What is the maximum unemployment benefits amount in NYS? Need to plan budget
I'm planning to file for unemployment next week after my company announced layoffs. I need to figure out my budget and wondering what the maximum unemployment benefits are right now in New York State? I was making about $72,000 per year so I'm hoping I'll qualify for the higher amounts but not sure how NYS Department of Labor calculates this. Also does anyone know if the maximum changes each year? I want to make sure I have realistic expectations for what I'll be getting.
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Ava Harris
The maximum weekly benefit rate in NY for 2025 is $504 per week. This is based on your highest quarter earnings in your base period. To get the maximum, you need to have earned at least $12,600 in your highest quarter. The NYS Department of Labor uses a formula where your weekly benefit is roughly 1/26th of your highest quarter earnings, up to that $504 cap.
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Chloe Delgado
•Thank you! That's really helpful. So if I made $72k last year that should put me close to the maximum right? I think my highest quarter was around $19,000.
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Jacob Lee
Just remember you can collect for up to 26 weeks normally, so that $504 x 26 = $13,104 total maximum. But you also have to meet the job search requirements each week and file your weekly claims on time. The NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about that stuff.
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Emily Thompson
•Yeah the job search thing is no joke. You need to document 3 work search activities per week and they can audit you anytime.
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Sophie Hernandez
ugh i've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for WEEKS to ask about my benefit amount and can never get through!! the phones are always busy and when i finally get in the queue they just hang up on me after an hour. this system is so broken
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Daniela Rossi
•I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that calls NYS Department of Labor for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was skeptical at first but it actually got me through to someone in like 20 minutes.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Really?? That sounds too good to be true but at this point I'm desperate. Did they charge you a lot?
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Daniela Rossi
•They focus more on just getting you connected rather than the cost aspect. For me it was worth it because I was losing my mind trying to get through on my own.
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Ryan Kim
The maximum also depends on when you file your claim because they adjust it every year. I think it went up from like $480 something to $504 this year? Also make sure you file as soon as you're laid off because there's a waiting week and you don't want to lose any benefits.
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Chloe Delgado
•Good point about filing right away. My last day is Friday so I'll file my claim over the weekend.
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Zoe Walker
Wait is the waiting week still a thing? I thought they got rid of that during covid
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Ava Harris
No waiting week anymore, that was eliminated. You can get paid for your first week if you're eligible. Just make sure you have all your employment history ready when you file - employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation.
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Liam Fitzgerald
Just wanted to add that with your $72k salary, you should definitely qualify for close to the maximum benefit. The key thing is that they look at your base period which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you're filing now, they'd look at your earnings from early 2024 through late 2024. Make sure you have your pay stubs or W-2 ready because sometimes their system doesn't have all your wage information right away, especially if you had multiple employers.
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Alicia Stern
•This is super helpful info about the base period! I didn't realize they look at specific quarters like that. I've only had one employer for the past two years so that should make it simpler. Do you know if there's a way to check what wage information they have on file before filing, or do you just find out when you submit the application?
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