How to check remaining balance on NYS Department of Labor unemployment claim - can't find it anywhere
I've been collecting unemployment for about 8 weeks now and I'm trying to figure out how much I have left on my claim. I know there's supposed to be a maximum amount but I can't find where to see my remaining balance anywhere on the my.ny.gov site. I've looked everywhere in my account but all I see is my weekly benefit amount and payment history. Does anyone know where to find this information? I'm worried I might be running out soon and want to plan ahead.
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Chloe Mitchell
You need to look for your 'Monetary Determination' letter in your documents section. It should show your total benefit amount for the benefit year and what you've used so far. On my.ny.gov go to Unemployment Services > View and Maintain Account > Correspondence. Your remaining balance would be the total minus what you've already received.
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Aaron Lee
•Thanks! I found the monetary determination but it's from when I first filed. Does this get updated automatically or do I need to calculate it myself?
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Michael Adams
i think theres also a place in the weekly claim section that shows it but im not sure where exactly. mine shows up somewhere when i do my weekly certification
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Natalie Wang
The system doesn't automatically update your remaining balance in real time. You have to do the math yourself - take your total benefit amount from the monetary determination and subtract all the payments you've received. NYS Department of Labor really should make this easier to see at a glance.
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Noah Torres
•This is so frustrating! Every other state I've heard of shows your remaining balance clearly. Why does NYS make everything so complicated?
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Samantha Hall
I had the same problem and couldn't get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask about it. The phone system is impossible. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person who could explain exactly how much I had left. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Aaron Lee
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already strapped for cash on unemployment.
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Samantha Hall
•It was worth it for me since I needed to know right away for budgeting purposes. Much easier than spending days trying to get through on the phone.
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Ryan Young
just wanted to say thanks for asking this question, I was wondering the same thing but felt dumb for not knowing where to look!
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James Maki
I actually found a workaround for this! If you go to the "Payment History" section on my.ny.gov, it shows all your weekly payments. You can add those up and subtract from your total benefit amount in the monetary determination letter. I made a simple spreadsheet to track it since the state system doesn't do it for you. Also, your benefit year is usually 52 weeks from when you filed, and the maximum is typically 26 weeks of benefits (though this can vary). Hope this helps!
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CyberNinja
•This spreadsheet idea is brilliant! I'm definitely going to set one up. Quick question - when you say the maximum is typically 26 weeks, does that mean if I've been collecting for 8 weeks I should have about 18 weeks left? Or does it depend on how much my weekly benefit amount is compared to the total they approved me for?
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