How to get maximum unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?
I just got laid off from my marketing job after 8 years and I'm filing for unemployment for the first time. I've been reading about benefit calculations but I'm confused about how to make sure I get the maximum amount possible. My salary was $85k annually but I heard the maximum weekly benefit is capped? Can someone explain how NYS Department of Labor calculates benefits and if there's anything I should know when filing to ensure I get the highest amount I'm eligible for? I really need to maximize this since I have a mortgage and two kids.
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Freya Nielsen
The maximum weekly benefit rate in NY for 2025 is $504 per week. Your benefit amount is calculated using your highest earning quarter in your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed). NYS Department of Labor takes 1/26th of your highest quarter earnings as your weekly benefit rate, but it can't exceed that $504 cap. With your $85k salary, you'll likely hit the maximum assuming you worked consistently.
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Ravi Kapoor
•Thanks! So even though I made more, I'm still capped at $504? That seems low for someone who was making good money and paying into the system.
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Omar Mahmoud
Make sure when you file your initial claim that all your employment history is accurate, especially your most recent job and any part-time work. NYS Department of Labor will verify everything but mistakes in your application can delay your benefits. Also, if you had any freelance or 1099 work in addition to your main job, that might boost your base period earnings.
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Chloe Harris
•Good point about the 1099 work! I forgot to mention some consulting I did last year and had to call to update my claim.
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Diego Vargas
ugh the system is so unfair... i was making 95k and still only get 504 a week. meanwhile people who barely worked get almost the same amount. doesnt make sense that theres a cap when we paid more into unemployment insurance
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Freya Nielsen
•I understand the frustration, but the cap exists to keep the system sustainable. The benefit is designed to replace a portion of income, not all of it. Higher earners typically have more savings and resources to bridge the gap.
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NeonNinja
One thing that helped me was using Claimyr to get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent when I had questions about my benefit calculation. The phone lines are always busy but their service (claimyr.com) got me connected in like 10 minutes. There's a good video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Sometimes talking to a real person can help catch issues that might reduce your benefits.
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Anastasia Popov
•How much does that cost though? I'm trying to save money since I'm unemployed...
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NeonNinja
•It's worth it if you're having issues that could affect your weekly payments. Much cheaper than missing out on benefits you're entitled to.
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Sean Murphy
Also remember you can work part-time while collecting unemployment! NYS Department of Labor has a partial benefit formula where you can earn up to a certain amount and still get some unemployment. This could help bridge the gap between the $504 max and what you actually need to live on.
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Ravi Kapoor
•Really? I thought any work would disqualify me completely. What's the earnings limit?
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Sean Murphy
•You can earn up to $504 per week (same as the max benefit) before it affects your unemployment. Anything over that gets deducted dollar for dollar from your weekly benefit.
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Chloe Harris
Just make sure you file your weekly claims on time every week and report all earnings honestly. Missing even one weekly claim can mess up your whole benefit year and you might not be able to make it up later.
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Logan Greenburg
Another tip - if you had any salary increases or bonuses during your base period, make sure those are reflected correctly in your wage history. Sometimes employers don't report quarterly wages accurately to NYS Department of Labor right away. You can check your wage history online through the NY.gov unemployment portal to verify everything looks correct. If there are discrepancies, you can request a wage investigation which might increase your benefit calculation if higher wages weren't initially included.
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Justin Chang
•That's a really good point about checking the wage history! I never thought to verify that before. How long does a wage investigation typically take? I'm worried about delays if there are issues with my employer's reporting.
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