How does unemployment pay out in NY - confused about payment timing and amounts
I just got approved for unemployment benefits after waiting 3 weeks for adjudication to complete. Now I'm trying to understand how the actual payments work. Do they pay weekly or bi-weekly? And when do you actually receive the money after filing your weekly claim? Also, is the payment amount exactly what they said in my determination letter or are there taxes taken out? The my.ny.gov site doesn't really explain the timeline clearly and I need to know when to expect money in my account so I can plan my bills. Anyone know how this actually works?
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Isabella Oliveira
You file weekly claims every week (usually on the same day) and if approved, NYS Department of Labor processes payment within 2-3 business days. The amount should match your determination letter minus any taxes you elected to have withheld. You can choose 10% federal tax withholding when you file your first weekly claim. Make sure you're certifying that you're able and available for work and meeting job search requirements.
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Malik Thomas
•Thanks! So if I file my weekly claim on Sunday, I should see money by Wednesday? And what exactly are the job search requirements?
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Ravi Kapoor
payment usually hits my account tuesday or wednesday after filing sunday night. but sometimes it takes longer if theres a holiday or if they need to review something
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Freya Larsen
The payment schedule is pretty consistent - file your weekly claim by the deadline (usually Sunday night) and payment processes Monday-Tuesday for direct deposit. If you have a debit card from NYS Department of Labor, funds are available usually by Tuesday evening. Just remember you need to log 3 job search activities per week and keep detailed records in case they audit your job search log.
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Malik Thomas
•What counts as job search activities? And do I need to report them every week or just keep records?
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Freya Larsen
•You need 3 activities per week - applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, etc. You don't report them weekly but NYS Department of Labor can request your log anytime so keep detailed records with dates, company names, and contact info.
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GalacticGladiator
The whole system is confusing honestly. I've been on unemployment for 2 months and still don't understand why some weeks my payment is different amounts. Sometimes it's the full amount from my determination letter, other times it's less, and once I got nothing even though I filed my weekly claim correctly!
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Isabella Oliveira
•Payment amounts can vary if you report any work or income during the week. Even part-time work affects your benefit amount. If you got $0, there might have been an issue with your weekly claim that triggered a review.
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Omar Zaki
I had so much trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when my payments stopped randomly. Spent hours calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected after waiting. Finally used claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent - they have this system that calls you back when an agent is available. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows exactly how it works. Cost me a small fee but was worth it to actually talk to someone who could explain why my claim was under review.
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Malik Thomas
•That sounds helpful! Did the agent fix your payment issue right away?
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Omar Zaki
•Yeah, turned out I had accidentally answered one of the weekly claim questions wrong and it flagged my account for review. The agent cleared it up in 10 minutes and my payments resumed the next week.
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Chloe Taylor
Just to add - make sure you set up direct deposit if you haven't already. The debit card option works but direct deposit is usually faster and more reliable. You can update your payment method in your my.ny.gov account under the unemployment section.
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Madison Tipne
•Definitely agree on direct deposit! I switched from the debit card after my first few payments and it's much more convenient. No worries about the card getting declined or having to find ATMs. Plus you can see the deposit in your bank account right away instead of waiting for the card to be loaded.
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Sofia Rodriguez
One thing to watch out for - if you miss your weekly certification deadline (usually Sunday at 7:30 PM), you can still file late but it might delay your payment by a few days. I learned this the hard way when I forgot to certify one week and had to call to get it sorted out. Also, keep an eye on your benefit balance in the system - it shows how many weeks you have left. The maximum is usually 26 weeks but can be extended during high unemployment periods.
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