Can you live off unemployment benefits in New York - realistic monthly budget?
I just got laid off from my restaurant job where I was making about $2,800 a month and I'm trying to figure out if I can actually survive on NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits while I look for work. My rent alone is $1,450 and I have car payments, groceries, utilities etc. Has anyone here managed to live off just unemployment? What's the maximum weekly benefit amount right now? I'm really stressed about making ends meet and wondering if I should take any job I can find or if unemployment will cover my basic expenses while I search for something decent.
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Bethany Groves
The maximum weekly benefit in NY is $504 right now, so that's about $2,016 per month before taxes. With your rent at $1,450, you'd have $566 left for everything else which is going to be really tight. You can collect for up to 26 weeks if you qualify. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims on time and meeting the job search requirements - you need to apply to at least 3 jobs per week and keep a log.
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Sebastián Stevens
•Wait they take taxes out of unemployment? I didn't know that. So I'd get even less than the $2,016?
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KingKongZilla
honestly its not enough to live on comfortably but ive been doing it for 2 months now. had to cut back on everything and ask family for help with groceries a few times. the job search requirement is no joke either - they really check that you're applying to jobs
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Rebecca Johnston
Yes, unemployment is taxable income. You can choose to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you set up your claim, or you'll owe it at tax time. For your situation, I'd recommend looking into food assistance programs and seeing if you qualify for any utility assistance while on unemployment. Also check if your county has any emergency rental assistance programs.
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Sebastián Stevens
•That's really helpful, thank you. I'll look into those assistance programs. This is all new to me.
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Nathan Dell
I had the same issue when I got laid off last year - couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to even file my claim because their phone lines are always jammed. Someone on here recommended using claimyr.com to actually reach an agent, and I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) - it actually worked and I got my claim sorted out in a few days instead of weeks of trying to call.
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Maya Jackson
•How much does that service cost though? If we're already broke from being unemployed...
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Nathan Dell
•It was worth it for me to get my claim processed faster rather than losing weeks of benefits, but I get the concern about spending money when you don't have much.
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Tristan Carpenter
Been there! I survived 4 months on unemployment but had to move back in with roommates and basically ate ramen every day. The weekly job search thing is annoying but not that hard if you just apply to everything remotely related to your field.
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Amaya Watson
Depends on your expenses really. I was making $3,200 at my office job and unemployment was definitely a step down but manageable because I live with my partner who was still working. If you're supporting yourself completely it's going to be rough with NYC area rent prices.
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