NYS Department of Labor benefit amount seems way too low - what happens if unemployment is too low?
Just got approved for unemployment benefits and my weekly amount is only $184. I was making $52k at my marketing job before getting laid off last month. This barely covers my rent, let alone groceries and utilities. What happens if unemployment is too low to survive on? Is there any way to appeal this amount or get additional assistance? I calculated my benefit rate myself and it seems correct based on my wages, but I can't live on this. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?
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Zainab Mahmoud
Unfortunately, NYS Department of Labor benefits are calculated as a percentage of your average weekly wage over your base period, typically around 50% up to the maximum weekly benefit rate. For 2025, the max is $504 per week. If your calculation is correct, that's what you'll receive. However, you might qualify for SNAP benefits or emergency rental assistance programs to supplement your UI payments. Also double-check that all your quarters of wages were properly reported in your monetary determination.
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Carlos Mendoza
•Thanks for explaining. I did check my monetary determination and it looks right. Just frustrating that unemployment doesn't come close to covering basic expenses. I'll look into SNAP benefits.
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Ava Williams
same boat here!! my benefits are like $200 and my rent alone is $1400. its basically impossible to live on unemployment in nyc. i've been applying for everything - food stamps, medicaid, even looked into temporary cash assistance but the requirements are crazy strict
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Raj Gupta
•You should also check if your county has emergency rental assistance programs. Many still have COVID relief funding available. Also, if you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to verify your wages were calculated correctly, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made it way easier than sitting on hold for hours.
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Lena Müller
Wait, are you sure your base period wages are correct? Sometimes employers don't report wages properly or there's a delay in reporting. You should request a detailed wage transcript from NYS Department of Labor to verify all your quarters are included. I had a similar issue where my benefits seemed too low and it turned out my last employer hadn't reported my final quarter of wages yet.
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Carlos Mendoza
•How do I request a wage transcript? Is this something I can do online through my.ny.gov or do I need to call?
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Lena Müller
•You can request it through your online account, but sometimes it's faster to call and ask them to review your monetary determination over the phone. They can tell you immediately if there are any missing wage quarters.
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TechNinja
This is exactly why the unemployment system is broken! $184 a week in 2025? That's insulting. Meanwhile rent keeps going up and groceries cost a fortune. The whole system needs to be overhauled but good luck getting politicians to actually fix anything. At least you got approved though - some people wait months in adjudication just to get denied.
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Keisha Thompson
•yeah the system sucks but complaining doesn't help pay bills. OP needs practical solutions not political rants
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Paolo Bianchi
I remember when this happened to me a few years ago. The unemployment benefits barely covered anything. I ended up having to take a part-time job while collecting benefits, but you have to be careful about reporting those earnings properly or they'll reduce your weekly benefit amount. Also look into local food banks and community assistance programs. It's not ideal but it helps bridge the gap.
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