proactively request them. NYS Department of Labor requires you to demonstrate you were unemployed and able/available for work during those specific weeks. You'll need documentation showing your employment status during that period.
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Jasmine Quinn
OMG this is so confusing! I'm in a similar situation where I think I missed filing for like 2 weeks between jobs but I'm not even sure if I was supposed to file during that time period. Do you have to file every single week even if you're only unemployed for a few days? What if you get a job offer but don't start for another week?
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The Boss
•You need to file for any week where you were unemployed for part of the week and met the earnings threshold requirements. Even if you worked some days, you might be eligible for partial benefits for that week.
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Oscar Murphy
I had luck using Claimyr to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor about retroactive claims. The regular phone lines are impossible but Claimyr (claimyr.com) helped me actually reach an agent who could look up my claim history and tell me exactly which weeks I was eligible to claim retroactively. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me weeks of trying to get through on my own.
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Mia Roberts
•Never heard of that before but honestly anything is better than sitting on hold for hours. Did they charge you for the service?
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Oscar Murphy
•It's worth it when you consider how much time you save vs calling over and over. The agent was able to pull up my entire claim history and walk me through exactly which weeks I could still claim.
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Nora Bennett
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.
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NeonNebula
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.
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Marcus Williams
•This is super helpful! I'm definitely going to gather all my paperwork before calling. Quick question - when you say "proof of when you returned to work," what kind of documentation did they actually accept? Like would a copy of my first paycheck from when I got called back be enough, or did they need something more official like a letter from HR?
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William Schwarz
•@NeonNebula this is really helpful info! I'm curious about the "actively seeking work" requirement for retroactive claims. If I got called back to my old job pretty quickly, do I still need to show proof that I was job searching during those few weeks I was unemployed? Or is being temporarily laid off with expectation of recall different? I'm worried they might deny my retroactive claim if I can't prove I was applying to other jobs during that short period.
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