NY unemployment payment only half the normal amount - why did I get 2 days instead of 4?

This is likely due to a partial unemployment determination review. When the system recalculates your maximum benefit amount (which explains why it went up), it sometimes processes payments differently during that week. The fact that your maximum amount increased is actually good news - it means they probably found additional wages in your base period that weren't initially counted. I recommend waiting until next week's payment before calling. If your next payment is still only for 2 days, then definitely contact them. But most likely next week will return to normal with the higher maximum benefit amount.

same thing happned to me last month!! they only paid me for 3 days instead of my normal 4 days but then the nxt week it was back to normal. never found out why tho.

THEY ARE DOING THIS TO EVERYONE!! I've been getting partial payments for THREE WEEKS now! Every time I call the automated system it just says my claim is "under review" but no explanation why. This department is a DISASTER in 2025, even worse than before. They can change your benefits whenever they want with ZERO notice.

If your maximum benefit amount went up, that usually means they found additional wages in your base period or corrected an error in your benefit calculation. But I'm confused why they'd only pay you for 2 days in the same week. Did you report any work/earnings for that week? Sometimes even a small amount of reported income can reduce your weekly benefit.

Whenever you see weird payment issues like this, it's critical to get through to an actual NYSDOL agent. The online system only tells you so much, and these partial payment situations often need human intervention. I struggled with a similar issue for weeks trying to use the automated phone system. I finally got through to a real agent by using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you bypass the phone queues and actually connect with NYSDOL. I was skeptical at first but they got me connected in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE The agent explained that my partial payment was due to a wage recalculation that temporarily affected my weekly benefit, very similar to what you're describing. They fixed it on the spot.

so your maximum amount went up but u got less money? that makes no sense at all lol. the system is broken, typical nysdol nonsense. they prob just hope people dont notice when they underpay.

This sounds like what happens during a monetary redetermination. Essentially, they found additional wages in your base period that weren't included in your original determination. The system first increases your maximum benefit amount, but during that processing week, payment days can be split. If this is what's happening, you should receive a monetary redetermination notice in your online account or by mail in the next few days explaining the increase. The notice will show your old and new weekly benefit amounts, along with the updated maximum benefit amount. For your next certification, you should receive the full weekly amount. If not, you'll definitely need to speak with a representative to have them review your claim.

did u work any days that week? even 1 day of work can mess up ur payment

Wait til you get an overpayment notice next! That's what happened to me after my benefit amount changed. First they underpaid me, then they said I owed them $2,450 for no reason!!! The whole system is designed to confuse people so they just give up.

Based on your update that you received a monetary redetermination notice, that definitely explains what's happening. During redetermination weeks, the system sometimes processes partial payments, but your next payment should be the full new weekly benefit amount. The good news is that your weekly benefit amount has increased by $65, which is substantial! This is actually a positive change to your claim. If for some reason your next payment isn't the full amount, then it would be time to contact NYSDOL for clarification.

I'm glad to see you found the monetary redetermination notice! That explains everything perfectly. I went through the exact same thing about 6 months ago - got a partial payment one week, then saw my maximum benefit amount had increased, and then found the redetermination notice buried in my messages. The next week my payment was back to normal but with the higher weekly amount. It's confusing when it happens, but it's actually a good thing - means they found additional wages that qualify you for higher benefits. The system just processes it weird during that transition week. Definitely update us next week! It should all be sorted out by then.

I just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this exact situation! The monetary redetermination process can be really confusing when you're experiencing it for the first time. What happened to you - the partial payment followed by finding that redetermination notice - is completely normal during these recalculations. The fact that your weekly benefit amount increased by $65 is fantastic news! That's a significant boost that will help throughout the rest of your claim period. The system just has this quirky way of processing payments during the week when they're updating your benefit amounts. I'd definitely recommend keeping an eye on your messages section more regularly going forward - NYSDOL tends to send important notices there that are easy to miss. But based on everything you've described, your next payment should be the full new weekly amount. Congrats on the benefit increase!

Same here. I am thinking I made a mistake. It's 2 effective day instead of 4. Was this my mistake while filing a claim or this is because I am not actively searching for a job due to family.

Just want to add that this happened to me too about 2 months ago! Got really panicked when I saw only 2 days worth of payment but then noticed my max benefit amount had gone up by over $900. Like others mentioned, I found the monetary redetermination notice buried in my messages a day later. The confusing part is that they don't really explain WHY this happens during the transition week - it would save everyone a lot of stress if they just sent a heads up message saying "your payment this week will be partial due to benefit recalculation, but next week will return to normal with your new higher amount." Anyway, my next payment was indeed the full amount with the increased weekly benefit. Sounds like you're all set once you get that redetermination notice sorted!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with something similar right now - got only 3 days instead of my usual 4 this week, and I was starting to panic. Reading about everyone's experiences with monetary redeterminations makes me feel a lot better. I'm going to check my messages section right now to see if I have any notices I missed. It's crazy how they don't make these notices more prominent - you'd think something that affects your payment would show up with a big alert or something! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, especially those who followed up to confirm everything worked out in the end.

This exact same thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago and I was freaking out! Got 2 days instead of my usual 4, but then noticed my maximum benefit amount had increased by about $650. Just like everyone else mentioned, I found a monetary redetermination notice in my messages that I had completely missed. The system really should give you a heads up that your payment will be different during the recalculation week. Would save everyone so much stress! But the good news is my next payment was back to the full amount with the higher weekly benefit. Sounds like you're in the same boat - congrats on the benefit increase! Your next payment should definitely be back to normal with the new higher amount.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I was just about to post the exact same question - got only 2 days of payment this week instead of my usual 4, and I was completely panicking thinking I'd done something wrong with my certification. After reading through everyone's experiences, I immediately checked my messages and sure enough, there's a monetary redetermination notice from yesterday that I completely missed! My maximum benefit amount went up by about $520 and my weekly benefit increased by $43. It's such a relief to know this is normal during the recalculation process and that so many others have gone through the same thing. You're all absolutely right that NYSDOL should give people a heads up about partial payments during these transition weeks - would save so much anxiety! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially those who confirmed everything went back to normal the following week. I'll definitely keep an eye on my messages more carefully going forward. Really appreciate this community for helping newcomers like me understand these confusing situations!

Welcome to the community! I've been following unemployment issues for a while and your situation is actually pretty common during monetary redeterminations. It's great that you found that notice buried in your messages - NYSDOL really needs to make those more visible! The partial payment during recalculation weeks seems to be a quirk of how their system processes the benefit changes. I've seen this happen to so many people and it always causes panic initially, but like others mentioned, the next week usually returns to normal with the higher benefit amount. A $65 weekly increase is substantial - that's an extra $260+ per month which will really help! Keep us updated on how next week's payment goes. Based on everyone else's experiences here, you should be all set.

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm new to the NY unemployment system and had no idea that monetary redeterminations could cause partial payments during transition weeks. It's really reassuring to see so many people share similar experiences with the 2-day payments followed by finding those buried redetermination notices. What strikes me most is how many people mentioned the same frustration - that NYSDOL doesn't give any warning about these partial payments during benefit recalculations. It seems like such a simple fix that would prevent so much anxiety for claimants. A simple notification like "Your payment this week may be reduced due to benefit recalculation processing" would go a long way. For newcomers like me who might face this situation, the key takeaways seem to be: 1) Check your messages section thoroughly for any notices, 2) Look for increases in your maximum benefit amount, and 3) Don't panic if it's just one week of partial payment during a redetermination. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and outcomes - this kind of community knowledge is invaluable!