Just remember that $504 is the gross amount - they'll take out taxes if you elect to have them withheld. I learned that the hard way when I got a big tax bill the following year because I didn't have taxes taken out of my unemployment benefits.

I went through this exact situation last year when I got laid off from my finance job making similar money. You'll definitely qualify for the maximum $504/week since your income is well above the threshold. One thing to keep in mind though - the 26 weeks can go by faster than you think, especially in tech where the interview process can take months. I'd recommend applying for jobs immediately even if you think you might get called back, because the job market is pretty competitive right now. Also, make sure you understand the work search requirements from day one - they're pretty strict about the 3 job contacts per week and they do audit people.

@Nia Thompson I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and it's driving me crazy! Been trying to get through for almost 2 months. After reading through everyone's advice here, I'm convinced the assembly rep route is the way to go - seems like literally everyone who tried it got results within a few days. I'm in Queens so gonna look up my assembly member on nyassembly.gov and call Monday morning. Also definitely trying the 6:30am online portal trick, that makes so much sense why the site always crashes during normal hours. This thread has been way more helpful than anything on the DOL website or calling their useless phone line. Thanks to everyone sharing what actually works! Will update if I have any success 🙏

@Nia Thompson I literally just went through this exact same nightmare and feel your pain so much! After reading all these responses, I'm convinced the assembly rep route is definitely the way to go - it seems like everyone who tried it got actual results within days instead of weeks. I had no idea that was even an option until this thread! Also the early morning online portal tip (6-7am) is brilliant - explains why I kept getting those "system unavailable" errors during normal hours. The physical offices being closed is such BS when they don't update their own website. Definitely gonna bookmark this whole conversation because there's more real solutions here than anywhere else I've looked. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually works instead of the usual "keep calling" advice that leads nowhere! 🙏

I'm going through this same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was really stressed about whether my UI benefits would disqualify me from Medicaid, but it sounds like I'm worrying for nothing. I'm getting about $295/week from NYS DOL and was convinced that would put me over the income limit. Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence to finally submit my application. One question for those who've been approved - did you guys have to provide any additional documentation beyond the benefit payment history from the DOL website? I want to make sure I have everything ready before I start the online application through NY State of Health. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's amazing how much easier this feels when you know other people have successfully navigated the same process!

I just went through this exact process a few weeks ago and wanted to share my experience since I see so many people here stressed about the same thing! I was receiving $310/week in unemployment benefits and was absolutely convinced it would disqualify me from Medicaid. Turns out I was completely wrong - got approved in just over a week! The income limits in NY are really designed to help people in situations like ours. My weekly benefits worked out to about $1,340/month which was well under the threshold. The online application through NY State of Health was surprisingly user-friendly, and having my benefit payment history from the NYS DOL website ready made everything go smoothly. One thing I learned is that being unemployed actually works in your favor for Medicaid eligibility - the program is specifically meant to help people who are between jobs or facing financial hardship. Don't let the income reporting requirements scare you off from applying. You'll likely qualify and having health coverage while job searching is such a huge relief!

I'm in the EXACT same situation right now! Got an overpayment notice for $1,650 in March and it's now almost August with absolutely no payment instructions. I've been stressing about this for months, checking my portal daily and finding nothing. After reading all these comments, I'm convinced that getting someone on the phone is the only real solution. The claimyr service that everyone keeps mentioning sounds like exactly what I need - I had no idea something like that even existed! I've probably tried calling 30+ times over the past few months and never got through once. The anxiety of not knowing if penalties are building up in the background is horrible. I'm definitely going to try claimyr this week because I just want this resolved and off my mind. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know I'm not the only one dealing with this confusing mess of a system!

I'm dealing with this EXACT same issue! Got an overpayment notice for $1,325 back in April and it's now been months with absolutely no payment instructions. I've been checking my portal religiously, tried calling countless times, and I'm honestly starting to panic that penalties are secretly building up while I'm stuck in limbo. Reading through all these comments has been such a relief - I thought I was going crazy! It sounds like the claimyr service is really the way to go based on all the success stories here. I had never heard of anything like that before but if it can actually get me connected to a real person who can walk me through the payment process, it sounds like money well spent. The stress of this hanging over my head is affecting my sleep and work. I just want to pay what I owe and move on with my life! Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread has been more helpful than anything I've found on the official website.

I went through a similar anxiety phase when I first started claiming benefits about a year ago. What really helped was learning that NYS DOL's audit system is mostly automated and focuses on data inconsistencies rather than random checks. They cross-reference your reported information with employer databases and tax records, so as long as you're being truthful about your work search and any income, you shouldn't have issues. I've been keeping a simple Google Doc with my job applications (date, company, position, application method) and it's been sufficient. The key is consistency - if you've been filing correctly for 6 months, that's actually a good sign that your claim isn't triggering any red flags in their system. Most of the people I know who've been audited had specific issues like unreported work or gaps in their documentation that they couldn't explain.

I've been claiming benefits for about a year now and have never been audited. From what I've learned talking to other claimants and reading online, the audit rate is really quite low - maybe 3-5% of all claims. The system seems to focus on people who have inconsistencies in their reporting or unusual employment patterns rather than doing random audits. I keep a simple spreadsheet tracking my job search activities (company name, position, date applied, method of application) and make sure to report any work or income accurately. The automated systems they use are pretty sophisticated at cross-referencing data, so as long as you're being honest and keeping basic documentation, you should be fine. After 6 months of successful weekly certifications without any issues, you're probably not on their radar. Try not to let the anxiety about potential audits distract you from your actual job search!