Reliable NY unemployment advice needed - too much conflicting information

ya i asked about benefit calculations last week and got like 3 different answers lol. someone said its based on highest quarter earnings someone else said its average of last 4 quarters??? who knows man the system is messed up

I work as an employment counselor, so I can give you accurate information. For NY unemployment in 2025, your weekly benefit amount is calculated as 1/26 of the wages in your highest quarter during your base period. The maximum weekly benefit amount is currently $620. Your base period is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. If you think your benefit amount is incorrect, you should request a monetary determination review by: 1. Logging into your NY.gov account 2. Selecting "View Payment History" 3. Clicking "Request Benefit Rate Recalculation" 4. Upload supporting documentation (W-2s, pay stubs, etc.) You'll need to provide documentation showing your earnings were different than what NYSDOL has on record. Have your W-2s, pay stubs, and employment history ready.

The system is RIGGED against us!!! I filed last year and they "calculated" my benefits at half what I shouldve gotten. When I finally got someone on the phone after 3 WEEKS they said "oh we didn't have all your wage information" like thats MY fault?? Even after fixing it they took another month to adjust my payments!! Its all designed to pay us as little as possible and hope we give up fighting!!

I had the same issue in December! My benefit amount seemed way too low. The problem was that my employer from my highest-paying quarter hadn't properly reported my wages to the state. I spent DAYS trying to get through to someone at unemployment. Eventually I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. The agent was able to see the problem right away and helped me file for a reconsideration with my correct wage information. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE My benefit amount was adjusted within 2 weeks and I even got retroactive payments for the weeks I'd been underpaid. Definitely worth checking if your employer reported all your wages correctly!

To directly answer your questions with current 2025 information: 1. Weekly Benefit Calculation: Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is 1/26 of your highest quarter wages in your base period, up to the maximum of $620 per week. For example, if your highest quarter had $10,400 in wages, your WBA would be $400 ($10,400 ÷ 26). 2. Request Review Procedure: - Option A: Online recalculation request through your NY.gov account (fastest) - Option B: Submit Form TC403ER "Request for Reconsideration" by mail or fax - Option C: Call the Telephone Claims Center, though this is typically the most difficult method 3. Documentation to have ready: - Wage statements or pay stubs covering the entire base period - W-2 forms for the relevant years - Employment history with exact start/end dates - Any 1099 forms if you had independent contractor work - Form TC403ER if submitting by mail Most calculation errors happen because: - An employer failed to report wages properly - You worked in multiple states during your base period - You had multiple employers in your base period - There was a data entry error when processing your claim The reconsideration process typically takes 7-14 business days once they have all your documentation.

i just went thru this whole process!!! one tip - when u upload ur documents make sure the file names are descriptive like "W2-CompanyName-2024.pdf" not just "scan1.jpg" or whatever. my friend who works at DOL says they get SO many files and if its not labeled they sometimes miss things. also take screenshots of EVERYTHING in case they say they didnt get something

One more important point regarding benefit calculations in 2025: If your standard base period doesn't result in eligibility or you believe you'd get a higher benefit amount, you can request to use the alternate base period instead, which uses the last 4 completed quarters before filing. For a January 2025 claim, the alternate base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. This can be particularly beneficial if you had higher wages in recent quarters. To request this, check the box for "Request Alternate Base Period" when filing for reconsideration. The system will automatically calculate both and use whichever gives you the higher benefit amount.

my cousin works for the state (not unemployment but different dept) and she said they're super backed up right now cuz they switched to a new system in december and lots of claims have issues. might be why ur seeing so many confused people here lately

Just wanted to update everyone - I followed the advice here and submitted my reconsideration request with all the properly labeled documentation. I also checked the box for the alternate base period since I had higher wages in my most recent quarters. I tried calling for a few days with no luck, then used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. Got through to an agent who confirmed they received my reconsideration request and said I should have an answer within 7-10 business days. They also noted that one of my employers hadn't reported my wages correctly, which was likely the source of the calculation error. Thank you to everyone who provided actual helpful information! I'll update again when I get the final determination.