I feel your pain with this whole situation! Had almost the exact same issue with my property management company a few months back. What worked for me was actually going to the NY DOL office in person with a printed copy of my payment history and asking them to stamp/certify it as official documentation. The stamp made all the difference - suddenly it looked "official enough" for my landlord to accept. Also, if you haven't already, try logging into your account and looking under "Correspondence" or "Letters" section - sometimes there are automated letters about benefit exhaustion that got sent when the programs ended. Those often have the specific end dates landlords are looking for. The whole system is designed to be confusing, but don't give up! You'll get through this.

Dylan, I went through this exact nightmare last year when my apartment complex demanded the same documentation! After wasting countless hours on hold, I discovered you can actually request a "Wage and Benefit Statement" through your online account. Log in, go to "Online Services" then "View and Maintain Account Information" and look for "Request Benefit Documentation." It's buried pretty deep in the menus but it's there. You can request it to be emailed or mailed - I chose email and got it within 2 business days. The document clearly shows your benefit year, weekly benefit amount, and most importantly the end date. My landlord accepted it immediately. Also, pro tip: if you still can't find it online, many public libraries in NYC have staff who can help navigate government websites for free. Save yourself the headache of calling!

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

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!

I'm a newcomer here but wanted to share what I learned when my brother went through something similar. He fell asleep during a shift after working mandatory 16-hour days for weeks. What really helped his case was getting a letter from his doctor documenting the health effects of sleep deprivation from excessive work hours. NYS Department of Labor considered this medical evidence along with his work records showing the unreasonable schedule his employer imposed. It took about 10 weeks for his adjudication to complete, but he was approved. Don't forget that you can also file for benefits in other states if you've worked there recently - sometimes the rules are more favorable. Document everything now while it's fresh in your memory, including any safety concerns you raised with management about being overworked.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some encouragement - your situation isn't as hopeless as it might seem. The fact that you have 2 years of good employment history and clear documentation of excessive mandatory overtime hours puts you in a much stronger position than you might think. I've been reading through unemployment law cases and employers who create dangerous working conditions through excessive scheduling often lose these adjudication battles. Make sure when you file your claim that you explicitly state the hours were mandatory (not voluntary) and that you had raised concerns about the exhausting schedule. Also, if you have any coworkers who witnessed your good work ethic or can attest to the unreasonable schedule, consider asking them to provide statements. NYS Department of Labor looks at the whole picture, not just the single incident. File your claim immediately and don't let this setback discourage you - you paid into the system and deserve a fair review of your case.

I just went through this process myself a few weeks ago. In addition to what others have mentioned, I'd recommend logging out and back into your my.ny.gov account if you don't see the direct deposit option right away - sometimes it takes a refresh for all the menu items to load properly. Also, keep your bank statement handy when you're entering the info because some banks have different routing numbers for different types of transactions. The whole process took me about 5 minutes once I found the right section, and my first direct deposit came through exactly one week later. Way faster than waiting for that debit card to arrive in the mail!

One thing I'd add - when you're setting up direct deposit, make sure to use your primary checking account that you use regularly. I made the mistake of using a secondary account that I barely check, and when there was a small issue with my first direct deposit, I didn't notice the notification email from my bank for days. Also, some credit unions have specific requirements for government deposits, so if you're with a smaller financial institution, it might be worth calling them first to confirm they can receive NYS unemployment direct deposits without any issues.

If you're having trouble getting through to the right people about PFL or need to speak with someone at NYS Department of Labor about any related questions, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach agents by phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. I used it when I couldn't get through on my own and it was way easier than sitting on hold for hours.

Just wanted to add that you should also check if your employer contributes to New York State Disability Benefits (DBL) - this can provide partial wage replacement for the period when you're physically unable to work due to childbirth (usually around 6-8 weeks). It works alongside PFL, so you might be able to get DBL for the immediate recovery period and then transition to PFL for bonding time. Your employer's HR or payroll department should be able to tell you if they participate in the DBL program.