Does NYS Department of Labor unemployment count as income for Medicaid application?
I'm currently receiving unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor and need to apply for Medicaid coverage. My weekly unemployment amount is $394 and I'm not sure if this counts as income when they calculate my eligibility. Has anyone dealt with this situation? I don't want to mess up my application by reporting it wrong or leaving it out completely. The Medicaid application asks about all income sources but I'm confused about whether UI benefits are considered the same as regular wages.
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Ravi Malhotra
Yes, unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor do count as income for Medicaid eligibility purposes. You need to report your weekly benefit amount when you apply. However, the income limits for Medicaid are pretty generous so receiving UI benefits doesn't automatically disqualify you. Make sure to include your unemployment income on the application - being honest is always better than having them find out later.
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Isabella Costa
•Thanks for clarifying that! I was worried about reporting it and getting denied but you're right that honesty is better. Do you know if they count the gross amount or after taxes?
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Freya Christensen
Had to deal with this last year when I was on unemployment. The Medicaid office told me to report the full weekly benefit amount before any taxes or deductions. They use that gross amount for their calculations but like the other person said the income limits are high enough that most people on UI still qualify.
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Omar Farouk
If you're having trouble getting through to anyone at the Medicaid office to ask questions, you might want to try Claimyr at claimyr.com - they help people reach NYS Department of Labor agents but I think they also have info about other benefit programs. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone directly about your specific situation.
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Chloe Davis
•Never heard of that service but anything that helps navigate these systems sounds useful. The phone lines are always so busy!
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AstroAlpha
Just went through this process 2 months ago. Unemployment definitely counts as income but I still qualified for Medicaid even with my weekly UI payments. The application process was actually pretty straightforward once I knew to include my NYS Department of Labor benefits. Just make sure you have your benefit letter or payment history ready when you apply.
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