Missed my ny unemployment claim day - will I still get paid if I certify tomorrow?
I completely messed up and forgot to certify for my unemployment benefits yesterday, which was my regular claim day (Sunday). I've been receiving benefits for about 3 months now and this is my first time forgetting. I've been super consistent until now but yesterday my kid got sick and the whole day just flew by. I'm really worried because I'm counting on that money to pay rent this week. If I certify first thing tomorrow morning, will I still get my benefits or will the payment be delayed? Has anyone dealt with this before? Would really appreciate any advice on what happens when you claim late.
43 comments


Andre Dupont
You should be fine if you certify tomorrow. I've done this before and I still got my payment, it was just delayed by a day or two. The system allows you to certify for the previous week as long as you're within the same claim period. Don't stress too much about it!
0 coins
Carmen Lopez
•Thank you SO much for the reassurance! That's a huge relief. Do you remember exactly how long your payment was delayed?
0 coins
Andre Dupont
•For me it was just one extra day, so not bad at all. The money still came in the same week!
0 coins
QuantumQuasar
•This isn't always true tho... I missed mine once and ended up waiting 5 days longer than usual. Depends on when their system processes the late claim.
0 coins
Zoe Papanikolaou
After pulling my hair out trying to reach NY unemployment for weeks about a similar issue, I found an awesome service that actually got me connected to a real agent. Used claimyr.com and they handled the calling/waiting, then connected me when a live agent was on the line. It was the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid quickly. Check out this video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
0 coins
Jamal Wilson
•sounds like one of those ads that pops up everywhere. anyone ACTUALLY try this? i've been burned before with these 'miracle solutions' 🙄
0 coins
Zoe Papanikolaou
•I was skeptical too but I was desperate after being on hold for 4+ hrs multiple days in a row. It actually works - they call and wait in the queue for you, then call your phone when they get a human. Saved me from losing my mind lol
0 coins
Mei Lin
•hmm I've been burned by so many of these 'services' before... what makes this different? The unemployment system is literally designed to be impossible 😩
0 coins
Zoe Papanikolaou
•I get the skepticism, I really do. The difference is they don't promise to fix your claim - they just guarantee you'll talk to a real person instead of listening to hold music for hours. Worked exactly as advertised for me.
0 coins
Liam Fitzgerald
YES you can still certify! Here's what happens: Basically, you have until the end of the week (Saturday) to certify for the previous week. Your payment will be delayed by however many days you're late though. The system will still let you claim for last week, and when you log in you'll see an option for claiming the previous uncertified week. Most people don't know this but NY unemployment actually gives you a pretty decent grace period for missed certifications. You can even certify for up to 3 previous weeks by calling their Tel-Service line at 888-581-5812 if you've missed multiple weeks. Hope this helps! Don't panic, your money isn't lost, just delayed a bit.
0 coins
Amara Nnamani
the unemployment website is such trash 🤮 it should at least send text reminders for certification days. i've missed mine twice and both times was a nightmare to sort out
0 coins
Giovanni Mancini
•THIS!!! The whole system is designed to be confusing on purpose so fewer people get benefits. Its criminal how they run this program.
0 coins
NebulaNinja
•You can actually set up reminders on your phone calendar. That's what I do - every Sunday at 8am I get a notification to certify. Changed my life lol
0 coins
Amara Nnamani
•i know i SHOULD do that but like... the government system should just work better? is that too much to ask? 😂
0 coins
Fatima Al-Suwaidi
If you miss your regular certification day, you have until midnight Saturday of that same week to certify for the previous week without any issues. Ive done it a few times and still got paid, just later than usual. Don't forget you can certify over the phone too if the website is giving you problems.
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
im in the exact same situation right now!! missed certifying on sunday and freaking out. anyone know if this affects your next claim too or just delays this week?
0 coins
Sofia Morales
•It's just a delay for the current week. As long as you certify before the week is over, your future claims will follow the normal schedule. Been there!
0 coins
Dmitry Popov
Pro tip: If you're struggling to reach NY unemployment by phone (which is ALWAYS), I had success with claimyr.com - they handle the calling and waiting, then connect you to the agent when one picks up. Got my issue resolved in one call after weeks of trying myself.
0 coins
Ava Garcia
•How does that even work? The NY unemployment phone system is a literal black hole lol
0 coins
Dmitry Popov
•They have some tech that keeps redialing and navigating the phone tree. Then when they finally get a human, they call your phone and connect you. Saved me hours of misery. No joke it was life changing after being on hold for 5+ hours multiple days.
0 coins
StarSailor}
Don't worry! I work as a career counselor and deal with this all the time. You have a grace period until the end of that claim week (Saturday at midnight) to certify for the previous week. Your payment will just be delayed by a day or two. If you miss that window, you'll need to call and speak to a representative to request backdating your certification.
0 coins
Miguel Silva
You absolutely can still certify! The system allows you to certify for the previous week as long as you do it before Saturday at midnight. There will be a slight delay in payment processing, but you won't lose that week's benefits completely. I actually had a similar situation a few months ago - completely forgot to certify on my regular day because of a family emergency. I certified two days later and my payment was processed, just arrived about 2-3 days later than usual. If you miss multiple weeks in a row, that's when things get more complicated and you might need to call. But for a single missed week, just log in ASAP and certify. One thing to be aware of - when you log in, make sure you select the option to certify for the previous week when prompted. The system should automatically detect that you missed certification and give you this option. Hope this helps!
0 coins
Carmen Lopez
•This is super helpful, thank you! Will certify first thing tomorrow morning. Such a relief to know I won't lose the payment completely.
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
NEVER EVER MISS YOUR CERTIFICATION DAY!!! I missed mine once and ended up in unemployment limbo for 3 weeks. had to make like 50 calls to fix it. The system is designed to make you fail.
0 coins
Connor O'Neill
•this is just fearmongering. missing one day isn't gonna throw you into 'limbo' as long as you certify within the same week 🙄
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
•Maybe YOU got lucky but MY experience was a total nightmare. The system flagged my account for 'inconsistent certification' and I had to talk to 3 different reps to fix it.
0 coins
Yara Nassar
•Both can be true. The system is definitely designed to trip people up, but most of the time a single missed day won't create huge problems if you certify later that week.
0 coins
Keisha Robinson
After dealing with endless NY unemployment problems, I found that the absolute best way to actually talk to someone is to use claimyr.com - they call and wait on hold for you, then connect you to a rep when one picks up. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast after weeks of getting nowhere.
0 coins
GalaxyGuardian
•wait hold up - does this actually work or is it just the usual BS? the NY unemployment phone system is literally designed by satan himself 😭
0 coins
Keisha Robinson
•It actually works! I was about to lose my mind after being on hold for 4+ hours multiple days. They handled all the calling and waiting, then called me when they got a human on the line. Totally worth it.
0 coins
Paolo Ricci
Little known fact: you can also certify for benefits through their automated phone system if the website is giving you trouble! Call 1-888-581-5812 and follow the prompts. I find this easier sometimes when the website is being glitchy.
0 coins
Amina Toure
This happened to me before and I got super anxious too. Everyone's right that you can still claim within the week, but be prepared for your payment to be delayed by 2-3 business days. If you normally get paid Wednesday, you might not see it until Friday or Monday. Just plan accordingly!
0 coins
Carmen Lopez
•Thanks for the heads up on the timing! I'll make sure to adjust my bill payment schedule accordingly.
0 coins
Oliver Zimmermann
Missing your certification day is literally NOT A BIG DEAL as long as you certify within the same week (before Saturday midnight). The system is designed to accommodate this. Your payment will just be delayed by 1-2 business days. However, if you miss certifying for an entire week or multiple weeks, that's when you need to contact them directly to request backdated certification. That process can take longer and sometimes requires speaking with a representative. For anyone struggling to reach someone at NYSDOL (which is notoriously difficult), I highly recommend using claimyr.com. They'll handle the calling and waiting on hold, then connect you when they get a representative. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after weeks of trying. Complete game changer for dealing with the unemployment system. Also, to prevent missing certification days in the future: - Set multiple reminders on your phone - Put a physical calendar note somewhere visible - Try to certify early in your allowed day rather than waiting until evening - Use the mobile app if the website is giving you trouble Hope this helps! The unemployment system can be frustrating but missing one certification day isn't the end of the world.
0 coins
Natasha Volkova
•The mobile app is actually worse than the website in my experience. Crashes constantly and sometimes doesn't even show that you successfully certified 🙃
0 coins
Oliver Zimmermann
•True, the app can be glitchy! I always screenshot my confirmation page no matter which method I use. The unemployment system living in 1995 technology-wise 😂
0 coins
Giovanni Mancini
Hey Carmen! I totally feel your panic - been there myself. The good news is you're absolutely fine as long as you certify before Saturday midnight. I missed mine once when I was dealing with a family emergency and certified 3 days late. Still got my full payment, just delayed by about 2 days. Here's what I learned: when you log in tomorrow, the system should automatically detect that you missed your regular certification day and give you an option to certify for the previous week. Make sure to select that option and not accidentally certify for the current week. One tip that's saved me multiple times since then - I set up a recurring phone reminder for every Sunday at 9 AM with the text "CERTIFY UNEMPLOYMENT NOW!" It's been a lifesaver because life happens and it's so easy to forget when you're dealing with sick kids or other emergencies. You've got this! Your rent money isn't going anywhere, it'll just be a couple days behind schedule. 💪
0 coins
Sara Unger
•This is such helpful advice, thank you! The phone reminder idea is brilliant - I'm definitely setting that up right after I certify tomorrow. I never thought about the system auto-detecting the missed day, that's really reassuring. Appreciate you sharing your experience! 🙏
0 coins
Yuki Yamamoto
Don't stress too much Carmen! I missed my certification day last month when I had a work emergency and completely forgot. I certified two days later and everything worked out fine - just got my payment on Friday instead of Wednesday. The NY unemployment system actually gives you until Saturday at 11:59 PM to certify for that week, so you have plenty of time. When you log in tomorrow, it should show you an option to "certify for previous week" or something similar. Just make sure you're certifying for the right week! One thing that really helped me avoid this happening again was setting up multiple reminders - I have one on Saturday evening that says "tomorrow is unemployment day" and another on Sunday morning. Between kids, work, and everything else going on, it's so easy to lose track of days. Hope this helps ease your worry a bit!
0 coins
Keisha Taylor
•This is so reassuring to hear from someone who went through the exact same thing! I was literally losing sleep over this but knowing you got your payment just a couple days late makes me feel so much better. The multiple reminder system is such a smart idea - I'm definitely doing the Saturday evening one too. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, it really helps!
0 coins
Brandon Parker
Carmen, I totally understand the panic! I've been there too when life gets overwhelming and you just completely blank on certification day. The good news is you're definitely not going to lose that week's benefits - you just need to certify before Saturday at midnight and your payment will come through, just delayed by a few days. What I've learned from my own missed certification (thanks to a sick toddler and zero sleep) is that the NY system actually expects this to happen sometimes. When you log in tomorrow, look for the option to certify for the previous week - it should be pretty obvious on the main page. Since you mentioned you're usually super consistent, this one-time miss won't hurt you at all. I'd recommend setting up a phone alarm for every Saturday night that says "UNEMPLOYMENT TOMORROW" as a backup. Life happens, especially with kids, and the system knows that. You've got this! 💙
0 coins
QuantumQuasar
•Brandon, thank you so much for this! The "UNEMPLOYMENT TOMORROW" reminder on Saturday nights is genius - I never thought about doing it the night before instead of the day of. That gives you that extra mental prep time. It's such a relief to hear from multiple people that this isn't going to mess up my benefits completely. I was literally sitting here at 2am googling "what happens if you miss NY unemployment certification" and spiraling! Your point about the system expecting this to happen sometimes really puts it in perspective. Definitely setting up that Saturday reminder right now! 🙏
0 coins
Liam Cortez
Hey Carmen! I can totally relate to this - I missed my certification day about 6 months ago when my mom was in the hospital and I completely forgot everything else existed. I was panicking just like you, especially since I needed that money for bills. Here's what happened: I certified 2 days late and still got my full payment, it just came on Friday instead of my usual Wednesday. The system automatically recognized I had missed my regular day and gave me the option to certify for the previous week when I logged in. A few tips that helped me: - When you log in tomorrow, make sure you're selecting "certify for previous week" not the current week - Take a screenshot of your confirmation page as proof you certified - Your payment will probably be 2-3 days later than usual, so plan accordingly for rent Since then I've set up two phone alarms - one Saturday at 8pm saying "unemployment tomorrow!" and one Sunday at 9am saying "CERTIFY NOW!" It's been a total lifesaver because with everything going on (kids, life, chaos) it's so easy to forget these things. You're going to be fine! One missed day won't hurt your benefits at all, especially since you've been consistent for 3 months. The stress you're feeling right now is way worse than what actually happens. Hang in there! 🤗
0 coins