New Jersey (NJ DOL) Unemployment Benefits and State Stimulus Programs – Updates And Latest News on Missing Pandemic Payments and Retroactive Claim Processing

The NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJ DOL) via the Division of Unemployment Insurance (DUI) manages the state’s unemployment insurance program. This includes retroactive payments for the now expired pandemic unemployment programs.

New Jersey ANCHOR property tax rebates

Like many states, New Jersey is rolling out a tax rebate program for it’s residents. One such program is the ANCHOR program which expands eligibility via property tax rebates for those who owned or rented their principal residence (main home) as of October 1, 2019. The following are qualifying income limits.

  • Homeowners with income of $150,000 or less will receive $1,500.
  • Homeowners with income of more than $150,000 and up to $250,000 will receive $1,000.
  • Renters with income of $150,000 or less will receive $450.

You will need to apply by filing your ANCHOR benefit application by January 31, 2023, with direct deposit or rebates to be made by Spring of 2023.

Get your biggest tax refund, guaranteed. Get started today.

How Much Unemployment Can I Currently Get in New Jersey?

With the expiry the pandemic unemployment programs, only traditional/regular state unemployment is available for full or partial unemployment claims. The table below provides key details on the latest unemployment benefits and qualifying wage requirements.

You will need to submit a claim or certify your application via the state’s unemployment website (see section below on filing a claim) to get your actual weekly benefit amount.

Note that to qualify for unemployment, your job or hours worked loss will generally need to be involuntary. I.e. through no fault of your own or via directly quitting. Your job and wages must also have been paid/covered by an employer or source that deducted unemployment insurance taxes per state law (see your paycheck).

Further if you are being paid severance via a layoff or able to use sick leave or paid vacation, you cannot claim unemployment.

You will also need to certify for benefits at regular intervals (weekly or bi-weekly), demonstrate ongoing work availability and evidence of job search requirements to keep getting weekly unemployment benefits.

Weekly Unemployment Available with Dependents (Min – Max)$240 – $830
Dependency Benefits: 7% of WBA for first dependent, and 4% for each of the next two dependents (up to max amount)
Max number of Weeks covered in Benefit Year26
Minimum Qualifying Income over Base PeriodQualifying Gross Weekly Wage: At least $260 per week during 20 or more weeks in base period
Part-Time Income or Workers – UI benefits impactEarnings over 20% of a claimant’s WBA will reduce the amount of benefits paid dollar for dollar. You cannot work more than 80% of hours normally worked.
NJ Unemployment Benefits Summary (NJ DOL)

Why is my weekly benefit payment lower than the maximum amount?

Your actual weekly benefit amount or rate (WBA) is the amount of money your state agency has determined you and your dependents may receive for regular unemployment insurance after filing a claim. This can change weekly based on your certification or claim for benefits.

Your actual WBA is based on the amount that you earned over the states pre-defined base or alternate wage period, which are generally based on four out of the last five completed calendar quarters spanning 12 to 18 months.

The higher your earnings, the higher your approved WBA will be, up to the maximum amount allowed in the state. All earnings must be subject to UI tax (covered employment) to be eligible for factoring into your benefit determination.

Any part time or temporary earnings from employment or other activities during eligible weeks you are claiming and certifying for benefits, will potentially reduce the amount of benefits you may get.

Also note that that your state UI agency may deduct overpayments and court-ordered child support from your weekly payment. This will reduce your WBA.

What if I worked or lived in another state?

If you worked or lived in another state during the base year, you should file your unemployment benefits claim in the state you worked in and where your wages were reported. Not where you reside at the time of claim. You can file a claim in multiple states.

Your claim will be paid and governed by laws of that state in which you applied for. You will need to report this on your state and federal income taxes per form 1099-G issued by the state’s UI agency.

Claimants will also need to apply or reapply for UI benefits when they reach the end of their benefit year.

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Can I Still File a Claim for Back Dated Benefit Payments?

If you believe your claim should be backdated, you’ll need to contact the NJ DOL who will then schedule a fact-finding interview to determine if your claim can be backdated. You will still be able to receive benefits for weeks prior to September 4, if you are found eligible for a claim filed before September 4, 2021

If you are currently in an appeal or adjudication process, or have an appointment scheduled after the Sept. 4 program expiry, you should continue to certify weekly, follow NJ DOL instructions and monitor your email.

Claimants with pending decisions may still be paid retroactively for weeks before September 4th, 2021, if they are later deemed eligible.

Note that funds that appear as remaining in your unemployment account related to the federal enhanced unemployment programs will not be available for certification or payment for weeks of unemployment ending after September 4, 2021.

Federal Enhanced Benefits Have Ended in New Jersey

The NJ DOL has confirmed that claimants on the PEUC, PUA, MEUC and FPUC programs will file/certify for benefits for the last time covering the week ending September 4, 2021.

Any active claims, with or without remaining balances, will expire after this date and any weeks after Sep 5th will NOT be paid. The only exception are retroactive payments for validated claims after a successful determination or appeal.

While there has been a lot of discussion around extending pandemic unemployment benefits, the Biden administration has confirmed (see video) that states will have to use already allocated stimulus funding to expand or extend traditional state unemployment programs.

The NJ DOL has not indicated that is planning to do so at this stage and Governor Murphy recent stated the following in recent remarks confirming this position:

The proper way to extend federal UI benefits is through federal action, not a patchwork of state ones. It should be noted here that no state is extending this benefit beyond September 4th. The reality is that continuing the $300 per week benefit through state resources would be cost prohibitive. It would cost at current at least $314 million per week and perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars more.

In other words, we’re talking about well more than $1 billion per month to maintain this benefit at its current level. Overall, the Department has put $33.7 billion directly into the accounts of nearly 1.6 million New Jerseyans since the start of the pandemic, of which $25 billion had been federal dollars. We have some of the most generous unemployment benefits in the country and God knows we needed them.

We recognize the impact that this will have one some families facing unemployment issues. To support New Jerseyans living through the economic impacts of the pandemic, we have invested in rent assistance, food assistance, childcare assistance, healthcare affordably – affordability assistance and other support programs. We have set up programs which are funded through billions of dollars of federal coronavirus relief funds.

Gov. Murphy

Some claimants may be eligible for State Extended Benefits (SEB), but after September 4th all claimants must have a regular UI claim to continue receiving benefits.

$300 Weekly Payment Delay Updates and News

Every few weeks there have been reports of payment glitches/delays in claimants getting the $300 supplementary benefit, which is in addition to their regular or enhanced unemployment payments. This is generally due to the following reasons:

  • Timing issues between the NJ DOL systems and their UI benefits payment processor (Bank of America). These “glitches” have been been getting resolved in 2 to 3 days in most cases.
  • Staggered certification schedule, which is impacted by system outages and upgrades that the NJ DOL is frequently doing. If this delays certification, then inevitable payment delays will follow.
  • Missing payments being caught up a week later due to the above issues. This results in some claimants seeing a double payment following a week of a missed payment
  • Pending Claims mean a 4 week delay. For claims whose status is showing as “Pending” means your claim has not filed yet and likely needs a NJ DOL agent to perform some kind of manual review. Keep checking daily until it changes to “Filed.” Claims that require agent intervention could take up to four weeks or longer due to the unprecedented volume of filings. NJDOL is currently processing agent intervention claims that were filed about one month ago – so this is why you are seeing a delay in payments.
  • Certification or Eligibility issues. If you see a message to call a regional center (via your portal or a mailed letter) it means no further processing can happen unless you call the NJ DOL at the specified number. This is likely to a certification or eligibility issue.

You can see recent examples and further feedback in the active comments forum below this article. I will post further updates as they come to light and you can stay connected via the options below.

Will New Jersey (NJ) Pandemic Unemployment Benefits be Extended Again in 2021 or End Early?

With several states ending federally funded unemployment benefits earlier than planned (see full list) to encourage workers to return to work, there is a strong concern this action could spread nationwide. But the good news for unemployed workers in New Jersey is that most of the states cancelling unemployment benefits are Republican controlled.

So it is highly likely that claimants in NJ will keep ALL pandemic unemployment benefits, including the extra $300 weekly payment, until the current program end date which would be the week ending September 4th, 2021.

However it should be noted that work search requirements are being more rigorously enforced by NJ DOL and there will be a lot more scrutiny of job rejections if not for pandemic or health related reasons.

Please also see the many comments at the end of the article where people have shared their stories, tips and struggles around getting paid under one or more of these enhanced benefit programs.


2021 Unemployment Program Extensions Under Biden ARPA Stimulus Package

Under President Biden’s $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), enhanced unemployment benefits will be extended until September 6th. This would be the week ending September 4th, 2021 in New Jersey. This includes the following extensions:

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – The PUA program, designed for freelancers, gig workers and independent contractors or those that generally don’t qualify for regular state unemployment, has been extended to September 6th, 2021 (~25 weeks). This brings the total number of weeks in the program to 79. The minimum PUA payment is still 50% of a states average weekly benefit amount and limited to the state’s maximum weekly benefit amount (WBA).

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) – The new stimulus bill funds another 25 weeks of weekly supplementary/extra unemployment at the current $300 level. Payments for the $300 weekly payment will continue until early September for a total of 25 weeks and eligible claimants – those getting at least $1 from state and federal unemployment programs – can get a maximum of $7,500 if they qualify for all weeks covered in this new extension. The other $100 supplementary payment for Mixed Earners (MEUC) was also extended by 25 weeks.

Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) – The PEUC program, which extends coverage for those who have exhausted regular and extended state unemployment, has also been extended until the week ending September 4th, 2021.

There also provisions in the Biden Stimulus package for Unemployment tax breaks on the first $10,200 of benefits.

NJ workers currently claiming federal benefits will receive an additional 25 weeks. Anyone currently receiving unemployment in any amount will also receive the $300 weekly supplemental benefit. We do not anticipate delays in providing these benefits to most claimants.

NJ DOL update

New Jersey NJ DOL Payment Status of 25-week Extensions – Latest News and Status on PUA, PEUC and $300 FPUC

The NJ DOL has implemented the 25 week extension of benefits to the PEUC and PUA programs. Anyone currently collecting unemployment in any amount will also receive the $300 FPUC supplemental benefit. There have however been some issues noted which you can also see discussed in the comments forum below this article. This includes:

  • There have been some delays in getting the $300 weekly payment. This has been due to technical glitches in many cases and payments hit account 1 to 2 days later.
  • Its still hard to get through to someone a live agent. Keep trying as in some instances you will need a live representative to manually progress your claim or to provide additional information to verify your claim.
  • Many are reporting scam emails to potential claimants asking for personal and private data. Do not share this online or to people you don’t know. Only go to the NJ DOL site to load documents and provide required certifications.
  • While the PUA and PEUC extensions are now available till Sep 4th, many people are reporting a lapse in benefits, which is mainly due to the need to provide additional documentation (PUA claimants) or not filing a new claim after you have reached your benefit year end (see below on what happens).
  • Some people who returned to work and stopped claiming benefits, but are now unemployed again are having a tough time reinstating claim due to manual checks the NJ DOL has to do, which is taking more time than expected. Retroactive payments will be made for eligible weeks but this is a known issue.

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Benefit Year End Reviews

All unemployment claims are required to be reviewed after one year per law. Claimants approaching the end of their benefit year should take no additional action. If your UI claim has been open more than one year then you need to be aware of the following actions:

  • DO NOT attempt to open a new claim.
  • DO continue to certify for weekly benefits according to the schedule.

The review of your claim will occur automatically; the NJ DOL will contact you only if more information is needed. If you recently reached the end of your benefit year, a review of your claim has been completed or is underway. When the review is complete, you will receive confirmation your weekly certification for benefits was successful.

NJ DOL Benefits Year End Renewal Process

2021 Unemployment Program Extensions Under COVID Relief Bill

The $900 billion COVID-19 relief package was passed into law on Dec. 27, 2020, which among several other pandemic relief measures extends and provides additional federal funding for enhanced unemployment benefits. This includes the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and a reinstatement, but halving of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) Program which provides a $300 supplemental weekly unemployment payment. I have also posted this video discussing the frustrations around the current $300 payment!

These programs have been funded and extended for 11 weeks (on top of any state funded extensions), covering the weeks of December 27th, 2020 to March 14th, 2021. To receive FPUC benefits, you must be receiving regular UI, PEUC, EB, or PUA.

NJ DOL 2021 11-week Extension Payment Details and Updates on $300 FPUC, PUA and PEUC

Update Feb 9th, 2021: NJDOL has (finally) successfully completed programming for the 11-week benefit extension for the over 75,000 expired PUA and PEUC claims. Claimants who had been waiting and are eligible to claim these 11-weeks should have been notified by email and can certify during their regular schedule once the extended weeks are added to their claim balance. If you have not received your notification AND cannot certify (online or via phone) in the next few days your claim is likely held up due to additional manual processing/verification or you were deemed ineligible. Some examples are further discussed in the comments below.

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Update Feb 3rd, 2021: Unemployed workers in NJ who have exhausted their PUA and PEUC benefits on or after Dec. 26, 2020 continue to face extended delays while the NJ DOL reprogram their antiquated and disparate UI systems to add the 11-week extension. These workers are also missing out on their $300 FPUC weekly payment and will have to wait for an official notification from NJ DOL to resume their weekly certification. Calling and trying to get this pushed through will not help, even if you can get through to someone.

There is no official target date for when NJ DOL will have this done, but I am expecting system updates to be in place by mid-February based on previous program rollouts and NJ DOL sources. Thousands are affected by this and I will continue to post updates across various platforms. I have also discussed more on this YouTube video covering the 2021 UI extension or the PUA extension delay reasons.

Missing 4th week $300 Payment for many (with active benefits): Many readers are reporting that they have not received their 4th week payment. NJ DOL on their social media is only confirming they have made 3 payments – so I suspect the system updates they are having to do for the PUA and PEUC programs have caused these delays. If payments don’t come this week, I imagine NJ DOL will make a double payment next week.

Update January 29th, 2021: NJ DOL has confirmed that they have made three weeks of the $300 FPUC payment to eligible claimants, with the fourth payment coming next week. However this is only for those who can certify and are currently getting state or federal benefits. Those who were getting federal benefits like PUA or PEUC but have now exhausted those benefits (zero claim balance) on or after Dec. 26, 2020 will see a gap in payments while the NJ DOL reprograms their systems to add the 11-week extension approved under the latest COVID relief bill.


DJ posted the following update on Jan 25th: DOL only deposited this week $300 for the week ending the 16th. Then the week ending Jan 23 we get next Monday. We wouldn’t ever get the week ending the 23rds payment today . Because they pay it only when they know you didn’t work.

So the only way you get paid the week of the 23rd is if you file by Saturday the 30th . And for the people saying it’s biweekly it’s not. $300 each week per official NJ DOL update below (some people are getting $600 because it included retroactive payments for missed weeks).

I just talked to someone on the phone at NJ DOL and the way it worked so far was for the weeks ending:
Jan 2nd $300
Jan 9th $300 (PAID $600 for 2 weeks On jan19th )
Jan 16th ( paid today the 25th )
Jan 23rd ( paid on feb1st)

Jan 19 update – $300 Payments coming through for active claimants! Based on reader comments here and on my social media it looks like the $300 weekly payments are coming through. Jackie wrote, “Got 600 deposited this morning a little before 6am. Was never a pending deposit. Just came thru outta nowhere. 1/19/21.” This was confirmed by subsequent comments. So looks like NJ DOL is making weekly payments for FPUC as well but was paying retroactively for the past 2 weeks it missed paying (due to program rollout delays) and so that’s why $600 was the maximum amount received for those who qualified for the 2 weeks.

Al posted the following on Jan 20th, Yes… there’s been much confusion on when the weeks would start or which date the payments would be retroactive. However, it’s basically like this. They’re paying (biweekly) from the week of January 2nd to the week of March 13th. That’s 11 weeks. This is why only a $600 payment/deposit was made to most claimants in NJ. So in respect to retroactive payments, the state was only behind 1 week. The week they tried to issue benefits (January 2, 2021) and the week that benefits started to be issued to claimants (January 9th). The next payable week will be January 16th 2021, payment should be received on Mondays, just like the CARES ACT Supplement Payments were issued. You will NOT receive both your Normal Unemployment Compensation Benefits and the new $300 on the same day. (Unless you’re one of those recipients that would normally receive your regular unemployment benefits on a Monday.) The only eleven payable weeks in 2021 are as follows (week ending): January 2nd, January 9th, January 16th, January 23rd, January 30th, February 6th, February 13th, February 20th, February 27th, March 6th, and week ending March 13th

Delays in payments were attributed to processing the new $300 FPUC while simultaneously running retroactive processing (as required by federal law) for the old $600 FPUC program. Under the new stimulus act, 460,000 claimants currently collecting PUA and PEUC, while 80,000 claimants are collecting Extended Benefits (EB). These groups of claimants are all eligible for an 11-week extension, and should be seeing no interruption in regular benefits. They should continue certifying for weekly benefits and will get the $300 FPUC payment and any eligible retroactive payments.

I realize that not everyone is seeing their payments yet (likely those who had exhausted benefits prior to week of 12/27/20 to 1/2/21) but at least there is some progress. The NJ DOL site is still saying they are “testing” and hard to get a hold of anyone at the NJ DOL, but it is at least good to hear that some people are receiving their payments. Please continue to leave comments at the end of this article with any updates or payment confirmations.


Jan 14 update from NJ DOL : NJDOL hopes to process the newly available federal $300 supplemental benefit over the weekend. An unforeseen complication delayed running the new Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program last week as planned. No one will miss any weeks of eligibility

Given that 1/18 is a public holiday and updates are happening over the weekend, I estimate that NJ DOL won’t get payments out before 1/19, given delays to date. Please leave a comment below the article if you receive your payment.

January 14th 2020 update

“Though there are still a lot of details needed from the USDOL to begin the work of implementing these new programs….we see from the sheer volume of new unemployment claims that this pandemic continues to affect significant numbers of workers, many who are unemployed for the first time in their lives.”

[Update Jan 13th] The NJ DOL has recently posted on their website (it’s a pop-up when you log on their website for the first time) that NJ residents currently claiming federal benefits (PUA or PEUC) will receive the new benefits without delay, and should continue to certify weekly (remaining weeks will roll-over into extension period). It is expected that these active claimants will see their $300 FPUC payment from mid-January (retroactive to December 27th, 2020).

Note – per several comments and responses, no one in NJ has yet seen the $300 payment! However a reader posted this “Just got off the phone with DOL they stated to me that payments will be processed into accounts at the end of today. Now I don’t know if that means into our accounts and will be there right away or then it has to process with ur bank.” So this likely means payments will start hitting accounts by the end of the week (factoring in processing time). Please leave a comment below the article if you receive your payment.

However anyone who has exhausted UI benefits on or after Dec. 26, 2020 will see a gap in payments while the NJ DOL program their UI systems to add the 11-week extension. These claimants should wait for notification from NJDOL before resuming weekly certification. NJDOL. No date provided for this, but expected towards the end of January.

I have noticed several comments on the mixed messages people are seeing from NJ DOL saying that they were the first to roll out the $300 payment, but yet people won’t get this payment for several weeks. The challenge is that to get the $300 FPUC payment (which is easy to implement since $600 FPUC was there before and only the amount has changed) you need to get the extended PUA or PEUC. So the issue is that the PUA and PEUC programs have had some new changes and criteria under the new law (e.g. additional documentation, you need to use PEUC before PUA), so this has meant claimants who exhausted PUA or PEUC benefits before Dec 27th, cannot file/certify for the weeks which extended coverage is available because NJ DOL is facing delays updating their systems for those programs. And as a result don’t get the $300 either because it cannot be paid because you need to have $1 of UI under PUA or PEUC to get the $300!

Final guidelines on these programs and final eligibility including additional document verification procedures to combat Fraud have been issued by the Department of Labor and then have to be implemented by the state UI agency in their systems and programs. So this could delay the actual date of payments.

UI claimants with existing or expired claim balances should be aware of the following:

  • PUA and PEUC, FPUC will be automatically added to the claimants’ benefits if they are eligible for the weeks outlined in the new legislation.
  • Claimants with weeks remaining in UI should continue to file weekly claims
  • Claimants who will have additional weeks in UI and PUA or PEUC due to state provisions (where applicable) should watch their state agency UI portal or website for updates that will allow additional weeks to be filed.
  • Claimants will receive retroactive payments for all weeks they are eligible.
  • Claimants currently receiving benefits through the Extended Benefits program must finish all weeks of EB before receiving additional weeks of PEUC.

I will post additional details as they are released in coming days. So stay tuned for updates.


Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program

NJ has made all final payments under the LWA program, which provided supplemental payments to eligible unemployment benefits claimants who were unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work due to disruptions caused by COVID-19. Roughly 800,000 workers in New Jersey were eligible for up to $1,800 (or 6 weeks) in LWA benefits.

The NJ Labor Department (NJDOL) has confirmed that LWA payments have been successfully processed on October 21st and disbursed for payment. It could take 1 to 3 business days from this date to actually receive payments in your financial account or debit card due to processing times across financial intuitions,. As such, I expect payments should start appearing in accounts and cards from October 22nd to October 26th. This off course is for the first (main) batch of payments. People who verified late (after Sep 30th) or have had their account flagged (e.g for further processing or fraud) may see payments a few days or weeks later.

Latest Update – It appears that the majority of New Jerseyans are now seeing LWA payments in their bank accounts or debit cards. Check your pending transactions online as well, because that means your payment will be there shortly (within 1 business day generally). If you haven’t got your payment yet, don’t panic as they are still being processed in batches and could take till Monday or Tuesday to get to your account. Calling the NJ DOL/DUI is not going to help at this stage (impossible to get someone). See comments on this article for reader confirmations of the LWA payment across various banks.

From the article comments, many are still waiting on their LWA payment and I will continue to post new information and answer questions (along with the helpful community of readers) as if becomes available.

Why payments were late – Here is the latest quote from Labor Department spokesperson Angela Delli Santi on the delays, “Processing these [LWA] payments required new programming that had not previously been tested, and it is taking longer than anticipated for these payments to go through. People who miss their weekly certification window can certify during any of the make-up times. Early on 10/21, New Jersey “intentionally took down” the state’s unemployment certifying application to [fix issues] and consolidate resources into making the $300 payments.

How LWA payments get made by the NJ DOL: The LWA payment file is transmitted to Bank of America, NJ’s processing bank, then BOA disperses the payments to the direct deposit accounts and debit cards of claimants. This whole process can take 1 to 3 business days.

If your payment is not received by the end of October or is less than you expect you will need to contact someone at the NJ DOL/DUI to look into your claim and eligibility.

The delay in payments has been a source of frustration for many NJ claimants based on the comments on this post and this official update will be a relief to many. Delays were mainly due to the volume of erigibile claimants and the work on the system/application updates necessary for this program, which resulted in NJ being one of the last states to make this payment. More than 800,000 unemployed New Jersyans are eligible for LWA payments. Payments will be made as a lump sum and retroactive to August 1st for up to a maximum of 6 weeks (or $1800) of the approved FEMA funding.

Late LWA payments despite Gov. Murphy saying would be there early this week (Oct 19th)

You will need to complete a one time certification/attestation (via your UI portal) that your unemployment was due to COVID related disruptions to receive the LWA payment. However those who are receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) or regular unemployment (UI) who previously attested to this do not have to certify and will automatically get LWA payments after October 19th, the same way they currently get unemployment benefits. See more details on the NJ LWA page.

The new LWA payment is in addition to Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) payments currently available to unemployed workers.

NJ LWA Payment Details

COVID 19 Enhanced Benefits under CARES Act in New Jersey

Under the CARES act, there are three types of federal unemployment assistance now available:

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA): expands eligibility for individuals who are typically ineligible for
Unemployment benefits, for example independent contractors, and self-employed and “gig” workers.
• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC): provides an additional $600 per week, on top of regular benefits, to all recipients of Unemployment Insurance; retroactive to the week ending April 4, 2020. [Now Expired]
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC): provides an additional 13 weeks of Unemployment benefits to all recipients.

Double-digit unemployment amid COVID-19 has also triggered 20 weeks of extended benefits the state is permitted by federal law to offer to those who have exhausted all other state and federal unemployment aid without returning to work permanently

Web and/or phone issues with accessing the NJ Unemployment system
NJ’s Unemployment Insurance system is experiencing record levels of demand due to coronavirus and all in-person services statewide are currently closed due to COVID-19. Some people cannot get through online or on the phone. NJ DUI understands your anxiety and frustration, and we apologize. They are working diligently to serve all our customers and ask for your patience. Please keep trying.

Existing Claimants: receiving Unemployment due to the coronavirus emergency do not have to do anything except continue to certify weekly to receive the $600/week. The additional $600/week compensation will be issued beginning April 14, for the week of March 30. It will be a separate payment from your regular unemployment benefit, and will be available to those receiving benefits until July 25, 2020. Claimants that are eligible for extended benefits will be notified on how to claim these benefits. The 13-week extension will be automatically available to you after your current balance is exhausted.

The NJ DOL recently tweeted the following top two reasons your weekly benefits may suddenly stop (claim not payable):

1) you no longer qualify under federal law

2) you answer incorrectly on our mandated questionnaire

33,000 people did the second last week alone!

Filing a Claim

New users can file a claim online (recommended) here by creating a new account. Existing claimants can file here. You can check the status of your claim here.

To receive your unemployment insurance benefits, you must certify for benefits each week which you wish to receive benefits. You can only certify for benefits after the week has passed. Unemployment Insurance weeks begin on a Sunday and end at midnight on Saturday.

You will certify for benefits according to the most recent schedule, based on the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN). In order for NJ DOL to process your weekly payment without delay, please follow the below guidelines when certifying for your benefits – to get your money – each week

woman working on a computer

If there is a problem with your claim that must be resolved before benefits can be paid, or if you have been denied benefits and are appealing the determination, you must still certify for and claim your benefits. You will receive “credit” for the weeks which you have claimed.

If it is determined that you are eligible or if you win your appeal, you will be paid these benefits at a later date. If you have not claimed benefits and you win your appeal, you will not be paid for these weeks.

To try and speak to a live representative around your claim you can try the following numbers (but expect long hold times)
• North Jersey: 201-601-4100
• Central Jersey: 732-761-2020
• Southern Jersey: 856-507-2340

In order to apply online for Unemployment Insurance benefits, you must have:

  • Worked only in New Jersey in the last 18 months, or
  • Worked in New Jersey and any other state(s) in the last 18 months, or
  • Worked for the federal government and in New Jersey in the last 18 months, or
  • Served in the military in the last 18 months and be physically present in New Jersey.

You can also apply by phone.

You will need the following information to apply:

  • Social Security Number.
  • Alien Registration Number (if you are not a US citizen).
  • Pension information (if you are receiving any pension or 401k).
  • Amount and duration of any separation pay you may be receiving.
  • Recall date (if you expect to be recalled to your job).
  • Union hiring hall information, including local number and address (if you get work through a union).
  • Military Form DD-214 (if you were in the military in the last 18 months).
  • Form SF-8 or SF-50 (if you were a federal employee).

NEW CERTIFIERS: If you received notification that your claim is payable, check the NJ DOL schedule page before you certify. Each week, the day and times to certify are staggered by Social Security number (SSN). The day and time assigned to your SSN may change, so check the schedule page each week.

If you miss your assigned time, there is a second window of time that is open to your SSN later on your assigned day.

Additionally, Friday and Saturday are open to certify for any Social Security number. If you miss these time slots, you may use the following week’s assigned time to certify for both the current and past week.

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2,225 thoughts on “New Jersey (NJ DOL) Unemployment Benefits and State Stimulus Programs – Updates And Latest News on Missing Pandemic Payments and Retroactive Claim Processing”

  1. Can someone tell me how they are getting through the phone system to actually speak with an agent? I have tried repeatedly over a 4 week period all three phone numbers provided and have only gotten through, put on hold, and after 30 minutes or so of waiting on hold, got to speak with an agent. Result of discussion was that I had to wait for an email. That was two weeks ago. Anyway, my question is simply this, “What are you doing to get through the phone system?” Does the time of day or day of week matter in terms of your success? Thanks in advance. Good luck to everyone trying to navigate through this process.

    Reply
    • Hi Nicolo, I found that the best way to get through to NJ UI is to call the following number: 1-732-761-2021. I would start calling the number before 8:30am. Once you call you will get a few different prompts:
      1. “The reemployment call center is closed….” (Hang up and keep redialing)
      2. “Due to the high volume of calls….” (Hang up and keep redialing)
      3. “Please hold for the next available representative”…repeated in Spanish…then says something about being busy (Hang up and keep redialing)
      4. Please hold for the next available representative…repeated in Spanish…then says “your call is important to us…your estimate wait time is….then music starts to play.. (DO NOT HANG UP!!! YOU WILL BE ON HOLD FOR AWHILE BUT THIS MEANS YOU ARE IN QUEUE SO DON’T HANG UP!)

      Side note: I might not have the exact wording right for all the prompts but you will know once you hear them! Also, if you get the number 4 prompt above it will give you the option to leave a call back number and have someone call you from UI. I’ve heard of success stories with doing this but I personally choose to wait it out. Also, if during the wait you get disconnected, just hang up and keep trying! It is best to start early in the morning, before 8:30am…sometimes even 7:45am. Hope this helps! Good Luck!! Stay Safe!! :)

      Reply
      • Did that today got last shot said she was hired with 300 others and she has no idea she was not allowed to address the issue just make note I called. Useless and wrong !!!!!

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      • JRobinson,

        Thanks!! What you wrote worked perfectly. I just kept calling until I got the prompt # 4 above. My frustration with this process is tough. I was already approved for PUA & FPUC at end of June. I am currently receiving weekly payments for both. However, I am owed retroactive pay for both. I finally got a hold of someone today. She put in a claim request for retroactive pay. She then states it could take 4-6 weeks. Why on earth would it take this long when I have already been approved. Makes absolutely no sense. NJDOL on their website states that we are entitled to retroactive pay on both. The State Rep was very nice. She felt bad. She mentioned something about being backed up. How can that be the case when I am already approved to receive PUA & FPUC funds. It has been 5 months now since pandemic. How can they still be backed up. You would think they would have figured out a process that improved this situation after 5 months of this pandemic.

        Anyone know how I might be able to speed this up? Perhaps email a top level official for help? Someone who could escalate this on my behalf. Thanks

        Tyler

        Reply
  2. I didn’t know I could file a claim. I have been out of work since Jan. At the beginning of July, It was suggested I should file So I did. However now when I certify. It isn’t back dated. Does it have to be for all of the weeks of the $600 to be paid?

    Reply
    • You “can” be backdated but it’s not automatic. If you filed a claim in July they will pay starting with the week you filed. You will need an interview with an agent so that they can verify employment being closed. They will ask about the circumstances and the date and reasons why not working. Once verified then they will pay retroactively.

      Reply
  3. ‘Certification cannot be Processed’ All of a sudden 3 weeks into claiming the additional 13 weeks PUA this happens every time I try to certify ,so I can’t! No $600 either. Three agents can’t even help. They told me this is a big problem. Anyone else??

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    • Me too got an agent her answer was I don’t know why and I don’t know what to do !!!! So I guess NJ could care less about us that they don’t have the help to help us .

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    • Same problem, everything was ok for weeks and then “Certification cannot be Processed” window pops up. Can’t certify for couple weeks already, the same thing every time I try. Help email is not helpful, phone disconnects after waiting.

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    • Same here been waiting for my 9 weeks of $600 and spoke to 20 people and they said I would receive a call in a week and it’s been 2 months

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      • This is so frustrating. I’ve definitely spoken to at least four or five people and was told I would get it within two weeks and it has not come yet either the back dating

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    • After the same frustration over 3 months I was told 3 different things.
      1. The $600 payment was delayed due to some banking error
      2. If there was a question answered wrong and or you had one of those employers that was closed, reopened for a bit and then closed again and you earnings during that time your claim may be stopped. You will have to go in reopen, explain this in the given box and file again.
      3. The system gave everyone this message and they were still figuring out what caused it.

      Reply
    • Same problem for me. You said “They said this is a big problem”. So you actually were able to speak with an agent? Have they provided any follow up actions? I am in the same boat. Thanks and good luck.

      Nick O.

      Reply
    • do a search for the automated telephone certification number. I have it in my other phone but you can find it. Select the option to certify for REGULAR unemployment not PUA, even if your getting PUA like myself, .. I had to do this twice because of the same error online,” cert cannot be …. ” ok.. I get my payments including the 600 it works.. you didnt hear it from me…;)

      Reply
  4. I was approved for unemployment but I have not done my first weekly claim will I still get the $600 this Monday or will I not get it until I do my first claim my weekly claim for the $231??

    Reply
    • No. You only get the 600 for weeks you qualify for UI benefits. Which means you have to claim first and if it says you will receive a payment that week then you qualify for the 600. If it says you aren’t eligible that week for a payment the. You will not be eligible for the $600 FPUC.

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      • Hey I called and she filled out a acceleration form and she told me to wait for an email ……what does that mean ?

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        • Hey I filed for 6/28/2020 I got my first weekly benefit finally on July 21st I didn’t get the extra 600 dollers tho why I am confused? Please some one help

  5. I was receiving for five weeks and now every week when I go to certify it says I need to call certification cannot be processed. Can’t get through anyone else have this ?

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    • Same here. Received 8 wks of 13. On 9th week of certifying, I received a pop up which read, contact an agent at one of three phone locations. After 4 weeks of trying to speak with an agent, I did get through. Told that payments are “on hold”. No reason given and that I should wait to receive an email from them which will alert me as to when I can resume certification. I was told both federal and state moneys would be retroactive. I was concerned as the federal July 25th end date was / is fast approaching. I don’t hold out much hope for this to work out as described, but there is little more at this point that I can do about it. Any suggestions or ideas as to how to get this email moving……? Thanks

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      • I have identical situation and I was told they extended 20 weeks. But nothing !!!! I wrote senator nothing. This is just unfair to everyone !

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    • I’m having the same issue!!! Its getting ridiculous! For 6 whole weeks already waiting and waiting to certify and no numbers are answering!

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      • You are right I been waiting my family is struggling we about to lose the house and they won’t give us our money it’s sad how they don’t care or do anything to fast the process they don’t care about the people who struggle they just think we can get over it with no money my family is gonna lose our house if I don’t get that money to pay my rent I have three kids and they counting on me

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        • All the money I manage to save just seem like it’s going down ,my son is doing virtual learning and I have two little ones mama is going crazy lol I need some outside time .

  6. So I was unemployed March 22nd and didn’t know about pua until may 18th I filed but I only receive two weeks but I thought they backdate from first unemployed date .someone explain why New York get theirs back dated what’s up with nj ?

    Reply
      • I called unemployment at 8AM, spoke with someone about this very issue. He is escalating my claim and said I should hear in a week regarding my retroactive claim weeks.

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        • I called again today she said that it should be fixed when I go to certify but I’m going to call again later to verify information .

        • That’s good news. I have called at least five times about this and every time they say they were going to submit the paperwork and it could take a couple weeks…

        • How are you getting people on phone I have called for months 200 times a day. Can’t get anyone just recording call tomorrow

        • You have to call at 8AM just when they open. That’s the only way I found that is successful.

        • I call this number as many times as it takes to get through — ‭(732) 761-2021‬. I always file or reopen a claim on line. At around 8:29/8:30 when you are prompted that this line is for certification problems only DO NOT HIT THE FILING A CLAIM BUTTON. just wait and someone usually answers right away or within two minutes. but you must file a claim online first to do this trick.

        • What do you mean escalatibg your claim? When i opened my claim on may 3rd i indicated my last day worked was march 8th & but when my claim was approved they only let me claim weeks going back to may 3rd which is the date I filed…been trying to call but no luck getting thru…im just trying to find out if they will fix this for me or not so I don’t waste my time trying to get a live person on the phone which seems dang near impossible

    • So they are letting you claim the weeks going back to march 18th for you? When i opened my claim on may 3rd i indicated my last day worked was march 8th & but when my claim was approved they only let me claim weeks going back to may 3rd which is the date I filed…been trying to call but no luck getting thru…im just trying to find out if they will fix this for me or not so I don’t waste my time trying to get a live person on the phone which seems dang near impossible

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        • My sister-in-law suggested that I call my local councilman’s office because they are assisting people who need to get through to unemployment. I called and they took down my information and had somebody call me from my local Senator’s office and the man said that they have an unemployment liaison at each Senator’s office that helps people resolve their unemployment issues so people who are having an extremely difficult time getting through they will hand your case over to their liaison and the liasion will contact Unemployment on your behalf and resolve your issue. My sister-in-law’s husband had been trying to get through for nearly eight weeks and he contacted his local councilman’s office and they told him within 15 days he should have a resolution and two weeks later he got all his money. I called the day before yesterday and I was told that the process could take 15 days to be patient but they are working on it and the man that I spoke to asked that I pass on this information to anyone struggling to get through to unemployment, he urges you all to contact your local Senator’s office or councilman’s office for assistance. Good luck to all I hope this helps & I will keep you all posted I am owed 8 weeks in back payments.

    • NJ will back date but they put your benefits on hold until you speak to someone to back date it to the proper date. Unfortunately it’s not automatic

      Reply
  7. “After you certify on your day and time window and you hit submit, scroll down. It should say would you like to claim an additional week? click on it and it will take you through the process again. Hit submit again and scroll down and see if it says ” claim additional week?” keep going through the certifying process until that button is no longer there. You’ll get all your money at once if your successful”

    I am in NJ. I certified every week.
    It is nowhere to scroll down to get to “would you like to claim an additional week” question; NO extra certifying process but for that week.
    So, How do I claim for prior weeks?

    Reply
    • It will only let you apply back to the weeks that you put the app in not the weeks you may be eligible.
      Say you are eligible March 1 but didn’t file till April 1. They will only pay you until April 1 unless you get an agent interview to back date it to that date.
      You can also log in again to see if missing weeks appear. Initially I could only claim 2 weeks. The following week the other weeks appeared to claim

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  8. Hi guys I just found out about the PUA. I filed for regular unemployment on June 14 and was denied. I got a email stating that I was eligible for the PUA and today was my first day to claim it. I claimed for 2 weeks no problem. My question is about the $600 enhanced unemployment do I get back pay from the date the program was initiated, or do I just start getting the 600$ from the week that I filed? That’s my only question I hope everything works out well for all of you.

    Reply
      • Andy this article from what I can understand doesn’t answer the question as to how we certify for the weeks prior to when we were approved for unemployment? I have been searching for that answer for weeks now. I started receiving unemployment about three weeks ago. However, my unemployment began at the beginning of March?

        Reply
    • Apparently they only give it to you going back to the date that you filed although it specifically States in multiple Publications and articles that you are eligible to receive benefits going back to the day you became unemployed as far back as January 27th of 2020. I myself became unemployed March 8th but did not file until May 3rd and I’ve only been able to claim benefits going back to May 3rd and I’ve reached out to unemployment numerous times to ask about this but have not received an email back. I suggest you pursue I’m going back for you as well to when you became unemployed because many people didn’t even understand or know that they could get unemployment thru Pua

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    • Did you ever end up receiving the backpay? I’m in almost the identical situation you are in. I filed for unemployment on June 21st and they granted me $231 for unemployment and the 600 for COVID. But I want to know if you can claim the 600 going all the way back to when it was initially activated.

      Reply
      • I too applied for PUA the end of April. Just starting receiving weekly benefits. How to I claim the month of March and April? Online only allows me to process the current week? Also I am claiming PUA benefits on the regular Unemployment page? Is that accurate or should I be claiming PUA somewhere else?

        I cannot get anyone on the phone.

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      • not yet, but everything i have read about it being retroactive back to early april, points to us getiing backpay from the 4th or 5th of april til the date we filed our claim. i thought i filled out the pua form wrong because many people i know who filed just 4 days before i did got their backpay immediately. thats why i am worried. very hard to get a direct answer on this particular question.

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  9. I receive PUA.Things were smooth at 1st but now Its been 3 weeks since I recieved anything.No explanation..It seems to be the luck of the draw.
    New Jersey state Department of labor staff are working from home to process your claim.It depends on who is assigned to your claim.Some UI recipients will get paid on time every week with no problem because the state worker is actually doing their job efficiently.All workers getting paid the same salary are not going to all put in the same effort.They will receive a set amount bi weekly paycheck reguardless of the effort they put out.My mother retired from NYDOL.She also said it depends on who you get.

    Reply
    • After you certify on your day and time window and you hit submit, scroll down. It should say would you like to claim an additional week? click on it and it will take you through the process again. Hit submit again and scroll down and see if it says ” claim additional week?” keep going through the certifying process until that button is no longer there. You’ll get all your money at once if your successful

      Reply
    • I finally got through to unemployment to get my unemployment on May 17 I have been trying since March and I was wondering if I get retroactive unemployment and retroactive PUA and when it might be coming

      Reply
  10. I actually earned some money and was paid last week. I reported it on my claim this week and will be getting 0.00 this week from unemployment. That’s ok I understand but do I get the 600 because I did certify?

    Reply
    • No you wont get the $600.00 because you made more then whatever your ” partial” unemployment was.
      You can work and earn money but you have to earn less then your partial unemployment. In your case you made more $$ that is why your getting 0.00 . Essentially you’re telling unemployment your back to work and no longer in need of assistance.

      Reply
  11. My job was paying me a paycheck up until 6/7. That was when they told me they couldn’t pay me any longer and for me to file for Unemployment.
    My problem is my claim starts for the week of 6/8 but my last paycheck is dated for 5/22. That is a 2 week difference that I need to be paid for. After a week of constant calling I was finally able to get thru to a representative and she told me she would back date my claim to 5/22. After I claimed my benefits on Wed I received my payment on Friday but it was for 1 week and today on Monday 6/22 I received my first payment of $600 which also should have been backdated.
    I am supposed to go back to work July 6th but I can not afford 2 weeks without the back pay.
    And now I call all morning and again I can’t reach a representative.

    Reply
  12. today Sunday 6/21/20 i am still waiting for 12 weeks for the 600$ dollars weekly i am receiving my unemployment regular but still have not seen nothing for the extra 600 i am owed 7,200 dollors in that money

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  13. Hi i just claimed 3 weeks ago and they said the $600 is retroactive from week of march 29 so should i get it from that date even i only started claiming?

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  14. 6/18 – Been receiving the $600 every week on Monday since it started in April with no problems. Now this week (Monday 6/15) did not receive my $600. I emailed Unemployment on Tuesday morning, haven’t heard back from them. I hope this coming Monday I receive the 2 weeks. They know people have not received it. People must be calling or emailing them. Why can’t they just be professional and put a notice on the website and let people know what is going on.

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    • I too didn’t receive my payment of $600 on a Monday. I have called and emailed and haven’t received anything. My answer to you is the State of NJ just sucks. No communication at all. I too hope I receive the two weeks. I just don’t understand why they can’t just let us know?

      Reply
      • If the State is late depositing the money then your $600.00 will be delayed. Possibly 5 days. if you’ve been receiving it weekly with no troubles, then thats the problem. You’ll get it, just be patient. I know its nerve racking because you have zero control, but you’ll get it.

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      • Ken Same crap just happened to me I’ve been getting the 600 since April 5 now suddenly $231 and no 600 like everyone else let’s hope we get two checks this week. They did say there were some glitches in New Jersey so we shall see. Mike

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        • Once that happens they kick you out of system completely and you get the same lame excuse from the girls that answer the phone. We don’t know !!!!!
          Senator does not even respond. They don’t care !!!!!

        • I was told the payments are about a week behind each other. So far that “appears” to be true.
          I filed on Sunday July 5 last week and recieved the payment Tuesday July 7 for $231.
          On July 14 one week later, I recieved the $600 PUA.
          I also recieved 4 weeks of back payment of $231 from 4 weeks previously filed from June. (I filed in May)
          And the following week received 4 payments of $600 PUA.
          I hope everyone gets resolution as this is my first of any payments since filing in May.

      • its going on in California too. I just realized my $600 was never additional and was pulling from my claim balance. Eve though my first claim ended and now on the extension, now they saying there’s an error on my claim and was suppose to call. None of my information has changed, but I think they see the error on their end as well.

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    • Same here. It’s been received every Monday without issue until this week. Regular benefits have been received but not the $600.
      Where can I find an email address to contact DOL.
      not that I expect it to help but worth informing

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        • I have Columbia bank but it finally came through.
          I certify for benefits on Tuesday’s but the FPUC has always been deposited on Monday until Memorial Day then I was receiving it on tuesdays.
          I’m just glad it came in.
          Mortgage is due next week

        • I’m glad you got the money. I received mine this morning. I usually get it on Monday. I don’t understand why it’s so difficult for the state to do the right thing and stop making people sweat it out weekly

    • Hi JoAnn

      I have been getting the supplemental $600 deposits on Sunday nights around 9:30 pm mostly. I had two Monday deposits at 9:30 as well. I was certifying on Thursdays at noon every week except this week which was Wednesday at 3.
      What day do you normally certify?

      Reply
    • I just got my first payment of unemployment today june 23rd. But havent got my 600$ did you have to wait until the following week to start getting that or did it just come right away

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      • What I think is happening the retroactive payment should post within 24 hours after you certify and get your weekly benefits . But I’m hearing it comes a week later. I feel when we certify both payments should post . But that’s not happening.

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  15. I filed on April13th for regular unemployment benefits then got an email to answer some question and hit the submit button, then got another email that to expect an answer via US mail, have not received any info since and I also have been in the “Pending” status since, yes without any answers or money since April. I then figured why not re-file another application in June 3rd just in case of any glitch and since I did not recieve a confirmation number the first time around, why not, this time I got a confirmation number, but never received one during my original application back in April. I understand that there will be delays during this difficult time, but this is toooo unusual, 11 weeks? I worked in NY for part of the last 18 months and worked last here in NJ. Double whamy now they may have to get answers from NY before releasing any funds to me in NJ….so eesentially I am waiting on two states which may make this claim more difficult to resolve due to the GOV delays anyway…I have exhasuted all of my resources including Congressman from my district and Mayor from my town, so good luck everyone. I am grateful to lord for my health. I will keep hope up.

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  16. When I will get the retroactive payments: both the $231 and $600, in NJ?
    What do I have to do to receive them?
    Thank you!

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  17. I am a small business owner still closed due to the pandemic.. Filed for PUA on May 3rd but I, like a lot of people, are under the impression from I have been reading are entitled to retroactive benefits from the closure of our businesses. I believe would be the $600 a week from April 4th and the unemployment benefits from the closure of the business… I know this question has been raised already but has anyone heard or received retroactive payments? Grateful for any insight.

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    • I am in the exact same situation & my last day worked was march 5th but I did not file until May 3rd. I am emailing & calling but can not get thru. Have yoy learned anythibg yet?

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    • Joanne, people have been asking this question on here for weeks. This question continues to get ignored, I am not sure why.

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  18. I filed April 26th just got my first pusha 600 on June 9 now on June 16 didn’t get a payment? Is this normal? Also why wasn’t my first payment for all 5 weeks of my $600 retroactive?

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  19. I started being unemployed in March. I filed the claim in May and got approval for the unemployment in early June. But they only let me to certify 2 weeks in May. I did received the $600 and $208 for those two weeks. How can I receive the my retroactive payment from March to mid May? I thought “If you are eligible for PUA, you will receive retroactive unemployment benefits for the PUA program to Feb. 2, 2020, or whenever your business was impacted by COVID-19.” Do I need to contact them? or they will deposit lump sum amount later?

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    • This happened to me too, I got one week paid. My last day of work was 3/14/20, due to many reasons I didn’t apply until the end of May. I certified for benefits for the first time last week. I was not able to claim for the previous weeks. I spoke to someone at NJ unemployment today. She told me that since I certified for benefits already there was nothing they could do. If I didn’t certify they could redo my application so I could get the previous weeks pay. Please let me know if you get the same or different info.

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      • I keep calling and emailing, but no response at all. and this week, I cannot claim week ending 6/13. The website indicate the next payable week is 6/13, but it won’t let me to claim after 6/20. Do you know why? I thought i need to certify weekly. They change to bi-weekly now?

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    • same thing happened to me. I am unable to reach anyone by phone. I don’t see anyplace on the website to rectify this situation.

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    • I filed back in May and I didn’t know what was up when I went to file again I couldn’t because they said I had a open claim which I was a bit confused , however I received a phone call and was asked a couple questions and was paid back since me first filing in May , I received my weekly pay , and a lump some of retroactive pay as well. So you may get a lump some of the retroactive pay .

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      • How did you receive a call? I want to get connect with them. I sent couple emails and only got automatic responses. And the calls were never picked up.

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  20. Going on 3 weeks now where I have not received the FPUC $600. I am certifying the same way I was when I was receiving the $600. What a disaster! Received it for 4 weeks, then not the next week, then got 2 weeks the following week and now nothing for 3 weeks. I’m at a loss

    Reply
    • I would reach out to them via email. I have reached out to them through email cause when calling you can’t never get through . When I reached out via email I got a response back and phone call

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  21. I received $208 for a few weeks, then 1 lump sum of 3000 which people are saying is retroactive FPUC (the $600 payments). However, I haven’t gotten any of the weekly $208 backpay UI/PUA : “If you are eligible for PUA, you will receive retroactive unemployment benefits for the PUA program to Feb. 2, 2020, or whenever your business was impacted by COVID-19.”

    if anyone has any insight whether they have or have not gotten retroactive UI? not the $600 but the normal UI payments

    Reply
    • You have to manually certify for all of the back pay weeks. You must enter the date of the week emdong on a Saturday (every date should be a Saturday) from 2/2 til today . it took me a good 30 mins of certifying week after week than 9nce you get to the current week you’re good.. If you don’t do it you wont get paid.

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        • Yeah me too I’m owed retroactive, but also was only allowed to receive one week at a time never given a chance to claim the back weeks.
          It never said anywhere “Claim Additional Week”

        • correct – I am due money from march and april — and I do not see a place to certify for back pay — even though when I completed the initial request, I indicated that I stopped working in march.

  22. My hours were reduced from 40 to under 32. I earn more than my amount allowed by unemployment so it brings regular unemployment down to zero. Am I still eligible for the $600 since it is due to the covid 19 and I work all hours offered?

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  23. I haven’t recieved my $600 check for this week (June 7th). As of this morning the funds are not in my bank account. This is the second time I did not receive my check. I really need these funds until I return to work. Thanks.

    Reply
      • same here still not in account. Bank of america made statement saying technical issues but will be paid in 48 hours. Guarantee MANY of those $600 payments will be “lost” or take weeks to get. BOA is a DIRTY bank. Keeping Millions of NJ unemployed $600 turns out to be BILLIONS! The interest alone even just 2-3 days on 4-5 (maybe even 10 billion NJ had like 10mil+ unemployed right? ) Turns out to be millions! Where that $$ go?? Right to the bottom line. “Tech issue” that made BOA millions and we are sitting here waiting for $$ when they HAVE it in system just waiting for a simple computer code to transfer to accounts. These are little things big banks and business do all the time. When your talking HUGE amounts of money in the billions or damn across country maybe 100s of billions, BOA bottom line making millions everyday thay can come up with excuse to hold it. Thats why it takes 2 days to transfer funds its not for security this is 2020 u can buy a card at walmart with instant transfer its so banks can keep ALL transfer $$ for 24-48 hours and if Friday then 72 hours and make interest on literally EVERY SINGLE TRANSFER they hold.

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      • Same here. Now, it’s Monday and I didn’t receive my $600 from last week. And we can’t reach nobody by phone or email. It’s a shame.

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  24. I need help. I filed a claim in April and received notice via mail on June 5th that I am eligible for EUC as of 3/29/2020. I also received emails on May 28th and May 30th from NJDOL stating “Your claim is being processed for payment of federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and will be eligible for payment beginning the week of May 31.

    You are also eligible for an additional $600 per week through Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).

    On Friday, June 5, you may certify for your benefits, please carefully follow the instructions below. Answering these weekly certification questions differently than described in the instructions will delay payment.“. My problem is when I attempt to certify during my time I receive the following message after putting in my SS# and PIN
    New Jersey Internet Application for Claiming weekly unemployment insurance benefits:
    Your certification cannot be processed. Please call your local reemployment call center during regular business hours…….
    I cannot get through on the phone to speak to anyone and my emails are responded with generic responses to routine questions. I don’t know where to turn for help and I am afraid another week is gonna pass without resolution this Friday. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • I HAVE STATED THAT SAME SCENARIO AND IT HAS BEEN OVER A WEEK WITH NO RESOUTION! I HAVE REVIEWED EVERY PHONE NUMBER KNOWN TO MAN AND RECEIVE THE SAME BUSY RESPONSE. PLEASEN LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS MOVING FORWARD AND I WILL RELAY THE SAME!!

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    • THIS IS AN UPDATE FOR ALL THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE EMAILS THAT THEY ARE APPROVED AND COULD NOT CERTIFY ON THE SPECIFIC DATE. I WAS GIVEN A DIFFERENT PHONE NUMBER THAT I CONTINUALLY REDIALED FOR 2 1/2 HRS SINCE I HAD THE RTIME TO DO IT AND REACHED A CLAIM REP!!!!! SHE CORRECTED THE “0” WAGES AND CERTIFIED MY 1O WKS AND I AM NOW CURRENT!! THIS IS THE PHONE NUMBER. IT DOES WORK!!! 732-761-2021. JUST BE PERSISTENT. I GOT THROUGH AT 10:30 AM. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

      Reply
    • Hey Man im from North Jersey same issue i been calling 7327612021 for hours on end. I think it might have to do with updating your direct deposit. I just did mine maybe that was blocking it? I haven’t switched my account number in years… but prayers

      Reply
    • My wife has the same issue since July “14 Your certification cannot be processed”
      PLEASEN LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS

      Reply
    • My wife has the same problem sice July 14 “Your certification cannot be processed. Contact Us
      For further assistance, please call the Reemployment Call Center during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm at the following numbers:”. hours on the phone and no answer
      any idea how to solve this

      Reply
  25. Regarding the $600 payments not received today 6/8……They are claiming that that there was a maintenance problem over the weekend and we should expect out payments to be delayed a couple days….fingers crossed this is true!!!!

    Statement from the New Jersey Office of Information Technology (OIT) on Delays in Direct Deposits for Unemployment Benefits
    06/8/2020
    The State of New Jersey was notified that Bank of America is having an issue on their side processing certain direct deposit payments due to weekend system maintenance. Direct deposit customers who expected to receive their weekly payment via direct deposit may experience up to a two-day delay.

    Reply
  26. Ditto. First week I did not receive the $600. I can not get through either. I heard in Florida the same thing happened before they changed it to biweekly and started deducting taxes. Who knows what this is? We are New Jerseyans and we are tough so whatever this is we will get through it. It would be nice if they posted something on the website to let us know though. If anyone gets any info please post.

    Reply
  27. They may be trying to play catch up. I am not sure. I received the $600 from April 13th – May 18th with no problems. I did not receive it on Monday the 26th so I figured it was due to the holiday, but I did not get it that week at all. Then on June 1st, last Monday, I got a $1200 deposit. I checked my bank today, June 8th and no $600. I have been keeping track since my first payment. I assumed the April 13th payment was for the week ending March 29th which would put them 2 weeks behind. I am not sure how they are doing this. The weekly 600 is great but now it is a little inconsistent, and not sure how they are trying to fix this. Hope they figure it out soon.

    Reply
    • I have received the $600 every week since April 13th but all of a sudden today (June 8th) I checked my bank account and I didn’t get it. I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one but I hope they resolve this issue quickly because I depend on that money. If anyone gets the money for this week later in the week please let me know. I need some hope because right now I am stressing out!

      Reply
      • I had the same issue this week.
        I certified for my regular benefits and received the normal UE but still have not received the Additional $600. Has this been resolved for you. I can’t seem to find any answers as to why this was not deposited and I could use some hope. Being out of work has left us short on bills as is and we can not lose this money right now as it plays a big part To pay our bills

        Reply
    • I have had the same thing but I did receive mine May 26th and nothing since. I’ve read that sometimes it goes in on Tuesday but mine have been constant on Monday’s. Keeping fingers crossed I do count on the 600 …….
      Hopefully the glitch will be fixed soon….
      I’ve been two weeks behind since this started…..

      Reply
  28. I wonder if this has to do with all the new hires NJ had to incorporate…. according to them when you recertify an email will be sent to notify you when a deposit is made to your bank. I’ve been out of work since April 6th and received one email to that. Nothing is as it should be….. and I know people who’ve never had a problem with ui or the weekly stimulus?? Where is the accountability of checking that procedures are followed and people are being taken care of????? I just hope something is in place to keep track of retroactive payments…. Keep track of your time.Good Luck everyone…..

    Reply
  29. I usually recieve both payments on Mondays, I got the regular payment but not the 600…my father did not get his either..I read that there is a glitch in the system. I have been receiving both since the first week of April..I am hoping that they fix the issue

    Reply
    • Yes – lots of people in NJ are reporting the same thing. I assume the DUI is working on this based on their social media updates

      Reply
  30. Received last $600 payment on May 26th. So far it’s been a little over 2 weeks since last fed payment. State benefits still coming in though. Any updates?

    Reply
    • I didn’t get mine the week of Memorial Day, I received 1200 last Monday I assume 600 for last week and 600 make up for the prior week. Today I didn’t receive any payment.

      Reply
      • I have been receiving every Monday. My last being May 26th. I’ve been hearing of people getting all back pay but I don’t know what’s going on. I was hoping that the funds would be in this morning but nothing.

        Reply
  31. I am a small business owner who has been shut down since the virus hit. In late April I found out I could file, so I did. However, now I have taken a new position in an company fulltime. Will I still get the pay for all the time I was out of work, I as I was just approved yesterday? When I file on schedule this Friday if its regarding the week of June 7th, I am working just now my business.? I cannot find answers on what to do anywhere.

    Reply
  32. I RECEIVED TWO EMAILS FROM UNEMPLOYMENT THAT ONE MY CLAIM WAS PROCESSING AND TWO THAT I WAS GIVEN A SPECIFIC DATE JUNE 3RD TO APPLY FOR EXTENDED BENEFITS. WHEN I WENT TO APPLY ON THE DATE AND TIME THAT WAS ALLOWED IT STATES MY BALANCE IS ZERO AND TO CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE. EVERYONE KNOWS YOU CAN NOT GET A LIVER PERSON ON THE PHONE AND EMAILS ILLICIT A GENERIC RESPONSE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CHECK SINCE MARCH WHEN MY BENEFITS EXHAUSTED. ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW I CAN REMEDY THIS SITUATION? MANY THANKS!!

    Reply
    • Same happen to me but I went online during my scheduled time and answered the questions and I got my unemployment

      Reply
  33. I received my unemployment and extra 600 last three weeks 4th week I just received my unemployment I didn’t received extra $ 600 any one has any idea about this.

    Reply
    • I too have the same issue. I scoured the internet for an explanation. I’ll post an update. It’s been a little over 2 weeks

      Reply
  34. Same thing with me, I was receiving the initial $600 for 5 weeks already together with my regular unemployment but on my 6th week, i haven’t received the $600 FPUC. Sad thing that that my regular unemployment is really NOT ENOUGH for all my bills. I did claim every week and answered the same questions. Strange that mostly of my co workers still got it and I am the only one who did’nt…. :((

    Reply
      • Yea I am still investigating but can’t find out anything…… it’s crazy I hear of people getting it all but a lot more not getting any of the 600 the last couple weeks… it’s happening all across the country

        Reply
  35. My bf claimed 3 weeks owed to him for the first time on Friday and then another 5 weeks on Saturday. He received all 8 weeks paid for his weekly benefit rate and only received 3 weeks of $600/week on Monday. He’s still owed for 5 weeks of $600! Its Wednesday and still not deposited.. Grateful he got something but can’t call anyone to ask why it’s not here yet!

    Reply
  36. I filed for unemployment March 20th because I was forloughed due to covid-19 on that day. I was told I was denied unemployment because I didn’t have enough work history (just started a new job). I appealed and was denied again. It’s been 11weeks with no response, money, or PUA status. When will I see some kind of money?

    Reply
  37. Work in NJ, received weekly benefits with no problem. Was receiving the $600 PUA until two weeks ago. Haven’t received it since. It was hitting my bank on Monday morning. Can’t call anyone at NJ UE because the phones are either shut off or if it goes through, all lines are busy. Anyone know what’s going on?

    Reply
    • I have the same thing happen to me they owe me three weeks of the 600 and after I certify today it will be 4 weeks.
      I can’t get through and nothing returning in emails??????

      Reply
  38. I am in NJ. I applied online April 2nd. Nothing but problems online and could not get through to anyone on the phone for a month and a half. Finally, somehow I got 185 one week and 600 the next week. This was a week ago but what about my retroactive payments that go back to APril 2nd…. Ive emailed the dept of labor in nj 3 times with a generic response that they are working hard and i’ve even emailed phil murphy …. HOPEFULLY, I will get all the back payment I am entitled to… Going almost 2 months with NO pay and bills is insane. I am grateful for the extra 600 but would rather go back to work as at least that pay is on time and guaranteed.

    Reply
    • Hi Kelly
      I filed 4/10/20, NJ.
      I still have not received my retroactive 600$ either. I’m owed four weeks. I too am grateful but I also am behind in my bills.
      When are we supposed to get this retroactive I
      Have emailed also and only get a generic response.
      Thanks Jeanne

      Reply
  39. I’ve been receiving the $600 until the last 2 weeks. I’m reading that a lot of people having the same problem. My friends are still receiving it, so I thought that it was cuz my job was about to open on June 9th but my coworkers are still getting it

    Reply
    • I became unemployed march 8th, didnt know I could file for pua (i am self employed) until may 3rd so I opened a claim that day. I indicated my last day worked was march 5th but was only given retroactive payments going to the day I filed & not the date I became unemployed. I left several emails & can not get thru by phone. Has anyone else had this issue & if so have you had any luck getting the promised backdated weeks to when you became unemployed as it is clearly stated in numerous publications or at least get an answer as to what to do about it or at least why they are not following through on their claims to do so!!???

      Reply
  40. WHY ISNT ANYONE GETTING THERE RETROACTIVE MONEY FROM APRIL I JUST STARTED RECIEVING THE 600.00 PAYMENT,IM STILL OWED ABOUT 3200 JUST FOR THE 600.00 WHATS GIONG ON?

    Reply
  41. My claim is about to expire on June 16. And I only have 2 weeks of money left. Do I have to open a new claim and even though I have no money left will I still be able to collect.

    Reply
  42. I have been collecting for a week now I have received all my retro pay for regular unemployment but have not seen an extra 600 yet for any of the 5 weeks I collected this week how long does it take and what day is it normally deposited on ,

    Reply
  43. How did you get retroactive ui and fpuc.
    I just started rec ui and only got paid for 1 week at a time. Should have rec from Mar 27
    Have not rec any 600 yet.

    Reply
  44. I just received the payment of 5 weeks in total of benefits this week should I expect the same from the pua benefits? And if so how long after should I see the payments??

    Reply
  45. I assumed I didn’t receive my 600$ due to the holiday. But even after I did not receive it. This is the first week I did not receive my 600.

    Reply
      • Just read that it takes roughly a week for the additional 600 to deposit after our regular unemployment deposit. I have not received mine either this past week. Hoping this is is accurate information or they forgot about us

        Reply
    • Same thing here in New Jersey. I’m getting the unemployment and the 600 every week but not this week. The unemployment came in but not the additional 600.

      Reply
  46. Hi Andy. Great article, with great information. Thank you. I just wanted to add that not ONE person has been paid yet for the FEDERALLY FUNDED 13 week extension in the state of NJ. There are at least 70,000 of us STILL waiting. I have been waiting since March 15, so yes I have been 11 weeks with NO income. While I understand their 45+ year old system has been bombarded, there is NO excuse for it taking this long. People are losing their homes, cars, etc. and cannot buy food. Something is drastically wrong in the state of NJ, and it needs to be addressed and fixed. The handling of this Pandemic situation is totally unacceptable, and they do not seem to care that us people of NJ are suffering because of it.

    Reply
    • I was depending on my $600 today haven’t got it only my $208 reg and my rent is over due it’s the 8 the already and my landlord calling looking for rent I don’t have I don’t know what to do I can’t live off of $208 a week I don’t even want to answer my door and face this man just started get unemployment 3 weeks only since March so yes not first time late with rent what to do it’s imbaresing and scared to get thrown on the street .NJ needs to do something I’m sure I’m not the only one .

      Reply
      • Linda,

        My name is Thomas and I am having the same problem. I have gotten my 600 every Monday with no issues but today it did not come. I certify every Sunday according to my SSN. There is no info why the 600 did not come I’ve been searching everywhere. The only day it didn’t come on Monday was Memorial Day so it came the next day (Tuesday). If ANYONE has info on this and when it will come and why please respond thank you. -Thomas

        Reply
  47. I’m receiving the initial $600 for 5 weeks already. But on my 6th week, i haven’t not received $600 yet. I did claim every week and answered the same questions. How can I chase up or get back the $600 for the 6th week

    Reply
      • Mike..
        Same thing here. Received it for 4 weeks…then missed a week, they sent 2 weeks the following week and now I’m on at least 2 weeks with nothing. Very frustrating

        Reply
      • Same. Was wondering why that is. I’ve received my 600$ every week prior until this week and I don’t know why . Assumed because of the holiday but didn’t receive anything the day after either .

        Reply
        • I don’t know what they’re doing in New Jersey after my 600 and suddenly stopped now I received from the state in the mail a letter asking if I requested changing my status from direct deposit to debit card which I did not so now I have to call and it’s impossible to get through. Frustrating

        • 15 weeks wtf dude that’s madd far no way 15 weeks you haven’t got one payment I didn’t get my shit backdated form the day I filed my claim I got money just stared regular payment I still owed three weeks of money

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