When will unemployment benefits increase in NYS - any word from Department of Labor?
Has anyone heard anything about when NYS Department of Labor might increase the weekly benefit amounts? I'm getting $365 per week which barely covers my rent, let alone everything else. I know some states adjusted their maximums recently but haven't seen any announcements from NYS. My claim started in October and I'm wondering if there's any timeline for when they review these amounts or if we're stuck with current rates through the whole benefit year.
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Arjun Patel
Benefit amounts in NY are tied to your previous earnings and the state's wage base calculations. The maximum weekly benefit is currently $504, but individual amounts depend on your work history. NYS Department of Labor typically reviews the benefit formula annually, but any increases usually take effect at the start of the new benefit year, not mid-claim.
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Julia Hall
•So if my benefit year started in October, I'm locked into this amount until next October? That's rough given how expensive everything has gotten.
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Jade Lopez
same boat here, getting $312/week and it's not enough anymore with rent increases
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Tony Brooks
The benefit calculation is based on your highest earning quarter from your base period, so if you had higher wages in a recent quarter that wasn't included, you might be able to request a recalculation. Check your monetary determination letter to see which quarters were used for your calculation.
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Julia Hall
•I'll have to dig up that letter and see. I did get a raise last spring but not sure if those wages were counted.
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Ella rollingthunder87
I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation but their phone system is impossible. Always get disconnected or stuck in endless hold. Anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?
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Tony Brooks
•I had the same problem until I tried claimyr.com - they help you get through to actual NYS Department of Labor agents. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting nowhere.
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Ella rollingthunder87
•Thanks, I'll check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get answers about my claim.
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Yara Campbell
The whole system is broken if you ask me. They calculate benefits based on wages from over a year ago while cost of living keeps going up. Meanwhile politicians get their raises automatically.
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Isaac Wright
Just want to add that if you're working part-time while collecting, make sure you're reporting all earnings correctly. I made a mistake early on and ended up with an overpayment notice that took months to sort out.
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Julia Hall
•Good point, I've been super careful about reporting everything since I started doing some freelance work.
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AstroAlpha
I'm in a similar situation - my benefit amount feels completely disconnected from current living costs. What's frustrating is that even if they do review the formula annually, by the time any increase takes effect, inflation has probably already eaten up any gains. Has anyone looked into whether there are any advocacy groups or state legislators pushing for more frequent benefit adjustments? Seems like waiting a full year for any potential changes doesn't make sense when everything else is changing so rapidly.
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Sean O'Connor
•You're absolutely right about the disconnect between benefit timing and real-world costs. I haven't found any specific advocacy groups focused on unemployment benefit reform in NY, but it might be worth reaching out to organizations like the National Employment Law Project or even contacting your state assembly representative directly. They track these kinds of issues and could tell you if there's any legislative movement on more frequent benefit adjustments. The current system really does seem designed for a much more stable economic environment than what we're actually living in.
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Caleb Stone
I've been dealing with the same issue - getting $298/week which doesn't even cover my basic expenses anymore. What's really frustrating is that I worked in tech and was making decent money, but because my layoff happened right after the calculation period cutoff, none of my higher recent wages counted toward my benefit amount. The whole base period system seems outdated when job markets and wages are changing so quickly. I've been supplementing with gig work just to survive, but then you have to be so careful about reporting everything correctly or risk overpayment issues. Really hoping someone in Albany is paying attention to how inadequate these amounts have become.
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Hailey O'Leary
•The base period timing issue you mentioned is so frustrating! I'm dealing with something similar where my recent promotion and higher wages weren't included because of when my claim started. It's like the system punishes you for having bad timing with layoffs. The fact that we have to choose between supplementing with gig work (which helps us survive) and potentially creating overpayment headaches just adds insult to injury. Have you found any reliable resources for understanding exactly how the base period calculation works? I keep seeing conflicting information about whether there's any flexibility in which quarters they use.
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