Can I file for unemployment if I moved to another county within NY?
I just relocated from Syracuse to Buffalo last month for my husband's job transfer. I was laid off from my marketing position right before we moved and I'm wondering if I can still file for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor? Do I need to update my address or file somewhere different since I moved counties? I'm really confused about the process and worried I might mess something up if I file incorrectly.
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Amaya Watson
Yes, you can absolutely file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor even after moving within New York state. The county change doesn't affect your eligibility at all. You'll file your claim online through my.ny.gov and just make sure to use your current Buffalo address. The important thing is that your previous employment was in NY, which it sounds like it was.
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Tristan Carpenter
•Thank you! That's such a relief. Do I need to notify them separately about the address change or will updating it during the filing process be enough?
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Grant Vikers
I moved from Albany to Rochester two years ago and had zero issues filing my UI claim. NYS Department of Labor processes everything centrally so it doesn't matter which county you're in. Just log into the my.ny.gov portal, file your initial claim with your current address, and you're good to go. Make sure you have your Social Security card and employment history ready.
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Giovanni Martello
•Same here - moved from Long Island to upstate and the process was seamless. The weekly claims are all done online anyway so location within NY doesn't matter.
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Savannah Weiner
Wait, I'm confused about this too. If I worked in Manhattan but now live in Queens, do I file with NYC or NYS Department of Labor? These government systems are so confusing and I keep getting different information from different websites.
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Amaya Watson
•It's all the same system - NYS Department of Labor handles unemployment for the entire state including NYC. There's no separate filing based on borough or county. Just use my.ny.gov regardless of where in NY you live or worked.
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Levi Parker
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone to ask questions about your move, I had good luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals when I needed to verify my claim status after relocating.
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Tristan Carpenter
•Interesting, I've never heard of that service. Is it legitimate? I'm always nervous about third-party sites when it comes to government benefits.
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Levi Parker
•Yeah it's legit - they just help you get through the phone queue to talk to actual NYS Department of Labor staff. I was skeptical at first too but it worked exactly as advertised.
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Libby Hassan
ugh the whole moving thing is such a pain with government benefits... had to deal with this when i moved from westchester to buffalo last year and it took forever to get someone on the phone at NYS Department of Labor to confirm everything was updated correctly
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Hunter Hampton
•Really? That's surprising because when I moved it was pretty straightforward through the online system.
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Bruno Simmons
Just want to echo what others have said - moving within NY state doesn't affect your unemployment eligibility at all. I actually work as a benefits counselor and see this question a lot. The key things to remember: 1) File online at my.ny.gov using your current Buffalo address, 2) Have your employment history from your Syracuse job ready, and 3) You don't need to do anything special about the county change. The system is designed to handle intrastate moves seamlessly. Good luck with your claim and the job search in your new city!
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Sofia Peña
•This is really helpful information, especially coming from someone who works in benefits counseling! I feel much more confident about filing now. One quick follow-up question - do you know if there's typically any delay in processing claims when you've recently moved, or should I expect the same timeline as someone who hasn't relocated?
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Clay blendedgen
•@Bruno Simmons thanks for the professional insight! As someone who just went through a similar move Manhattan (to Albany ,)I can confirm the process was smooth. Filed online with my new address and got approved within the standard timeframe. The only thing I d'add is make sure you keep documentation of your move date in case they ask - I had my lease agreement ready but they never requested it. @Tristan Carpenter you should be all set following Bruno s advice!'
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