When does unemployment increase in NY - trying to understand benefit amount changes

Your weekly benefit amount doesn't automatically increase during your benefit year. It's calculated based on your base period wages when you first file and stays the same throughout your claim year unless there's a policy change or you qualify for dependency allowances. The confusion might be coming from people talking about federal extensions or supplemental payments that happened during COVID, but those programs ended years ago.

yeah mine never went up either, been on UI for 6 months now and still getting the same amount every week. maybe they were talking about partial benefits changing if you start working part time?

The only time your benefit amount changes is if you earn wages while collecting (which reduces your weekly payment) or if you qualify for dependency allowances for children under 18. NYS Department of Labor also occasionally adjusts the maximum benefit amounts for new claims, but that doesn't affect existing claims. If you're having trouble reaching agents to ask about dependency allowances, I had good luck using claimyr.com - they helped me get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor when I couldn't get past the busy signals. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.

wait I thought there were supposed to be annual increases or something? this whole system is so confusing and the NYS Department of Labor website doesn't explain anything clearly

I've been through this system multiple times over the years and your benefit calculation is set when you file your initial claim. The only increases people might be thinking of are when NYS Department of Labor raises the maximum weekly benefit amount for the state, but that only applies to people filing new claims after the change takes effect. Your $504 is what you'll get each week (assuming you meet all requirements) until your benefit year ends.

THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!!! How are we supposed to survive on the same amount for an entire year when everything keeps getting more expensive? The rent doesn't stay the same, groceries don't stay the same, but unemployment benefits do??? Makes no sense!!!

I'm new to unemployment benefits and this thread is really helpful but also discouraging. I just filed my initial claim last week and was hoping there might be some kind of adjustment over time. $504 sounds like a decent amount but I can see how it would get harder to manage as months go by with inflation. Are there any other programs or resources that people typically use to supplement unemployment benefits? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything that could help while I'm job searching.

Just want to add some clarity here - while your weekly benefit amount stays the same during your benefit year, there's one thing people might be confusing this with. Sometimes when you exhaust your regular 26 weeks of benefits, you might be eligible for Extended Benefits (EB) if the unemployment rate in NY is high enough. But that's not an increase in your weekly amount - it's just additional weeks of the same payment. Also, if you do any part-time work while collecting, your benefit gets reduced by 25% of whatever you earn over $405 per week. So definitely don't expect any automatic increases, but at least now you know exactly what to expect for budgeting purposes.

I've been on unemployment for about 4 months now and can confirm what everyone is saying - your weekly benefit amount is locked in for your entire benefit year. I started at $487/week and it's been exactly that every single week. The only thing that changed was when I did some freelance work one week and they reduced my payment accordingly. It's definitely tough watching everything get more expensive while your benefit stays the same, but at least it's predictable for budgeting. One thing that helped me was setting up a strict budget right from week 1 based on that fixed amount, rather than hoping for increases that never come. Also seconding the suggestion about looking into SNAP and other assistance programs - every bit helps when you're living on a fixed unemployment income.

I've been dealing with NY unemployment for over a year now (had to reapply after my benefit year ended) and can confirm everything people are saying here. Your weekly amount is absolutely fixed for your entire benefit year - no cost of living adjustments, no automatic increases, nothing. The only exception is if you qualify for dependency allowances when you first apply, but that gets factored in from the beginning. What really helped me was treating my unemployment like a temporary fixed salary and budgeting accordingly. I also signed up for every assistance program I could find - SNAP, utility assistance through HEAP, local food pantries. It's not ideal but those programs can free up money from your unemployment check for rent and other fixed expenses. The system definitely isn't designed to keep up with inflation, which makes longer periods of unemployment really challenging financially.

I'm dealing with the same confusion right now - been on unemployment for about 5 weeks and kept expecting some kind of adjustment that clearly isn't coming. Reading through all these responses really clarifies things, even though it's disappointing. The $504 you're getting is actually pretty good compared to what some people are receiving, but I totally get how frustrating it is when rent and groceries keep going up but your benefit stays frozen. One thing I've learned from this thread is to stop hoping for increases that don't exist and just focus on making the most of what we're getting. Has anyone had luck with local churches or community organizations for additional food assistance? I'm trying to find every possible way to stretch my unemployment dollars further.

I'm new to this community and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening. I just started my unemployment claim two weeks ago and honestly had no idea that the weekly benefit amount stays fixed for the entire benefit year. Coming from a job where we got annual cost-of-living adjustments, I just assumed unemployment would work similarly. It's really disappointing to learn that there's no mechanism to account for inflation, especially when you're looking at potentially being on benefits for months. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and the practical advice about supplemental programs like SNAP and local food banks. It's clear I need to adjust my expectations and start budgeting based on this fixed amount rather than hoping for increases that will never come. Does anyone know if there are good resources for finding all the local assistance programs in one place, or is it mostly a matter of researching each organization individually?

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm about 3 months into my unemployment claim and was also wondering about benefit increases. It's frustrating but helpful to finally understand that the $485/week I'm getting won't change for my entire benefit year. What really struck me reading through everyone's experiences is how important it is to have realistic expectations and plan accordingly from day one. I made the mistake of living like my benefits might go up, which put me in a worse financial position. For anyone else in a similar situation, I'd recommend immediately applying for SNAP if you haven't already - the approval process can take a few weeks, so don't wait. Also, many utility companies have hardship programs that can reduce your monthly bills, which effectively gives you more money to work with from your fixed unemployment amount. It's not the automatic increase we all hoped for, but every dollar saved is a dollar that can go toward other necessities.

I've been on unemployment for about 6 months now and can confirm what everyone is saying - your weekly benefit amount is absolutely fixed for the entire benefit year. I started at $461/week and that's exactly what I've gotten every single week. The hardest part was accepting that there would be no cost of living adjustments, especially when you see rent, food, and gas prices climbing while your income stays flat. What helped me was immediately signing up for every assistance program I qualified for - SNAP, local food banks, and my utility company's low-income discount program. I also started using apps like Ibotta and Rakuten for cashback on groceries, and signed up for every free meal program I could find. It's not ideal, but treating your unemployment like a strict fixed income from day one and supplementing with assistance programs is really the only way to make it work long-term. Don't waste time hoping for increases that won't come - focus your energy on maximizing what you have and finding additional resources.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now - been collecting for about 6 weeks and kept wondering when my benefits would go up. This thread has been a huge wake-up call that I need to stop waiting for increases that aren't coming and start budgeting more strategically. The $504 weekly amount mentioned by the original poster is actually close to what I'm getting, and reading everyone's experiences makes it clear this is just the reality we have to work with. I'm definitely going to look into the SNAP application and local food banks that people have mentioned. It's frustrating that the system doesn't account for inflation, but at least now I can plan realistically instead of living in false hope. Thanks everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical information that's impossible to find on the official NYS DOL website.

I've been on unemployment for about 10 weeks now and this thread perfectly captures the frustration and confusion I went through in my first month. Like so many others here, I kept waiting for some kind of increase that never materialized. My weekly benefit is $492 and it's been exactly that every single week. What finally helped me was doing exactly what people are suggesting here - I stopped hoping for increases and started aggressively pursuing every assistance program I could find. I got approved for SNAP which freed up about $200/month from my unemployment for other expenses, signed up with three different local food banks, and got on my utility company's low-income discount program. The psychological shift of accepting that your benefit amount is truly fixed and then focusing all your energy on maximizing those dollars through other resources makes a huge difference. It's definitely not fair that there are no cost-of-living adjustments, but once you accept that reality, you can actually start making strategic decisions about your finances instead of just hoping and waiting.