What's the max you can get on unemployment in NY - NYS Department of Labor benefit amounts?

Thanks! So even though I was making $1200 a week, I'd only get the $504 max? That's a pretty big difference but I guess it's better than nothing.

You're right about the work requirements. You need to have worked and earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period, and your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times your high quarter wages. The system will automatically calculate your weekly benefit rate when you file your claim.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They basically call NYS Department of Labor for you and get you connected to an actual agent. I was skeptical at first but it really works - I got through in like 20 minutes instead of calling for days. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration dealing with those busy phone lines.

That sounds almost too good to be true but at this point I'm willing to try anything. The automated system keeps telling me to call back later and I'm getting nowhere.

I feel you on this. The benefit amounts haven't kept up with cost of living at all.

That's a good point about the 26 weeks. Even at $504/week that's over $13,000 total if you need the full duration. Just make sure to keep good records of your job search activities since they can audit that stuff. I learned that the hard way when they asked me to provide proof of all my applications.

Thanks for mentioning the benefit calculator - that's really helpful! I didn't know about that tool. Quick question about the tax withholding - what percentage do they typically withhold? I want to make sure I don't get hit with a big tax bill next year since unemployment benefits count as income.

The federal tax withholding rate for unemployment benefits is typically 10%. You can elect to have this withheld when you file your initial claim or change it later by contacting NYS Department of Labor. I'd recommend doing it from the start - it's easier than trying to save up for a tax bill later, especially when you're already dealing with reduced income. Some people also set aside a little extra for state taxes just to be safe.

That's really helpful info about the base period calculation! I'm curious - if someone's high-paying job was only for a short time, could that actually hurt their benefit calculation? Like if you had a lower-paying job for most of the base period but then got the $1,200/week job recently, would NYS Department of Labor use the average of all those quarters or focus more on the highest quarter?

Great question! NYS actually calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your average quarterly wages during the base period, not just your highest quarter. So if you had lower-paying work for most of those quarters and then got the high-paying job recently, it would bring down your average. However, you still need that high quarter to meet the minimum earnings requirements. The system takes your total base period wages, divides by the number of quarters you worked, and then calculates 1/26th of that average - but it's still capped at the $504 maximum. So even a short period of high earnings can help, but it won't completely offset several quarters of lower wages.

That's great advice about using the system during off-peak hours! I just wanted to add that it's also worth bookmarking the NY.gov unemployment page and familiarizing yourself with all the sections before you actually need to file a claim. There's a lot of useful information buried in there about eligibility requirements, appeal processes, and what to do if you have issues with your claim. I wish I had read through everything more carefully before I started my application - would have saved me some confusion later on.

This is really comprehensive advice! I hadn't thought about looking into other assistance programs while collecting unemployment. Do you happen to know if there are any specific income thresholds for SNAP benefits when you're receiving the maximum unemployment amount? I'm wondering if getting $504/week would put someone over the limit or if they factor in that it's temporary assistance. Also, the idea about workforce development programs is smart - might as well use the time to build new skills while job hunting.

Great point about supplemental assistance programs! For SNAP benefits in NY, the income limits are based on gross monthly income - so at $504/week unemployment ($2,016/month), a single person would likely exceed the limit (which is around $1,580/month for one person), but households with more members have higher thresholds. The good news is they do consider unemployment as temporary income, and you can apply/reapply as your situation changes. For utility assistance, programs like HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) have more flexible income guidelines and are specifically designed to help people during financial hardship. Definitely worth checking with your local Department of Social Services office - they can run the numbers for your specific situation and let you know what you might qualify for.

That's a really important distinction about gross vs net wages - thanks for clarifying that! I was actually wondering about the part-time work reporting. If someone picks up just a few hours of freelance or gig work while collecting unemployment, is there a minimum threshold they need to report, or do you literally have to report every single dollar earned? I'm thinking about things like driving for Uber occasionally or doing small freelance projects. Want to make sure I stay compliant if I need to supplement my unemployment benefits with some side income.