NY unemployment earnings limit - just 90 cents over $504 - will I lose benefits?

You should always report your exact earnings when you certify. The $504 threshold is indeed the cutoff point for partial benefits in NY - even if you're just pennies over, you technically wouldn't qualify for benefits that week. The system doesn't have a grace amount or rounding down. Report accurately to avoid any potential overpayment issues later.

just round down lol nobody will notice for less than a dollar

The same thing happened to me in January!!! I went over by like $2 and lost my ENTIRE week of benefits. I was so mad I almost cried. The system is SO broken. Why can't they just reduce the benefit amount proportionally instead of this all-or-nothing approach??? It literally makes no sense!!!!

I work as a benefits counselor and see this situation frequently. Unfortunately, the $504 threshold is a hard cutoff in New York's unemployment system. There are a few things you should know: 1. Always report your exact earnings - the system will verify this against employer reports 2. If you know in advance you might go over, try to manage your hours better the following week 3. While you won't receive UI benefits for weeks you exceed the threshold, it doesn't affect your overall benefit balance - those funds remain available for future eligible weeks 4. Keep certifying even for weeks you're over the limit, as skipping certifications can cause bigger problems The threshold exists to ensure benefits go to those with significant wage loss, though I agree the all-or-nothing approach creates frustrating edge cases like yours.

This happened to my sister last month and she was super stressed because she couldn't get through to anyone at unemployment to ask about it. She kept calling and calling with no luck. The wait times are insane right now.

idk why everyones making such a big deal about this. just report what you earned and move on. its one week. not the end of the world

My friend had the opposite problem where she accidentally reported $505 when she actually made $405 and lost a week of benefits. She called and they fixed it after verifying with her employer. Maybe worth calling if you're right on the edge?

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'll report the exact amount and just accept losing this week's benefits. Going to be much more careful tracking my hours going forward so I don't go over again. At least I know the money stays in my benefit balance for future weeks.

this reminds me of when i worked retail and my manager would send me home 15 mins early if i was getting close to overtime lol... systems designed to keep us poor

I feel for you Katherine - this exact situation happened to me last year and it's so frustrating! I was making $498 one week and decided to pick up a small catering gig that paid $15, putting me at $513. Lost my entire week of benefits over that extra $9. What I learned is to always keep a running total of your weekly earnings and communicate with your employer about staying under the limit if possible. Some employers are understanding about adjusting schedules to help you stay eligible. The silver lining is that unused benefit weeks don't disappear - they just get pushed to later weeks when you're under the threshold again.

I'm sorry you're going through this Katherine. I had a similar situation a few months ago where I went over by $3.50 and lost my entire week of benefits. It's incredibly frustrating, but as others have mentioned, you do need to report the exact amount. What helped me going forward was setting up a simple spreadsheet to track my daily earnings throughout the week - that way I could see when I was getting close to the $504 limit and either ask to leave early or decline extra shifts. Also, if you have multiple part-time jobs, coordinate between them so you don't accidentally go over. The system definitely isn't perfect, but at least those benefit dollars roll over to future eligible weeks.