Can you go out of town when you are on unemployment - NYS Department of Labor rules?
I've been collecting unemployment for about 6 weeks now and my sister is getting married in Pennsylvania next month. I want to attend but I'm worried about whether I'm allowed to travel while on unemployment benefits. Do I need to notify NYS Department of Labor if I leave the state for a few days? Will this affect my weekly claim certification or job search requirements? I don't want to mess up my benefits but this is important family stuff.
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Amina Toure
You can travel while on unemployment, but you need to be careful about how you handle your weekly claim. The key is that you must still be able and available for work. If you're gone for just a weekend wedding, you should be fine as long as you can still certify that you were available for work during that week. Just make sure you don't miss your weekly claim deadline.
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Paolo Ricci
•Thanks! So I don't need to call NYS Department of Labor to let them know I'm traveling? I was worried they'd think I wasn't looking for work.
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Oliver Zimmermann
I went to Florida for a week last year while on UI and had no issues. The important thing is you can't claim benefits for days when you weren't available for work. So if you're traveling Thursday-Sunday, you might need to mark those days as not available on your weekly certification. Check the exact wording on your weekly claim form.
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CosmicCommander
•Wait really? I thought if you left the state at all you had to report it. This is confusing.
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Oliver Zimmermann
•No, there's no requirement to report short trips. The question is about availability for work, not your physical location. As long as you could have accepted a job if one was offered, you're fine.
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Natasha Volkova
ugh the NYS Department of Labor phone system is IMPOSSIBLE to get through to ask questions like this. I've been trying to call for two weeks about my own travel situation and can never get a human on the line. The automated system just hangs up on you after 20 minutes on hold.
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Javier Torres
•I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to NYS Department of Labor agents. They have this video demo (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) that shows how it works. I was skeptical at first but it actually got me connected to someone who answered my job search questions. Way better than sitting on hold forever.
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Emma Davis
just went to my cousins wedding in jersey last month, no problems at all with my benefits. you're overthinking it
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Amina Toure
To clarify the main points: You can travel while collecting unemployment as long as you remain able and available for work. For a short trip like a wedding, you don't need to notify NYS Department of Labor. Just be honest on your weekly certification about your availability. If you're only gone for 2-3 days and could have accepted work if offered, you should be fine to certify normally for that week.
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Oscar O'Neil
I just wanted to add that I've been dealing with this same situation - I'm on unemployment and had to travel for a funeral last month. What I learned is that the key question on your weekly certification is whether you were "able and available for work" each day. If you're only gone for a weekend wedding and would have been able to accept a job offer if one came up, you can still answer "yes" to that question. The NYS Department of Labor cares more about your willingness and ability to work than your exact geographic location for short trips. Just don't try to claim benefits for days when you genuinely weren't available. Have a great time at your sister's wedding!
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Ellie Lopez
•This is really helpful, thanks Oscar! I'm in a similar boat - been on UI for about 3 months and have a family reunion coming up in Vermont. It's good to know that short trips for family events are generally okay as long as you're still available for work. Did you have any issues with your weekly certification after the funeral trip? I'm always paranoid about answering those questions wrong and messing up my benefits.
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