Wait I'm confused about the calculation. Is it based on your last job's wages or all your jobs? I had two part-time jobs before getting laid off and I don't know which wages they use for the NYS Department of Labor calculation.

I went through this exact situation last year when I got laid off from my electrical work making around $1900/week. Like others said, you'll probably hit the max benefit of $504/week which is rough when you're used to much higher income. The important thing is to file immediately - don't wait! I made the mistake of waiting a few days thinking I might get called back, and you can't backdate benefits before your filing date. Also make sure you have all your pay stubs ready because NYS Department of Labor will ask for documentation. The whole process takes a few weeks to get your first payment, so the sooner you start the better. Good luck man, I know it's stressful but it does help bridge the gap while you're job hunting.

ID.me support: (866) 377-5343 hope this helps

Been dealing with this exact same nightmare for 3 months now! The ID.me verification shows as complete on their end but NY unemployment keeps saying they need it. What's really frustrating is that different reps tell you different things every time you call. One said my case was escalated, another said I needed to redo verification, and the last one couldn't even see my ID.me status in the system. At this point I'm convinced their systems don't talk to each other properly. Definitely going to try contacting my state rep like @Myles Regis suggested - seems like that might be the only way to get real action on this mess.

Just apply online through my.ny.gov and see what happens. Worst they can say is no but if you worked and got laid off you probably qualify. The whole system is set up to help people who lost jobs through no fault of their own.

I'm 19 and went through this exact situation last year when I got laid off from my restaurant job. Can confirm there's no age requirement - I was able to collect unemployment benefits just fine. The key thing is making sure you have enough work history and wages in your base period. Since you worked 8 months at $15/hour for 20 hours a week, you should definitely meet the wage requirements. Just make sure to apply as soon as possible because there's usually a waiting period before benefits start. Also keep all your pay stubs and any paperwork from your employer about the layoff - you might need them during the application process.

This whole system is so confusing! Why can't they just say 'enter your social security number' instead of using some made-up term like unemployment tax number?? Makes everything so much harder than it needs to be.

I totally agree with everyone saying it's just your SSN! I went through this same confusion a few weeks ago. One tip that helped me - after you enter your social security number, double-check that you selected the right birth date from the dropdown menu too. The system is really picky about matching everything exactly, and I almost got locked out because I accidentally selected the wrong month at first. The whole process becomes much smoother once you get past that initial login screen.

I feel for you Katherine - this exact situation happened to me last year and it's so frustrating! I was making $498 one week and decided to pick up a small catering gig that paid $15, putting me at $513. Lost my entire week of benefits over that extra $9. What I learned is to always keep a running total of your weekly earnings and communicate with your employer about staying under the limit if possible. Some employers are understanding about adjusting schedules to help you stay eligible. The silver lining is that unused benefit weeks don't disappear - they just get pushed to later weeks when you're under the threshold again.

I'm sorry you're going through this Katherine. I had a similar situation a few months ago where I went over by $3.50 and lost my entire week of benefits. It's incredibly frustrating, but as others have mentioned, you do need to report the exact amount. What helped me going forward was setting up a simple spreadsheet to track my daily earnings throughout the week - that way I could see when I was getting close to the $504 limit and either ask to leave early or decline extra shifts. Also, if you have multiple part-time jobs, coordinate between them so you don't accidentally go over. The system definitely isn't perfect, but at least those benefit dollars roll over to future eligible weeks.