NY unemployment backpay missing after certifying - how to get missing payments?

This is actually pretty common with NY unemployment when there's a gap between certification and approval. Those backpayments don't always process automatically like they're supposed to. You need to speak with a Tier 2 claims specialist (not just the regular agents). They have to manually review and release those funds.\n\nWhen this happened to me in February, I tried for TWO WEEKS to get through on the phone with no luck. Then I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They transferred me to a claims specialist who fixed it on the spot. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE\n\nMake sure you have all your certification dates and confirmation numbers ready when you call. The agent will need to verify each week individually.

Thanks for the advice! Do you remember if they gave you any explanation for why the backpay didn't process automatically? I'm worried they'll try to claim I did something wrong with my certifications even though I did everything exactly as instructed.

same thing happened to me!! took almost a month to get my backpay and only after i called like 50 times. the system is such garbage smh

A month!? That's crazy. I can't wait that long. Did you have to do anything special when you finally got through to someone? Or did they just press a button and fix it?

they just fixed it once i got to talk to someone. the hard part is getting thru to the right person. not all agents can help with backpay stuff

The NYSDOL is absolutely SWAMPED right now with seasonal claims and the new system glitches. I was on hold for FOUR HOURS last week trying to sort out a similar issue. They're deliberately understaffed to save money and don't care how many people suffer! When I finally got an agent, they gave me some BS about a \

Six weeks is definitely not normal for backpay processing. The standard is 7-10 business days once a claims specialist manually releases the funds. Sounds like you might have gotten an inexperienced agent who gave you incorrect information. I'd recommend calling back and specifically asking for a Tier 2 specialist. Regular agents often don't have the authority to release backpayments - that's why it's important to get to the right department.

You might be right about getting a bad agent. I'll try again and specifically ask for Tier 2. Just frustrating to waste half a day on hold only to get nowhere!

my cousin had this issue in january, they told him it was because there was a \

No issues with identity verification that I know of. My account just sat in pending status for weeks with no explanation. Then suddenly got approved last week. Everything else seems fine except the backpay.

This is a processing issue on their end. There's a specific procedure for handling retroactive payments in the NY unemployment system:\n\n1. Make sure you've completed Form TC-403.5 for each missing week (this should be available in your online account)\n\n2. You need to speak with a claims specialist who has access to the payment release system\n\n3. They'll need to verify your certification history and earnings record for each week\n\n4. Once verified, they'll manually release the payments which typically arrive within 3-5 business days\n\nThe key is getting to an actual claims specialist, not just a general customer service representative. The specialists work in a different department and have different system access. If the person you're speaking with says they \

Thank you so much for the detailed info! I don't see any Form TC-403.5 in my account though... where exactly would I find it? Under the Forms section or somewhere else?

Look under \

Got it, I'll check there. Really appreciate the help!

just wondering did u get a monetary determination letter before they started paying u? i'm in a similar situation but haven't even gotten that letter yet and worried my backpay will be messed up too

Yes, I got the monetary determination letter about a week before the payments started. It had the weekly benefit amount but didn't mention anything about backpay specifically.

ok thx that helps. hope u get ur backpay soon!

Thanks, good luck with your claim too!

I work with unemployment cases, and there's actually a specific backpay release process that needs to happen. When claims are approved after a delay, the system sometimes flags the older certifications for manual review to prevent fraud. It's frustrating but actually makes sense from a security perspective.\n\nYou need to request what's called a \

is this the same as back pay for waiting week? or different thing?

Different issue. The waiting week is a separate matter that affects the first week of benefits for new claims. What OP is describing is retroactive payment for weeks that were properly certified but not paid due to a delayed claim approval. The processes for resolving these issues are different.

make sure u check if they took taxes out of ur backpay too! my friend got her backpay but they forgot to take out the taxes she requested and then she got a bill later

Good point, I definitely opted for tax withholding so I'll make sure to check that when they (hopefully) pay me the back weeks.

Just following up - did you have any luck getting through to NYSDOL? I'm curious if you were able to resolve this. When I had this issue, the agent told me they're seeing a lot of backpay problems because of the new system update they did in December 2024.

I tried calling for two days with no luck - kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold. Finally used that Claimyr service you mentioned and got through to someone in about 15 minutes! The regular agent couldn't help but transferred me to a claims specialist who found the issue right away. Apparently my backpay was stuck in some \

Great to hear you got it resolved! That security review hold is becoming increasingly common with the new fraud prevention measures NYSDOL implemented. For anyone else reading this thread with a similar issue, always ask specifically for a claims specialist review of \

YES! Those were the exact words the specialist used - \