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.

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.

Just checked and I can get to the main ny.gov page but when I click on unemployment services it just spins forever. Definitely seems like their unemployment section is having problems specifically.

I'm having the exact same issue! Been trying since 6 AM and the unemployment portal just won't load. Really stressing me out because I can't afford to miss my weekly certification. Has anyone tried calling the technical support line instead of the regular unemployment line? Sometimes they have a separate number for website issues that might be less busy.

Same thing happened to me last week - certified Tuesday, didn't get paid until the following Monday. No explanation, just delayed. As long as your claim status is good you should get it eventually.

I'm new to the NY unemployment system and this thread is really helpful! I just filed my first weekly claim yesterday (Wednesday) so I'm not sure what to expect for timing. Based on what everyone is saying, it sounds like 2-4 days is normal but can be unpredictable. @Omar hopefully your payment comes through soon since it shows as released! I'll keep an eye on my account and try not to stress if it takes a few extra days.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IS SO MESSED UP FOR STUDENTS! They make it seem like we don't deserve benefits even though we've been working and paying taxes. I had to fight for weeks to get my claim approved because they kept questioning my availability.

@CosmicCruiser definitely apply! I'm also a SUNY student and successfully got unemployment benefits last year when my restaurant job cut hours. The key things that helped me: 1) Keep detailed records of your work history and wages, 2) Be clear about your availability (I put down evenings/weekends around my class schedule), 3) Start your job search immediately and document everything. The retail experience you have makes you very employable. Don't let anyone discourage you - you paid into the system and you're entitled to benefits if you meet the requirements, which it sounds like you do.