Can you travel while on unemployment benefits in NY - NYS Department of Labor rules?

Thanks! So I should still answer 'yes' to being available for work if I could fly back quickly if someone called for an interview?

How long were you gone? I'm thinking about a 10-day trip but nervous about being away that long.

Yikes, how did they find out? That's exactly what I'm worried about.

I think she posted vacation photos on social media with dates, and then her former employer saw them and reported it during some kind of audit. Probably rare but it happens.

I had good luck using claimyr.com when I needed to reach an actual NYS Department of Labor agent about a complicated issue. They help you get through the phone system faster - there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Never heard of that but I'll check it out. Anything is better than the runaround I've been getting.

That's risky advice. You're supposed to be honest about your availability. A weekend wedding trip is different from a week-long vacation.

This is really solid advice. I went through something similar last year - took a 5-day trip to see my grandparents and chose not to claim benefits for those days rather than risk any complications. Lost about $400 but it gave me peace of mind. Better to be conservative with NYS Department of Labor, especially since overpayment notices can be a nightmare to deal with.

This is exactly the kind of detailed experience I was hoping to hear about! Your approach of being transparent and not claiming for the weekdays you were gone sounds really smart. I'm leaning toward doing something similar - maybe not claiming for the full week I'd be in Florida just to be completely safe. Did you have to explain the gap in your claim when you resumed, or did NYS DOL just process it normally when you started claiming again?

@Zainab Ibrahim That s'really helpful to hear about your experience! I m'planning a similar Florida trip to visit my sister. Your approach of being transparent and not claiming for the days you re'clearly unavailable makes a lot of sense. Did you run into any issues when you resumed your weekly certifications after the gap? I m'wondering if NYS DOL asks for explanations when there s'a break in claims or if they just process it normally when you start filing again.

@Zainab Ibrahim This is super helpful, thank you! Your transparent approach gives me confidence about my own situation. Quick question - when you didn t'claim for those weekdays, did you have to do anything special on the NYS DOL website or just skip filing altogether for that week? I want to make sure I handle the process correctly and don t'accidentally create issues with my claim status.

@Zainab Ibrahim This is really helpful! I m'in almost the exact same situation as the original poster - planning to visit my sister in Florida for about a week. Your approach of not claiming for the weekdays you were clearly unavailable sounds like the safest route. Did you just skip filing your weekly certification entirely for that week, or is there a way to file but indicate you weren t'available for certain days? I want to make sure I don t'accidentally mess up my claim status by handling the gap incorrectly.

@Oscar Murphy This is really reassuring to hear from someone with actual experience! Your approach of being completely honest on the weekly certification makes total sense. I like that you differentiated between the family emergency where (you answered no "to" availability and) the weekend wedding where (you could genuinely return Monday .)That gives me a good framework for thinking about my Florida trip. I m'leaning toward not claiming for the full week just to be completely transparent about not being available, even though it means losing out on benefits. Better safe than sorry with NYS DOL, especially after reading about people getting hit with overpayment notices.

@Edward McBride This is exactly the kind of real-world experience I needed to hear! Thank you for sharing the details about contacting NYS DOL beforehand and their confirmation about the able "and available requirement." The fact that you had zero issues when you resumed filing after the gap is really reassuring. I think you re'absolutely right about playing it safe - losing a week of benefits is definitely better than dealing with potential overpayment headaches later. Your point about not being able to realistically fly back for an interview on short notice really crystallizes the decision for me. I m'going to follow your approach and just not claim for the week I m'in Florida. Better to be conservative with NYS DOL, especially given all the post-COVID crackdowns people are mentioning.