When to file unemployment weekly claim - missed my window and panicking

You need to file your weekly claim for the week ending on Sunday by the following Sunday. So if the week ended January 12th, you have until January 19th to file that claim. NYS Department of Labor gives you a full week window to submit it. Don't panic - if you missed one week you can usually still file it late, though there might be a delay in payment.

I've been filing UI claims for months now. Here's the deal - you file every Sunday through Saturday for the previous week. Log into my.ny.gov starting Sunday morning after 6 AM. I always do mine Sunday night to avoid any system issues. Make sure you answer all the questions correctly about your job search activities and any work you did that week.

ugh the NYS Department of Labor system is SO confusing about this! I messed up my first two weeks because I thought I filed for the upcoming week not the past week. Lost two weeks of benefits and had to call to get it fixed. Took FOREVER to get through to someone who could help.

Quick question - do we file on the same day every week or does it change? I've been doing mine on Mondays but wondering if that's wrong??

Same thing happened to me last month! Missed one week because I was confused about the timing. Just file the late claim as soon as possible and keep filing your regular weekly claims. NYS Department of Labor will usually process the late one eventually, just might take longer to get paid.

Hey Sofia! I was in the exact same situation when I first started filing. The key thing to remember is that you file EVERY week for the previous week that ended on Saturday. So this Sunday you would file for the week that ended yesterday (Saturday). You have until the following Saturday to file each weekly claim, but I recommend doing it on Sunday or Monday to avoid any last-minute issues. If you did miss last week, don't panic - you can still file it late through the system. Just log into my.ny.gov and look for the option to file a late claim. It might delay your payment but you won't lose the benefits entirely. Going forward, set a reminder on your phone for every Sunday to file your weekly claim!

Just want to add another tip that helped me - if you're ever unsure about whether you filed for a specific week, you can check your claim history on my.ny.gov under "View Payment History." It shows all the weeks you've filed for and their status. This saved me from accidentally double-filing when I couldn't remember if I had already submitted for a particular week. Also, if you do file late, make sure you still answer all the work search questions accurately for that past week - don't just guess or leave things blank because you're filing late.

Don't stress too much about missing one week - it happens to a lot of people when they're new to the system! I made the same mistake my second week of filing. Here's what worked for me: log into my.ny.gov and look for "File a Claim for Benefits" - there should be an option to file for previous weeks. When you file late, just be extra careful to answer all the questions based on what actually happened during that specific week you're filing for, not what's happening now. Also, keep filing your current weekly claims on schedule while you sort out the missed week - don't let one late filing mess up your ongoing benefits. The payment for the late week might be delayed but you should still get it eventually. I found it helpful to screenshot the confirmation page after filing just in case there are any questions later about whether I submitted it or not.

I went through this exact same panic when I started filing! One thing that really helped me was understanding that the NYS unemployment system works on a "week behind" schedule - you're always filing for the week that already happened, not the current week. So if today is Sunday, you'd file for the week that ended yesterday (Saturday). The deadline to file each weekly claim is actually pretty generous - you have until the following Saturday, which gives you a full week window. If you did miss filing for a week, don't worry! You can still file late claims through my.ny.gov. Look for the "File for Missed Weeks" option when you log in. Just make sure when you file late that you're answering all the questions based on what actually happened during that specific week you're filing for. I also highly recommend setting a weekly phone reminder for Sunday mornings to file your claim - it becomes routine after a few weeks and you won't have to stress about forgetting again.

Sofia, I totally understand your panic - I went through the exact same thing my first month! Here's what saved me: the NYS DOL actually has a pretty forgiving system for missed weeks. When you log into my.ny.gov, look for "Claim Weekly Benefits" and there should be an option that lets you see and file for any weeks you might have missed. The system will show you which weeks are available to file for. Just remember, you're always filing for the week that ended on Saturday - so if you missed filing for the week ending January 19th, you can still file it now, it'll just be marked as a late filing. The payment might be delayed by a week or two, but you won't lose the benefits completely. Going forward, I set my phone to remind me every Sunday at 8 AM to file my weekly claim - it's become second nature now. Also, don't forget to keep track of your work search activities for each week because you'll need to report those accurately even on late filings. You've got this!

Sofia, I completely feel your panic - I was in the exact same boat when I first started navigating the NY unemployment system! The timing really is confusing at first. Just to add to what everyone else has shared, I found it helpful to think of it this way: every Sunday through Saturday you file for the week that just ended on Saturday. So this Sunday you'd file for last week (ending yesterday). The good news is you have a full 7-day window to file each claim, so there's flexibility. If you did miss a week, don't stress too much - you can file late claims through my.ny.gov and while the payment might be delayed, you typically won't lose the benefits entirely. I also started keeping a simple calendar where I mark off each week after I file just so I can visually track that I've stayed on top of it. The system gets much easier once you establish the routine!