Can I collect unemployment benefits while living out of state from NYS Department of Labor?

That's a relief! Do I need to notify them that I moved or does it matter for the weekly claims?

Wait, what if they want me to come in for an interview? I'm worried about having to travel back to NY for something like that.

Most interviews and hearings can be done by phone now, especially post-COVID. But yeah, in rare cases you might need to travel back. It's not common though.

Interesting, I've never heard of that. Did they help you get everything sorted out with the address change?

Yeah they got me through to someone who updated everything in like 10 minutes. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Good point. I'm definitely planning to look for work in my new state, so that shouldn't be an issue.

This is super helpful! I was worried about the review process potentially delaying my benefits. What kind of documentation did they ask for when your claim got flagged? Just want to be prepared in case the same thing happens to me.

@Miranda Singer Thanks for sharing your experience! That s'really reassuring to hear it worked out smoothly for you. I m'actually in a similar boat - planning to move from Albany to North Carolina next month. Did you have any issues with the job search requirements? I m'wondering if they expect you to look for work in NY still or if searching in your new state counts toward the weekly requirements.

@Miranda Singer That s'really encouraging to hear! I was especially worried about the flagging/review process. When they flagged your claim, were you still able to receive payments while they were reviewing it, or did they put a hold on everything until it was resolved? I m'trying to budget for the move and want to know if there might be a gap in payments.

@Miranda Singer This is exactly what I needed to hear! I ve'been putting off my move because I was so worried about complications with my benefits. How long did the whole address update process take? And did you have to call them or were you able to do everything through the online portal? I ve'heard horror stories about trying to get through on the phone.

That's a really good point about employer reactions that I hadn't considered! I'm actually worried about this now - do you think it's something that comes up during interviews? I mean, they shouldn't be able to discriminate based on that, but like you said, it might create some unconscious bias. Did you end up disclosing it upfront or just not mentioning it unless directly asked? Also curious about those reciprocal agreements you mentioned - I'm moving to Pennsylvania so I should probably look into that.

@Josef Tearle That s'such an important point about employer reactions! I haven t'had to deal with this yet since I m'still planning my move, but now I m'definitely concerned about potential bias. I m'wondering if it might be better to focus on remote opportunities initially to avoid any geographical prejudice? Also, regarding those reciprocal agreements - I had no idea that was even a thing. Do you know where we can find information about which states have these agreements with NY? This is making me realize there are way more factors to consider than I originally thought when planning an out-of-state move while on unemployment.

@Avery Flores This is so reassuring to hear from someone who actually went through the whole process! I m'definitely going to screenshot that address change confirmation - that s'a great tip I wouldn t'have thought of. Quick question: when you were doing your job search activities in Ohio, did you have any issues with NY accepting out-of-state job applications as valid work search contacts? I want to make sure I m'documenting everything correctly so there are no issues down the road. Also, did the address change trigger any kind of review or delay in your payments, or did everything continue smoothly?

@Avery Flores Thanks for sharing your experience! That s'really helpful to know the address update went smoothly for you. I m'planning to move from Long Island to Florida next month and was getting anxious about the whole process. One thing I m'curious about - did you notice any difference in how quickly your weekly payments were processed after moving out of state? I ve'heard some people say there can be delays, but others say it stays the same. Also, when you mentioned keeping detailed records of job search activities, did you have to modify anything about how you documented them since you were looking for work in a different state than where your claim was filed?

@Mateo Silva That s'such great timing - I m'literally in the middle of planning my move from NYC to Arizona and this gives me so much confidence! The mail forwarding tip is brilliant, I hadn t'even thought of that but it makes total sense as a backup. Quick question about the work search documentation - when you re'applying to jobs in Texas, do you just log them the same way you would have for NY jobs in the weekly certification? I want to make sure I m'not missing any specific requirements about documenting out-of-state job searches. Also, have you had any issues with potential employers in Texas when they see you re'collecting NY unemployment, or has that not come up at all in your job search process?

@Mateo Silva This is exactly what I needed to hear! I m'planning to move from Syracuse to North Carolina in a few weeks and have been stressing about this whole process. Your point about the mail forwarding is really smart - I definitely wouldn t'have thought of that. I m'curious though, when you updated your address in the online portal, did it ask for any kind of verification or documentation of your new address, or was it just a simple form update? I want to make sure I have everything ready before I make the change. Also, did you notice any difference in processing times for your weekly payments after the move, or has everything stayed on the same schedule?

@Sofia Torres This is so helpful! I m'actually in the early stages of planning a similar move from Albany to Georgia and your experience gives me a lot of confidence. The spreadsheet idea for tracking job applications is genius - I m'definitely going to set that up before I even start the moving process. I m'curious about one thing though - when you mentioned that one payment was delayed by a day, did you have to do anything special to resolve it or did it just process normally the next day? I m'trying to budget carefully for the move and want to know if I should expect any potential delays in payments during the transition period. Also, did you have to notify NY DOL that you were moving beforehand, or is updating the address after the move sufficient?

@Manny Lark Great questions! Regarding accepting a NY job offer while on unemployment - that s'actually totally fine and happens all the time. You just need to report it properly when you start working again. The key is being honest about your employment status during the weekly certifications. If you get an offer and start working, you simply stop filing for that week and any future weeks while employed. There s'no penalty for accepting work, even if it s'back in the state where your claim originated! As for the address change processing time, in my experience it was pretty much immediate in the system - I could see the updated address right after I submitted the change. The important thing is just making sure your weekly certifications continue on schedule regardless of where you re'physically located. Good luck with both the move and the job search!

@Noah Ali This is exactly the kind of real-time experience I was hoping to hear about! It s'so reassuring to know that someone literally just went through this process and it worked smoothly. I m'planning my move from Queens to Tennessee next month and was getting really anxious about potential complications. The mail forwarding tip seems to be a common theme in everyone s'advice - definitely adding that to my moving checklist. Quick question: when you updated your address in the online portal, did you have to provide any documentation like a lease agreement or utility bill from Michigan, or was it just a simple address field update? I want to make sure I have everything ready to go when it s'time to make the change.

@Noah Ali Thanks for sharing your recent experience! It s'really comforting to hear from someone who just went through this process successfully. I m'in a similar situation - got laid off from my job in Buffalo last month and I m'planning to move back home to Ohio to stay with family while job hunting. Your point about not overthinking it really resonates with me because I ve'been stressing about this for weeks! One quick question: did you notice any difference in the time it takes for payments to hit your bank account after moving states, or has the timing stayed exactly the same? I m'trying to plan my budget around the move and want to make sure there won t'be any unexpected delays in my payment schedule.

@Chloe Robinson Great question about the claim duration! From what I understand, moving to another state doesn t'affect your total benefit weeks at all - you still get the full 26 weeks or (whatever you were approved for from) NY since that s'where your claim originated. The timeline stays exactly the same regardless of your physical location. As for updating the address, there isn t'a specific legal deadline, but everyone recommends doing it immediately because you want your records to be accurate for any potential reviews or correspondence. Plus, if there are any issues with your claim, having an outdated address could complicate things. I d'say do it within the first few days of moving just to be safe. The sooner the better since you don t'want any mail or important notifications going to your old address!