I'm going through this exact same situation right now too! Missed my appointment on September 20th and did the makeup requirements on the 24th. It's been about a week and a half now and my account is still on hold. The financial stress is unreal when you're counting on those benefits. But honestly, this thread has been such a blessing to find! Reading everyone's experiences and timelines is giving me so much hope. Sounds like that 10-12 day window @Diego Vargas mentioned is pretty typical, so I'm trying to stay patient even though it's hard. I've been doing everything you all suggested - certifying every week, attempting the 8am phone calls (no luck getting through yet), and documenting everything with dates and times. It's crazy how broken this system is, but at least we're all going through it together and can support each other. The waiting game is brutal but seeing that most people do eventually get their holds lifted is keeping me going. Thanks @Dylan Wright for posting this - it's exactly what I needed to see to know I'm not alone in this mess! Hopefully we'll all get good news soon 🤞

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Missed my appointment on September 25th and completed all the makeup requirements on the 30th. It's been almost 2 weeks and my account is still on hold. The stress is absolutely killing me because I desperately need these benefits to keep up with rent and bills. But finding this thread has been such a lifesaver! Reading through everyone's experiences and seeing that most people get their holds lifted within that 10-12 day window @Diego Vargas mentioned is giving me hope to keep going. I've been following all the advice here religiously - certifying every single week even though I'm not getting paid, trying to call right at 8am when they open (still haven't gotten through but not giving up!), and keeping detailed records of every interaction. It's honestly infuriating how broken this system is, but at least we all have each other for support through this mess. The waiting game is torture when you're already struggling financially, but seeing so many success stories in this thread keeps me motivated. Thanks @Dylan Wright for starting this - it's exactly what I needed to see to know I'm not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare! Hoping we all get good news soon 🙏💪

yeah they definitely deduct it automatically once they get notified by the child support enforcement agency. happened to me too

The NYS Department of Labor is legally required to comply with income withholding orders for child support. You should contact your local child support enforcement office to verify the exact amount that will be deducted. Sometimes there can be confusion if your original order was based on a different income level.

I've been going through this exact same hell for almost 2 months now! The KeyBank app literally hasn't worked for me since early March. What's really infuriating is that every customer service rep acts like they've never heard of this issue before, even though clearly TONS of people are dealing with it based on this thread. I've tried everything - different phones, different browsers, clearing cache, uninstalling/reinstalling the app multiple times. Nothing works. The worst part is when they put you on hold for 30+ minutes just to come back and tell you to "try again in 24 hours" or some other useless advice. At this point I'm convinced their system is just fundamentally broken and they have no idea how to fix it. I'm definitely going to try filing that CFPB complaint that @Luca Conti mentioned because this is absolutely unacceptable. We shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to access our own unemployment benefits!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this @Amina Diop - I went through the exact same nightmare last year and it took forever to resolve! Here's what finally worked for me: I had to escalate through multiple channels simultaneously. First, I filed a complaint with the CFPB like @Luca Conti suggested - that actually does get their attention. Second, I used that claimyr service that @Javier Torres and others mentioned to get through to the unemployment office directly. The agent there was able to see that my KeyBank account had some kind of "hold" on it that wasn't showing up when I called KeyBank directly. Third, I documented every single call with dates/times/rep names and sent that log to my state assemblyperson's office. The combination of all three approaches finally got someone to actually fix the underlying issue instead of just giving me the runaround. It's ridiculous that we have to go to these lengths just to access our own money, but unfortunately that seems to be what it takes with this broken system. Don't give up - keep pushing through multiple channels and eventually someone will actually help you!

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP PEOPLE DOWN! How are you supposed to get back on your feet if they take more than half your unemployment? And don't even get me started on how impossible it is to reach anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about this stuff.

I went through this same situation a couple years ago. The garnishment typically starts automatically once the child support office gets notified by NYS DOL that you're receiving benefits - you don't need to tell them yourself. In my case, they took about 58% of my weekly benefit amount since I had arrears. One thing that helped me was calling the child support enforcement office directly to set up a payment plan that worked better with my reduced income. They were actually more reasonable than I expected and we worked out a temporary modification while I was unemployed. Also keep all your documentation showing the garnishment amounts in case you need to dispute anything later.

I've been on unemployment in NY for about 3 months now and went through this exact same confusion during Thanksgiving week! Everyone here is giving you solid advice - holidays really don't change anything about your weekly certification process. You still file by your normal Sunday deadline, complete your work search activities, and report any income as usual. No extra holiday pay, but also no special complications. The only thing that might be different is if your direct deposit normally comes on Christmas Day itself, it could be delayed by one business day due to bank processing, but that's just a timing thing with your bank, not an issue with your benefits. I was so worried about messing something up during my first holiday week, but it ended up being exactly the same as any other week. Just stick to your normal routine and don't overthink it!

I'm dealing with this same situation right now! Started collecting benefits in NY about a month ago and was really worried about Christmas week. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to know that holidays don't require any special procedures or forms. I was especially concerned about the job search requirements since so many places seem to shut down completely during the holidays, but it sounds like as long as I document my efforts (even if companies aren't responding), I should be fine. The suggestion about using holiday weeks to focus on updating resumes and researching companies is really smart too. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it makes this whole process feel much less overwhelming when you hear from people who've actually been through it!