Missing NY unemployment backpay for months I already certified - who to contact?

Oh man same thing happened to me but with February and March backpay. Got current payments but missing about $4800 from previous months. Called non-stop for weeks and couldnt get through.

I was in the exact same boat last summer! After WEEKS of trying to call, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a live agent. Talking to a real person at ny unemployment fixed my backpay issue in like 20 minutes. It was the only way I could actually talk to someone, and getting my backpay released was worth every penny I spent on the service. They've got a video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

The key is to keep detailed records of EVERYTHING. I finally got my backpay after 3 months by sending a secure message through the portal every single day and mentioning specific dates/amounts. Also try calling right when they open at 8am - I got through after only 14 minutes on hold that way.

This is EXACTLY why I tell everyone to screenshot every single certification they submit. NY unemployment system is totally broken. Have you tried reaching out to your state assembly person? That's what finally worked for me after 2 months of no backpay.

After dealing with this SAME STUPID ISSUE for nearly 2 months I finally got someone on the phone who explained that sometimes the system flags backpay for "additional review" even when you did everything right. They have to manually release it. Keep calling until you reach someone who knows what they're doing.

Protip: on twitter, find the NY Department of Labor account and DM them. Seriously. I did this after 6 weeks of no response through normal channels, got a response in 2 days, had my backpay a week later.

Here's what actually worked for me to get $7200 in backpay after months of struggles: 1) Document EVERYTHING. Dates you certified, confirmation numbers, any correspondence. 2) Try calling different numbers. The main line is always jammed, but there are specialized units that can sometimes help. The Telephone Claims Center at their alternate number sometimes has shorter waits. 3) If calling fails, use the secure message system on the portal. Be extremely specific about which weeks you're missing and include your claim ID in every message. 4) Contact your state assembly person or senator. They have dedicated staff for unemployment issues and can escalate your case. 5) As a last resort, if you need to speak with someone immediately, I used claimyr.com which got me connected to an agent who fixed everything. After months of frustration, talking to a real person got my backpay released in one call. Don't give up! The system is overwhelmed but persistence eventually pays off. I've seen people get backpay released even 6+ months after they should have received it.

Don't lose hope! It took me almost 4 months to get my backpay of $6700. The system is overwhelmed but they DO eventually pay what they owe you. Just keep certifying each week even if you're not getting paid.

Check if your claim status says "pending" for those weeks instead of "processed" - if it says pending you need to submit additional documentation. Took me forever to figure that out.

lmaoooo welcome to ny unemployment where the rules are made up and your certifications don't matter 🤡 good luck getting that backpay before 2023

I work with a tenant rights group and see this issue ALL THE TIME. If you're facing eviction because of missing unemployment backpay, make sure to document all your attempts to resolve the issue with unemployment. This can help if you end up in housing court.

When you call, have you tried selecting the option for "payment not received" rather than general questions? That route got me to someone who could actually help with backpay.

Try this secret hack: call right at 7:30am and enter your info even though they're not open until 8. You'll be first in queue when they start answering.

Unpopular opinion but you might just need to wait it out. My backpay randomly appeared after 7 weeks with no warning or explanation. The system is working through a HUGE backlog.

Watch out - if they coded your claim wrong initially, they might not even know you're eligible for those earlier weeks. I had to literally explain to the agent that I had been laid off in March not May because someone entered my info wrong.