NY unemployment back pay during review - can I stop certifying but still get paid?

DO NOT stop certifying! I made that mistake last year and lost 4 weeks of benefits. Even when your claim is under review, you MUST keep certifying every week or you won't get paid for those weeks once your claim is approved. The system is designed this way - certification proves you were eligible (looking for work, available, etc) during those specific weeks.

Omg thank you! I almost stopped certifying this week. It's just so frustrating to go through the process and see nothing happen.

yep keep certifying. mine was under review for 6 weeks back in january and i got all backpay once it cleared.

I was under review for 2 months (!!!) earlier this year. I kept certifying every week like clockwork. When they finally approved my claim, I got all the back payments in one massive deposit. It was actually kind of nice to get that lump sum, but obviously would've preferred getting paid on time.\n\nThe review process is taking longer these days because they're short-staffed. Have you tried calling to check your status? That sometimes moves things along.

2 MONTHS??? Oh god I hope mine doesn't take that long. I've tried calling but can't get through - just constant busy signals or the automated message saying call volume is too high.

Yeah, the phone situation is horrible right now. I probably called 50+ times before getting through. Try early morning (7:30am) or late afternoon (4:30pm) when call volume might be lower.

Employment counselor here - I want to emphasize how critical it is to continue your weekly certifications. This is non-negotiable if you want your back pay.\n\nThe review process is separate from the certification process. Reviews can happen for many reasons: income verification, employer disputes, identity verification, etc. But regardless of the reason, your responsibility is to certify every week you're eligible.\n\nIf you miss certifying for a week, you'll have to request a backdated certification through an appeal process, which adds even more time and complexity.

Thank you for explaining this clearly. I'll definitely keep certifying every week. Do you know if calling repeatedly actually helps speed up the review process?

Calling can help in some cases, especially if there's a simple issue that could be resolved quickly. However, if your review is in a queue for manual processing, calling repeatedly might not change much. That said, it doesn't hurt to try getting through at least once to check your status.

my cousin stopped certifying after 3 weeks of review and lost all those weeks, had to appeal to get them back. took him another 2 months!! just keep doing it even though it feels useless

I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM!!! Was under review for 5 weeks in March 2025. The

I know right?? Would it kill them to give us some kind of timeline or explanation? The silence is what makes it so stressful.

After trying for weeks to get through to a real person at NY unemployment about my review status, I finally used a service called Claimyr. It got me connected to an actual agent in about 20 minutes instead of me calling 100 times. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my claim was under review and gave me an estimated timeline. Totally worth it for my peace of mind. You can check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE and their site is claimyr.com\n\nAnd yes, definitely keep certifying every single week!

is that legit? sounds kinda sketchy

It's completely legitimate. They basically call unemployment for you and then connect you when they get through. Saved me hours of redial frustration.

Thanks for the tip! At this point I'm desperate enough to try anything that might help. I'll check it out.

anyone know if the review goes faster if you upload extra documents? i'm in the same boat waiting 2 weeks now

Only upload documents if specifically requested. Uploading unrequested documents can sometimes flag your account for additional review, potentially extending the process.

UPDATE: I took the advice here and kept certifying. My claim was finally approved today after 4 weeks of review! Got all my back pay in one lump sum. Just wanted to thank everyone for the help!

Great news! Glad it worked out for you.

Congrats! Always nice to hear when the system eventually works like it should.