NY unemployment only released 1 week of backpay out of 5 owed - when will I get the rest?

The same exact thing happened to me. They released one week and I was owed 6 weeks total. I waited a week thinking the rest would just come automatically but nothing happened. I had to call them and spent THREE DAYS trying to get through. When I finally spoke to someone, they said there was a "system flag" on my account that needed manual review. After the agent fixed it, I got the remaining backpay in 3 business days. Don't wait - call them ASAP.

I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) after being stuck in the same situation. I was missing 3 weeks of backpay and couldn't get through on the phones. The service calls for you and connects you to an agent when someone picks up. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast - they found that my backpay was stuck in some review queue. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after trying for weeks on my own. https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

They do this ALL THE TIME. It's not a mistake - it's by design. They're hoping people won't notice or will give up trying to get the rest. I had to call 74 times (I counted) before getting through to someone who could fix it. The rep told me they have a huge backlog of backpay issues. My advice is to document everything - take screenshots of your payment history and approval letters. You'll need them when you finally get through.

Sometimes they release payments in batches! One week might show up first, then the rest come a few days later. I'd wait at least 3-4 business days before panicking. If nothing shows up by then, yeah you gotta call. But my experience was that they trickled in over about a week. Patience might save you the headache of dealing with their phone system.

Here's what I've learned after dealing with NY unemployment for FAR too long: Backpay issues typically fall into a few categories: - System glitches where approved weeks don't automatically release - Review flags that require manual processing - Identity verification delays - Employer dispute resolution Your situation sounds like the first one. Unfortunately, these RARELY resolve themselves without intervention. You'll need to speak with a claims specialist who can manually release the payments. Your options are: 1. Keep calling the main number (888-209-8124) repeatedly. It might take 50+ attempts. 2. Use a service like claimyr.com - they'll wait on hold and connect you when there's an agent. Many people in this sub have had success with this. 3. Contact your state representative's office - they can sometimes expedite DOL issues 4. Send messages through the online portal AND call. Document everything. The backpay won't come automatically. In my experience and from what I've seen here, manual intervention is needed in about 90% of these cases. Don't wait - the longer it sits, the harder it can be to resolve. Good luck!

they released all 7 of my backpay weeks at once, so something is definetly wrong with your claim. u need to call them

My theory is they do it on purpose to save money. They know most people won't be able to get through on the phones. I was missing 5 weeks and had to threaten to call a lawyer before they suddenly "found" my backpay. The whole system is corrupt.

check your payment history super carefully - they might have applied some offset to your backpay. like if you had an overpayment from before or child support. sometimes they take that out without telling you and it looks like missing weeks.

Anyone else notice that ny unemployment is getting WORSE not better lately? Like the pandemic is over but their systems are more broken than ever? I've had nothing but problems with them this year.

Try calling exactly at 7:58am. That's when their system starts accepting calls but before the massive rush at 8:00am. I got through first try using this method last week. The rep told me that backpay often requires manual release, especially if there was any issue or break in your claim.

Contact your state assembly person!!!! This worked for me after weeks of nothing. They have special contacts at unemployment and can escalate your case. Google "NY state assembly" and find your local rep.

Did you certify for all those weeks? You have to certify for each week individually, even backdated ones, or they won't pay you.

i had to wait 7 months for my backpay last year, and that was WITH calling weekly. the system is broken beyond belief.

Before you waste hours calling, check your payment history again tomorrow morning. Sometimes there's a delay between when they process payments and when all of them show up in the system. I've had it where one payment appeared, then the rest showed up 1-2 days later. The NY unemployment system processes different types of payments in different batches.

Honestly, I stopped trusting the online portal completely. The only way to get accurate info is to talk to an actual human. I wasted 2 weeks checking the portal daily and sending messages. Finally used claimyr.com to get through on the phone and the agent told me my backpay was being held because of some flag that wasn't even visible on my account. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast - worth every penny to avoid the hold times.

wait so your claim was approved but they only paid 1 week? that's messed up even by ny unemployment standards 🤡