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This thread has been incredibly helpful! I just lost my job yesterday and was panicking about losing my health insurance next month. Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much peace of mind. It's amazing how many people have successfully navigated both programs at the same time. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here and apply for unemployment through NYS DOL first, then submit my Medicaid application through NY State of Health right away rather than waiting. The consensus seems to be that as long as you're honest about your UI income on the Medicaid application, most people still qualify since the weekly benefit amounts keep you under the income threshold. I'm so grateful for communities like this where people share their real experiences - it makes such a difference when you're feeling overwhelmed by a sudden job loss. Thank you all for taking the time to help newcomers like me!
@Jamal Anderson I m'so glad this thread has been helpful for you! It s'tough enough dealing with sudden job loss without having to worry about losing health coverage too. You re'definitely on the right track following the advice here - applying for unemployment first and then Medicaid right away is exactly what I would do. One small tip from my experience: when you re'filling out the Medicaid application and it asks for your expected annual income, don t'forget to account for the fact that unemployment benefits are typically limited to 26 weeks in NY unless (there are extensions .)So even if you re'getting $400/week, that s'only about $10,400 for the year, which keeps you well under the Medicaid income limits. This community really is amazing - everyone s'willingness to share their experiences makes navigating these programs so much less scary. Wishing you the best with both applications and your job search!
I'm so relieved to find this thread! Just got laid off three days ago and have been losing sleep over the health insurance situation. Everyone's experiences here are incredibly reassuring - it sounds like getting both unemployment and Medicaid is definitely doable and much more straightforward than I initially thought. I'm planning to file for unemployment this weekend and then apply for Medicaid through NY State of Health right after. The advice about being upfront with UI income but not letting it scare you off from applying really resonates with me. Based on my previous salary, I'm estimating around $375/week in unemployment benefits, which seems to be well within the range where people here still qualified for full Medicaid coverage. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - it's making this overwhelming situation feel so much more manageable!
@StormChaser You're absolutely doing the right thing by not waiting! I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago and the sooner you get both applications in, the better. Your estimated $375/week is definitely in the safe zone - I was getting almost the same amount and had no issues qualifying for Medicaid. One thing that really helped me was keeping a simple spreadsheet of all my application dates and confirmation numbers for both programs, just to stay organized during what can feel like a chaotic time. The NY State of Health website is actually pretty user-friendly once you get started, and they have good prompts for how to report your unemployment income. Don't let the initial overwhelm stop you from taking action - you've got this! This community has been such a lifeline for people in our situation.
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I'm going through this exact same frustrating situation right now! 😤 I've been trying to update my direct deposit for over a week and keep getting that same "mother's maiden name doesn't match" error. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I never thought about all the different variations like hyphens, capitalization, middle initials, or even nicknames! One thing I want to add that might help: check if you might have entered your mother's maiden name with her birth year or any other info when you first signed up. I just remembered that some forms ask for "mother's maiden name and birth year" as one security question, so you might have entered something like "Johnson1965" instead of just "Johnson". Also, if your mom ever went by her middle name or had a really common name, you might have added extra info to distinguish her. Like if her maiden name was "Smith" you might have put "Smith Mary" or something like that. I'm definitely going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning based on everyone's advice here. This thread is giving me so much hope that this can actually be solved! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's amazing how this community comes together to help each other navigate these bureaucratic nightmares! 🙏
Oh wow, the birth year addition is such a brilliant point! 🤯 I never would have thought of that but it makes total sense - when you're filling out forms quickly, you sometimes include extra details without thinking about it. I'm definitely going to try variations like "lastname1960" or whatever year my mom was born. The middle name suggestion is really smart too! My mom has a super common maiden name (Williams) so I might have added her first name or middle initial to make it more specific when I originally set up the account. I'm going to try "Williams Susan" and "Williams S" along with all the other variations people have mentioned. This whole thread has been like a masterclass in security question troubleshooting! 😅 It's ridiculous that we need to become detectives for our own family information, but I'm feeling so much more hopeful now. Thanks for adding another great angle to consider - I'll definitely report back if the birth year trick works! Good luck with your call tomorrow morning! 📞
I'm dealing with this exact same issue and it's been driving me absolutely insane! 😭 I've been locked out of updating my direct deposit for almost two weeks now. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions in this thread has been a total lifesaver - I genuinely thought I was losing my mind trying to figure out what I could have possibly entered differently! All these suggestions about trying different formats are incredible: the hyphen variations, ALL CAPS vs Title Case, middle initials, nicknames, birth years, and even considering if our moms had multiple married names. I never would have thought of half of these possibilities! It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become forensic genealogists just to access our own benefits, but at least we're all figuring it out together. One more variation I'll add to the mix: check if you might have accidentally used your mom's current married name instead of her maiden name when you were rushing through the signup. I just realized I might have done that since I always think of her by her current last name. I'm making a list of every possible combination I can think of and working through them systematically before my next phone call attempt. This community support is honestly what's keeping me sane through this bureaucratic nightmare! Will definitely update if I crack the code. We've got this! 💪
This entire thread has been such a revelation! 🙌 I'm also stuck in this maiden name nightmare and feeling way less alone after reading everyone's experiences. The current married name vs maiden name mix-up you mentioned is exactly what I think happened to me too - when you're used to calling your mom by her current name for years, it's so easy to accidentally enter that instead! I love how this has basically become a crowdsourced guide to cracking security questions 😂 Between all the suggestions here (hyphens, capitalization, middle initials, birth years, multiple marriages, international spellings, nicknames) we've pretty much covered every possible variation. It's honestly insane that the system is this finicky about exact matches, but at least now we all have a battle plan! Your systematic approach with the list is exactly what I'm doing too. I'm treating it like a puzzle to solve rather than a personal failing, which is helping with the frustration. Thanks for adding another great angle to consider - the accidental current name usage is probably more common than we think! Here's to all of us cracking our codes and finally getting our direct deposit sorted! 🤞✨
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I went through this same confusion when I lost my job earlier this year! The percentage thing really threw me off too because everyone gives different numbers. What I learned is that NYS Department of Labor uses a formula based on your highest earning quarter in your "base period" - they take about 50% of your average weekly wage from that quarter, but it's capped at the state maximum. For someone making $52k consistently, you're looking at roughly $1000 per week in gross income, so half of that would put you around $500 weekly in benefits (which is close to the current cap anyway). The key thing is you won't know your exact amount until you file because they need to look at your actual wage records. I'd definitely recommend filing even while job hunting - the benefits can last up to 26 weeks in NY and having that financial cushion makes job searching way less stressful. You can always stop collecting if you find work quickly, but at least you'll have the safety net.
This breakdown really helps clarify things! I was getting so confused by all the different percentages people were throwing around. So basically at $52k annually, I'm looking at around $500/week if my wages were steady? That's actually more than the "50% of salary" rule would suggest since that would only be about $500/week gross salary. The 26 weeks duration is good to know too - gives me a decent runway to find the right job instead of just taking the first offer. Thanks for explaining it so clearly!
Just want to add another perspective as someone who recently went through this process in NY. The calculation can be tricky because NYS Department of Labor also considers if you had multiple jobs during your base period. If you worked any side gigs or part-time jobs alongside your restaurant management position, those wages get included too, which could actually bump up your benefit amount. Also, one thing that caught me off guard - if you had any unpaid time off or were temporarily laid off during your base period, that can affect the calculation since they're looking at actual wages reported, not just your annual salary. The system is pretty automated once you get all your employment info entered correctly, so don't stress too much about doing the math yourself. At your income level, you're likely looking at close to the maximum benefit amount anyway. I'd say definitely file sooner rather than later since there's a waiting period, and you want to get the process started even while you're job hunting.
That's a great point about multiple jobs affecting the calculation! I hadn't thought about that. I did pick up some occasional catering gigs on weekends during the busy season, so those wages would actually help boost my benefits? That's really good to know. And you're right about filing sooner - I keep putting it off thinking I need to understand everything perfectly first, but it sounds like the system walks you through it anyway. Thanks for mentioning the waiting period too, I didn't realize there was one. Better to get the ball rolling now rather than waiting until I'm more desperate for the income.
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This whole system is so messed up! You work your whole life, pay into unemployment insurance, and then when you need it they find ways to deny you benefits. Meanwhile people who never worked a day get everything handed to them. Sorry for the rant but this stuff really gets to me.
I feel you on the frustration but unemployment insurance is meant to replace lost wages, not supplement retirement income. The pension rules exist for a reason.
I'm dealing with something similar right now. Just turned 60 and got laid off after 25 years at my company. My pension is $1,650/month and I'm still waiting to hear back from NYS DOL about my claim status. From what I've researched, there might be some differences in how they treat pensions if you were involuntarily separated (like a layoff) versus voluntary retirement. Also, I've heard that if your pension is from a different employer than where you were laid off from, the rules might be different. Has anyone had experience with that scenario? It's so confusing trying to navigate all these regulations when you're already stressed about finding new work at our age.
Keith, you're absolutely right about the different employer pension rule! I went through this exact situation. If your pension is from a previous employer (not the one you were just laid off from), NYS DOL treats it differently. In my case, I had a pension from a job I left 10 years ago, and when I got laid off from my recent employer, they didn't count that pension against my UI benefits. You'll need to provide documentation showing the pension source when you file. The involuntary separation aspect also matters - they're generally more lenient with layoffs versus voluntary retirement. Definitely mention both of these points when you speak with them. Good luck!
Saleem Vaziri
UGH the whole NYS Department of Labor system is a nightmare! They use the most confusing language possible. 'Not ineligible' sounds like they're trying to confuse people on purpose. Why can't they just say 'APPROVED' like normal people??
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Carmen Vega
I went through this exact same confusion when I first filed! "Not ineligible" is definitely their weird way of saying you're approved - it's like they couldn't just use clear language. The payment delay is pretty normal for new claims though. I'd suggest calling the dedicated payment inquiry line (518-457-9000) early in the morning around 8 AM - that's when I had the best luck getting through. Also make sure your direct deposit info is correct in your account, sometimes that can cause delays too.
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