BUFFALO, N.Y. — Many of you have reached out to 2 On Your Side asking about your unemployment benefits and the back pay you still haven't received. Wednesday we got answers for you from the New York State Department of Labor.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has said several times that people will get their back pay, but some people have been waiting for more than two months, and they need to pay their bills.
"Our response rate is much, much better than any other state," Cuomo said in a press conference on Wednesday. "But if you haven't gotten your check, none of that matters. I understand that. The good news is you're not losing any money because when you get your check, it'll be for the full amount, but you still don't have the check today. All that matters to you is you want that check in your hand today because you need it. I get that. We have made tremendous progress in a very short period of time. But again, no one could have seen this coming. If no one would have built a website and office apparatus to handle millions of calls when you never expected it to happen. But we have reduced dramatically the wait time and the response time."
Wayne Shattuck is waiting for that check. He works for a school and has been unemployed since mid-March. This week, he got some money, but he still hasn't gotten his back pay. His wife is also unemployed.
"We're concerned," Shattuck said. "I'm concerned. My wife's concerned about why she got the $600 twice. And now, she's not getting it. And, plus, she's not getting the unemployment. And, we're not getting that back money whether that's coming along in the future."
2 On Your Side asked the New York State Department of Labor when people can expect to get their back pay and whether it will be paid in a lump sum. A spokesperson got back to us saying there is now a streamlined process to certify back payments online instead of over the phone.
If you can do that, you will get an email that sends you to a form and the Department of Labor says it will get you your benefits as quickly as possible. We also were told that once you complete your back certifications, typically the money is released within a few days and all on the same day. It would most likely be sent to you in multiple payments.
"It's very frustrating, like for everybody else, it's very frustrating," Shattuck said. "You can't get through and can't get through. And, I know you're saying about calling your representatives and helping them get through, how can they get through better where they won't get back to us? Or we can't get through to them? Why should it be any easier for a representative to get through and we can't get through to them?"
Shattuck would like his back pay and does not know when he will be able to return to work since he works for a school.
