What's a 'break in claim' for NY unemployment - will I still get my payment Wednesday?

Oh no!! I was sick last week and totally forgot to certify. So I'm not getting paid this week at all?? Is there any way to fix this quickly? I really need that money.

3 WEEKS?? I can't wait that long! My landlord's already giving me grief about being late last month.

I've been trying to call them all morning but keep getting that automated message saying call volume is too high. Is there a better time to call or a different number?

That's not entirely accurate. The one-week waiting period only applies at the beginning of a new benefit year. For a break in claim, you can potentially get back-paid for the missed week if you can prove you were eligible, but you MUST speak to an agent to get this processed correctly.

Thank you! Just checked out their site. Did they actually get you through to a real person? And how quickly did your payment start again after they fixed it?

Yes, they got me through to an actual NYSDOL agent who had access to my claim. My payment was processed the next business day after the agent fixed it in their system. Just make sure you have all your claim info ready when the agent answers.

ya i tried at 8am sharp and still couldnt get thru took me like 50 calls over 3 days

Thank you so much for the clear explanation! So if I can get through to an agent today or tomorrow, there's still a chance I might get paid on Wednesday?

Yes, if you get through to an agent by end of day tomorrow, you have a good chance of getting your payment on Wednesday. Make sure to emphasize that you were ill (if you have any documentation of that, even better) and that you're facing financial hardship. Good luck!

its DESIGNED to be complicated so people give up!!! happened to my cousin too

That's great news! Glad you got it resolved quickly. For future reference, if you know you'll be unable to certify due to illness or other reasons, you can actually request a certification extension ahead of time. There's an option for that in your online account under 'Special Services'.

lucky u!! wish id known about that service before

So happy to hear you got it sorted out! That's exactly why I recommend that service - it really does work when you need to get through quickly. Glad the agent was able to backdate everything for you too. Hope your payment comes through on Wednesday as expected!

Hospital discharge papers would definitely help your case! When I spoke to the agent, I just mentioned I had a doctor's visit and she asked if I had any documentation. I was able to give her the date and doctor's office info, and that was enough for her to approve the backdating. Since you were hospitalized, that's even stronger documentation than what I had. I'd definitely have those discharge papers ready when you call - the dates will show exactly why you couldn't certify. Hope you can get through to an agent soon and get this sorted out!

@Jacob Smithson Hospital discharge papers are definitely strong documentation! I d'also suggest having your hospital bracelet or any follow-up appointment cards if you still have them. When I called, the agent seemed really understanding about medical situations - they deal with this stuff all the time. The key is being honest and having some kind of proof ready. Being hospitalized is obviously a legitimate reason for missing certification. Good luck getting through to them!

@Jacob Smithson Being hospitalized is definitely a valid reason for missing certification! I had a similar situation last year when I was in the ER for 3 days and completely forgot about certifying. The agent was very understanding when I explained the situation and provided my hospital paperwork. Your discharge papers should be more than enough documentation. Just make sure to have the exact dates ready when you call. The agents have pretty broad discretion when it comes to medical emergencies, so you should be able to get your claim reopened and potentially get those missed weeks backdated. Hang in there!

@Jacob Smithson Hospital discharge papers are perfect documentation! I actually work in healthcare and have helped several colleagues through similar situations. The key things to have ready when you call: 1 exact) dates of hospitalization, 2 discharge) papers with the date, and 3 be) prepared to explain that you were physically unable to access a computer/phone during that time. NYSDOL agents are generally very understanding about legitimate medical emergencies. You might also want to mention if you were on any medications that affected your cognitive ability to remember to certify. Don t'stress too much - your situation is exactly the type of case they re'designed to handle with backdating. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

@Jacob Smithson I hope you re'feeling better after your hospital stay! Hospital discharge papers are definitely strong documentation. When I was dealing with my break in claim, the agent told me that medical emergencies are one of the most straightforward reasons they approve for backdating missed certifications. Since you were hospitalized, that s'an even clearer case than mine was with just a doctor s'visit. Make sure to have those discharge papers handy with the exact dates when you call. The Claimyr service really did help me get through quickly if you re'having trouble with the regular phone lines. Best of luck getting this sorted out - you should be able to get those missed weeks back!

@Jacob Smithson Hospital stays are definitely considered valid reasons for missing certification! I went through something similar when I had emergency surgery last fall. The NYSDOL agent was really understanding when I explained I was hospitalized and couldn t'physically certify. Your discharge papers with the dates should be perfect documentation. I d'also recommend having your hospital ID bracelet if you still have it, though the discharge papers alone should be sufficient. The agents deal with medical situations like this regularly, so don t'worry too much about it. Hope you re'recovering well and can get this resolved quickly!

@Jacob Smithson I m'so sorry to hear about your hospitalization! That sounds really stressful on top of dealing with unemployment issues. Your hospital discharge papers should absolutely be sufficient documentation - that s'actually much stronger proof than what most people have when they miss certification. I d'definitely use that Claimyr service that helped me get through quickly, especially since you ve'already been waiting two weeks. The sooner you can talk to an agent, the better your chances of getting both missed weeks backdated. Hospital stays are exactly the kind of emergency situation they re'designed to accommodate. Hope you re'feeling better and can get this resolved soon!

@Jacob Smithson I m'really glad to see everyone sharing such helpful advice! I just wanted to add that when you do get through to an agent, make sure to ask them to add a note to your file about the hospitalization. This way if you ever have issues in the future, there s'already documentation in the system. Also, if you re'still recovering and think you might miss future certifications, ask about setting up automatic extensions while you re'on the phone. The agent can sometimes set those up for ongoing medical situations. Hope you get this resolved quickly and that you re'feeling much better!

@Jacob Smithson I m'glad you found this thread helpful! Hospital discharge papers are definitely your best bet for documentation. I actually had a friend who was in a similar situation after a car accident - she was in the hospital for a week and missed her certification. The agent was super understanding and not only backdated her missed week but also helped her set up medical leave protections so she wouldn t'have to worry about this happening again during her recovery period. Since you were hospitalized, that s'considered a good "cause exception" under NY unemployment law. Just be honest about the dates and have those discharge papers ready. The agents really do want to help in legitimate cases like yours. Hope you re'healing well and can get this sorted out quickly!

@Jacob Smithson Hope you re'doing better after your hospital stay! Having been through the break in claim process myself recently, I can tell you that hospital discharge papers are absolutely the gold standard for documentation. The agents are trained to handle medical emergencies and yours is a textbook case for backdating. One thing I d'add - when you call, mention right upfront that you were hospitalized and have discharge papers. The agent was able to pull up my case and fix everything in about 10 minutes once she understood it was a medical situation. Don t'let them transfer you around - ask to speak with someone who can handle claim reopening and backdating immediately. You ve'got this!

@Jacob Smithson I m'so sorry you had to deal with a hospitalization on top of unemployment stress! Everyone here has given great advice about the discharge papers. I just wanted to add one practical tip - when you call, have your claim confirmation number and Social Security number ready along with those hospital documents. The agent will need to verify your identity before they can make any changes to your account. Also, if you re'still not feeling 100% or have ongoing medical appointments, definitely ask about medical leave protections while you have them on the phone. That way you won t'have to worry about missing future certifications during your recovery. Wishing you good health and hoping you get this resolved quickly!

@Jacob Smithson I m'really sorry to hear about your hospitalization - that must have been scary on top of everything else you re'dealing with. Your discharge papers are definitely going to be your best friend here! I went through something similar when my mom was in the ICU and I completely forgot about certifying because I was at the hospital 24/7. The agent was incredibly understanding when I explained the situation. Hospital stays are considered one of the most legitimate reasons for missing certification, so don t'worry too much. Just make sure you have those discharge papers with the exact dates ready, and maybe jot down a brief explanation of why you couldn t'access a computer or phone during that time. The Claimyr service really does work if you re'having trouble getting through on the regular lines. Hope you re'feeling much better and can get this sorted out quickly!

@Jacob Smithson I m'really sorry to hear about your hospital stay! I went through a break in claim situation a few months ago not (medical, just forgot to certify while dealing with family stuff and) the stress was awful. Your situation is so much more legitimate than mine was - being hospitalized is exactly the kind of emergency these policies are designed for. Those discharge papers with the dates will be perfect documentation. When I finally got through to an agent, she told me that medical emergencies are actually the easiest cases for them to approve because there s'clear documentation and an obvious reason why someone couldn t'certify. Don t'stress too much about it - your case sounds very straightforward for backdating. Hope you re'feeling better and can get this resolved soon!

@Jacob Smithson I m'so sorry you had to go through a hospitalization! That sounds really tough. Your discharge papers should definitely work as documentation - that s'actually much stronger proof than what most people have when they miss certification. I had a break in claim last year not (medical related and) the agent was really helpful once I got through to someone. Since you were actually hospitalized, that s'a totally legitimate reason and they should be able to backdate those missed weeks for you. I d'definitely try that Claimyr service if you re'having trouble getting through on the regular phone lines - it seems like it s'been helping people in this thread get connected faster. Hope you re'feeling better and can get this sorted out quickly!

@Jacob Smithson I m'so sorry about your hospitalization! Hospital discharge papers are absolutely perfect documentation for this situation. I actually work as a patient advocate and have helped people navigate these exact issues. When you call, lead with I "was hospitalized and have discharge papers -" that immediately signals to the agent that this is a legitimate medical emergency. They re'trained to handle these cases efficiently. Also, if you re'still recovering and might need flexibility with future certifications, ask about temporary medical accommodations while you have them on the line. The fact that you were actually hospitalized makes this a very clear-cut case for backdating. Hoping for your speedy recovery and that you get this resolved quickly!

@Jacob Smithson I hope you re'recovering well from your hospital stay! Hospital discharge papers are absolutely the strongest documentation you could have for this situation. I actually had to help my elderly neighbor through a similar issue last year when she was hospitalized for pneumonia and missed her certification. The NYSDOL agent was incredibly understanding and not only backdated her missed week but also put a note in her file about the medical situation. Since you were actually hospitalized, this is exactly the type of emergency that the system is designed to handle with backdating. Make sure to have your discharge papers with the exact dates ready when you call, and don t'hesitate to mention that you were physically unable to access a computer or phone during that time. The agents deal with medical situations like this regularly and are generally very accommodating. Wishing you a full recovery and hoping you can get this resolved quickly!

@Jacob Smithson I m'so sorry to hear about your hospitalization! That must have been really stressful on top of dealing with unemployment. Your discharge papers are definitely going to be your strongest piece of evidence - being hospitalized is probably one of the most clear-cut legitimate reasons for missing certification that the agents see. I actually had a similar break in claim issue a few months back though (not medical and) once I got through to an agent, they were really helpful. Since you have concrete medical documentation, I think you ll'have a much easier time getting those weeks backdated. That Claimyr service that helped the original poster might be worth trying if you keep getting busy signals on the regular line. Hope you re'feeling much better and can get this sorted out soon!

@Jacob Smithson I m'really glad you found this thread! I went through something very similar when my dad was in the ICU for emergency surgery and I completely spaced on certifying - I was basically living at the hospital for a week. Your discharge papers are going to be perfect documentation. When I finally got through to an agent, she told me that hospitalization is actually one of the easiest cases for them to approve because it s'such clear, legitimate documentation of why someone couldn t'certify. The agent was really compassionate about it too. Just have those discharge papers ready with the exact dates, and maybe be prepared to briefly explain that you were physically unable to access the online system while hospitalized. I really hope you re'feeling better, and I m'confident you ll'be able to get those missed weeks backdated without too much trouble!

@Jacob Smithson I m'so sorry to hear about your hospitalization! I hope you re'recovering well. Hospital discharge papers are definitely excellent documentation for your situation. I actually went through a break in claim issue myself recently though (not due to hospitalization and) the process was much smoother once I had proper documentation. Being hospitalized is probably one of the most legitimate reasons for missing certification that agents see. When you call, I d'suggest leading with I "was hospitalized and have discharge documentation -" this immediately lets them know you have a valid medical reason. The agents are generally very understanding about genuine medical emergencies. If you re'still having trouble getting through on the phone, that Claimyr service mentioned earlier in this thread really does seem to help people connect faster. Best wishes for your recovery and getting this resolved quickly!