ugh the whole system is so confusing!! why cant they just send the money when they approve you like every other normal system. i've been waiting 5 days and still nothing

I had the exact same confusion when I first got approved! The approval just means you're eligible - you still have to do the weekly certification every Sunday through Wednesday to actually get paid. I'd log into my.ny.gov right now and check if there's a pending weekly claim waiting for you. Once you certify for your first week, the direct deposit should hit within 2-3 business days. The system is definitely not intuitive but once you get into the rhythm it becomes routine.

Just to confirm what others said - $504 is definitely the max weekly in NY right now. I got laid off from finance making $95k and that's exactly what I receive. There's no special high earner program or anything like that.

Just went through this myself after getting laid off from a marketing role in Brooklyn. With your $75k salary, you should definitely qualify for close to the maximum $504/week. One thing to watch out for - make sure you file your claim promptly because the base period calculation can shift if you wait too long. Also, if you had any bonus payments or commission during your highest earning quarter, those count toward your benefit calculation too. The NYS DOL website has a benefit calculator tool that can give you a rough estimate before you file, which might help ease some of the uncertainty while you're waiting for your official determination.

Just make sure you understand that your unemployment benefits might be reduced based on your work history and wages. Since you were working part-time, your weekly benefit amount will be calculated on those earnings, not your social security amount.

I'm in a similar situation - 65 and collecting social security but was working part-time at a retail job until they cut hours completely. From what I've learned, you definitely can collect both, but be prepared for the paperwork. You'll need to report your social security income on your weekly certification, and yes, you still have to do the job search requirements even at our age. It feels a bit ridiculous sometimes, but that's the law. The good news is that your social security won't count against your unemployment eligibility, it's just something you have to disclose. Make sure you have all your employment records ready when you file - they'll want your last employer info, wages, etc. Good luck!

honestly the whole system is set up to screw small business owners. they make it super easy for employees to file claims but then you have to jump through hoops to contest bogus ones. and if you make one mistake on the paperwork they just approve everything automatically. been dealing with this BS for 15 years

Thanks everyone for the detailed responses! This is really helpful. As a newcomer to NY business ownership, I'm realizing there's a lot more to track than I initially thought. The experience rating system makes sense - basically I'm incentivized to hire carefully and document everything thoroughly. I'm definitely going to look into that automated service Kayla mentioned since I travel a lot for my consulting work and can see myself missing those 10-day deadlines. Better to invest upfront than pay higher rates later. One follow-up question - when you register with NYS Department of Labor for the first employee, do they provide clear guidance on what records to keep, or is that something you have to figure out on your own?

I went through this exact situation in March! After my waiting week, it took exactly 3 business days for my first payment to show up in my account. I certified on a Sunday evening and saw the money hit my bank account Wednesday morning. The key thing is to make sure you're checking the "Payment History" section on the NYSDOL website - once it shows "Released" you'll know it's processed and on the way. Also, if you're using direct deposit with a major bank like Chase or Bank of America, it tends to be faster than smaller banks or credit unions. Don't panic if it takes up to 5 business days though - that's still totally normal for first payments. The system just needs extra time to verify everything on your initial claim. Hang in there!

I went through this same anxiety just a few weeks ago! My first payment took 5 business days after certification, which felt like forever when you're watching every penny. What really helped was setting up account alerts with my bank so I'd get a text the moment any deposit hit my account - saved me from obsessively checking my balance 20 times a day. Also, if your payment doesn't show up by day 5, don't hesitate to call NYSDOL. I know their phone lines are terrible, but sometimes there are small issues that need to be resolved (like address verification or direct deposit confirmation) that can hold things up. The good news is once you get that first payment, the subsequent ones are much more predictable and usually arrive within 2-3 days. Hang in there - it's coming!