What does weekly benefit amount mean on unemployment claim - NYS Department of Labor confusion
I just got approved for unemployment benefits and I'm looking at my NYS Department of Labor account but I'm totally confused about what the weekly benefit amount actually means. It shows $320 as my weekly benefit amount but I'm not sure if that's what I'll actually get each week or if there are deductions or taxes taken out? Also does this amount change based on how much I worked in previous weeks or is it fixed? I've never filed for unemployment before so this is all new to me. Can someone explain what this number actually represents?
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Bruno Simmons
Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is the gross amount you're eligible to receive each week before any deductions. So your $320 is what you qualify for, but you'll have federal taxes withheld if you chose that option when filing. You can also have state taxes taken out. The amount stays the same throughout your benefit year unless your claim gets adjusted for some reason.
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Lourdes Fox
•Thanks! So if I chose to have taxes withheld, how much would actually be deposited? Is there a standard percentage?
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Aileen Rodriguez
yeah its basically your gross weekly pay but you can request 10% federal tax withholding when you file your weekly claims, i always do that so i dont get hit with a big tax bill later
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Zane Gray
The weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your highest quarter of earnings during your base period. NYS Department of Labor takes your highest quarter, divides by 26, then applies their benefit formula. Your $320 suggests you had decent earnings in your base period. This amount won't change week to week - it's fixed for your entire benefit year unless there's an overpayment situation or wage reporting that affects your claim.
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Maggie Martinez
•Wait, I'm confused about the base period thing. When I filed my claim in January 2025, what quarters would they look at for calculating my benefits?
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Zane Gray
•For a January 2025 claim, your base period would typically be October 2023 through September 2024. NYS Department of Labor looks at the four quarters before the quarter you filed in, with some exceptions for alternate base periods if you don't qualify.
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Alejandro Castro
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Lourdes Fox
•How much does something like that cost? I've been trying to call for days about other questions on my claim.
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Alejandro Castro
•They focus on the value of getting through rather than the cost. For me it was worth it just to stop wasting entire days trying to reach NYS Department of Labor on my own.
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Monique Byrd
Just remember that if you work part-time while collecting, NYS Department of Labor will reduce your weekly benefit amount based on how much you earn. They have a formula where you can earn up to a certain amount before it affects your benefits, but anything over that gets deducted dollar for dollar from your weekly benefit amount.
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Aileen Rodriguez
also make sure you understand the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your maximum benefit amount, those are two totally different things that confuse everyone
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Lena Kowalski
Just to add to what others have said - your $320 weekly benefit amount is indeed the gross amount before taxes. If you opted for federal tax withholding (which is 10%), you'd receive $288 per week. New York state doesn't have income tax on unemployment benefits, so you only need to worry about federal taxes. Also keep in mind that this $320 is what you get for a full week of unemployment - if you work any hours during a week, NYS Department of Labor has a partial benefit formula that will reduce your payment based on your earnings that week.
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Mia Green
•This is super helpful, thank you! I didn't realize New York doesn't tax unemployment benefits at the state level. So if I understand correctly, the only tax I need to worry about is the optional 10% federal withholding? And just to confirm - if I work a few hours one week, they'll calculate how much to reduce my $320 based on what I earned that week, right? I want to make sure I report any work correctly so I don't run into issues later.
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