just a heads up the $504 is before taxes. they'll take out federal taxes if you elect to have them withheld, which i recommend unless you want a surprise bill next april

Also worth noting that the $504 maximum assumes you had pretty high earnings - you'd need to have made around $13,104 in your highest quarter to qualify for the full amount. Most people get less than the maximum. The formula is your high quarter earnings divided by 26, so if you made $10,000 in your best quarter, your weekly benefit would be around $385. The system looks at your base period wages, not just your most recent job, so if you had a higher-paying job earlier in that timeframe it could help your benefit calculation.

Friendly reminder to all my fellow unemployed peeps: Don't forget to set aside money for taxes! Unemployment benefits are taxable income. Learned that the hard way last year 😅💸

Hey Liam! I'm in a similar boat - been on unemployment for about 4 months now. From what I've learned, NY gives you 26 weeks max for regular UI benefits. No extensions right now unfortunately 😞 I'd definitely recommend starting your job search ASAP if you haven't already. The 26 weeks goes by faster than you think! Also, keep checking the NYSDOL website regularly - sometimes they announce new programs or extensions with little notice. One thing that helped me was setting up job alerts on multiple sites and treating job searching like a full-time job itself. Hang in there! 💪

bruh i swear ny unemployment be playing games with our money 🤡

I went through the exact same thing last year! The base period calculation is honestly the most confusing part of NY unemployment. What helped me was calling the DOL directly (took forever to get through) and having them walk through my wage history quarter by quarter. They were able to explain exactly which quarters they were looking at and why certain wages weren't included. Also double check that all your employers properly reported your wages - sometimes there are delays or mistakes in their reporting that can affect your base period calculation. Don't give up, the system is complicated but there are people there who can help clarify things if you can get through to them!

Same situation here! Started my claim two weeks ago and was confused about the timing. Got my first payment yesterday and it was exactly what the NYS Department of Labor calculator said I'd get.

The weekly schedule is pretty straightforward once you get used to it. I've been on unemployment for about 6 weeks now and here's what I've learned: You certify every Sunday (I usually do it Sunday morning to get it out of the way), and then the payment shows up in my account every Wednesday around 9 AM. The amount stays consistent as long as you don't have any earnings to report. One tip - set up direct deposit if you haven't already because it's much faster than waiting for a debit card to arrive in the mail. Also keep track of your work search activities because you'll need to report those when you certify each week.

The whole protest system is broken IMO. Employers can just file frivolous protests to delay payments and there's no penalty for them. Meanwhile we're the ones who suffer financially while they take their sweet time investigating.

I went through this exact situation 3 months ago and it took about 10 weeks for my protest to be resolved. The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially when bills keep coming. A few things that helped me: 1) I called my local assemblyperson's office and they were able to put in an inquiry on my behalf which seemed to speed things up a bit, 2) I applied for emergency food assistance and utility help through 211 while waiting, and 3) I made sure to document every single interaction and keep copies of all paperwork. The good news is that once it's resolved, you'll get all the back pay for those pending weeks. Hang in there - I know it feels hopeless but it will get sorted out eventually.