< Back to New York Unemployment

Katherine Ziminski

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

This week I picked up a few extra hours at my part-time job and ended up making $504.90, which is literally 90 cents over the NY unemployment partial benefits limit of $504. Should I just report it exactly as is when I certify, or will those 90 cents completely disqualify me from getting any benefits this week? Has anyone dealt with being just slightly over the threshold? I'm worried about losing a whole week of benefits over less than a dollar!

Noah Irving

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.

0 coins

-

Katherine Ziminski

Ugh, that's what I was afraid of. So I'm basically losing my entire benefit payment because of 90 cents? That seems so unfair.

0 coins

-

4d

Vanessa Chang

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

0 coins

-

Noah Irving

This is really bad advice. The NYSDOL cross-references your reported earnings with what your employer reports. Even small discrepancies can trigger an investigation, which could result in having to pay back benefits plus penalties. Always report accurately.

0 coins

-

4d

Madison King

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!!!!

0 coins

-

Katherine Ziminski

I know right?? It feels like I'm being punished for working. I wish they'd just deduct the 90 cents from my benefit amount instead of taking the whole thing away.

0 coins

-

4d

Julian Paolo

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.

0 coins

-

Katherine Ziminski

Thank you for explaining. I'll definitely be more careful tracking my hours going forward. I didn't realize I should still certify even when I'm over the limit - that's really helpful to know!

0 coins

-

4d

Ella Knight

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.

0 coins

-

William Schwarz

I've been in that exact situation - couldn't get through to NYSDOL for weeks about an issue with my claim. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Totally worth it for peace of mind, especially when you need answers about specific situations like being just over the earnings limit. The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what others are saying here - even a few cents over the threshold means no benefits for that week, but it doesn't affect future weeks.

0 coins

-

4d

Lauren Johnson

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

0 coins

-

Madison King

Easy to say if you're not living paycheck to paycheck! For many people, losing a week of benefits IS a really big deal - could mean not making rent or having to skip meals. Have some empathy.

0 coins

-

4d

Ella Knight

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?

0 coins

-

Julian Paolo

This is a different situation. When there's a reporting error that can be verified, NYSDOL can correct it. But when someone actually earned over the threshold amount, even by a small amount, there's nothing to correct - the system is working as designed (even if that design feels unfair in edge cases).

0 coins

-

4d

Katherine Ziminski

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.

0 coins

-

Noah Irving

That's the right approach. And remember, if you have trouble getting clarification on anything in the future, calling early in the morning (right when they open) or later in the afternoon (about an hour before closing) often means shorter wait times.

0 coins

-

4d

Vanessa Chang

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

0 coins

-

Related Posts