Loss of Benefits

• You will not receive benefits for any week in which you fail to file a claim. Your claim will become inactive as a result of not filing for that week; you will have to contact your state's unemployment office to reopen the claim. After reopening the claim, you will begin receiving unemployment benefits again for any week in which you file your claim. However, in most cases you will not receive back pay for weeks where you did not file.
  
  

Different Day Filing

• Some states assign different days of the week for filing your claim. For example, New Jersey assigns some claimants to Monday or Tuesday rather than Sunday. If you forget to file your claim on the assigned date, you may be able to file it the next day. As long as you file it by the end of the week, you can still get benefits as long as you do not habitually file on the wrong day.
  
  

Exception

• If you failed to file a claim because of a medical emergency or death in the family, you may still be able to get your benefits once you reopen the claim. Contact your unemployment representative at your state's unemployment office. Explain the situation and provide evidence such as a doctor's note as to why you did not file your claim. After you reopen your claim, your representative will decide whether to grant you back pay due to your circumstances.
  
  

Avoiding Problems

• Always file your claim on the same date each week to avoid delays or other problems. Many states allow you to file your weekly claim online; you may be able to sign up for an email reminder when you register for the unemployment office's website so that you don't forget to file your claim. If you forget to file, contact your unemployment office immediately to reopen your claim and find out the best way to proceed.