I'm experiencing the exact same issue! My payment usually deposits every Wednesday morning like clockwork, but this week it's Friday night and still nothing in my account. I certified on Sunday as usual and the portal shows everything as processed, but my bank confirmed they haven't received anything. What's really frustrating is that I can see in my payment history that it shows "released" on Tuesday, so where is my money? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor all day but keep getting busy signals or dropped calls. This is incredibly stressful since I have bills due this weekend and was counting on that deposit. Based on all the comments here, it seems like this is a widespread problem this week - has anyone heard anything official from NYS Department of Labor about what's causing these delays?

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My unemployment payment was supposed to deposit Wednesday but it's now Friday evening and my account is still empty. I certified my weekly claim on Sunday like always and everything shows as "processed" on the my.ny.gov portal, but my bank says they haven't received anything. This is my first time experiencing such a long delay - usually if there's any delay it's just a day or so. It's really stressful because I have rent and utilities due early next week. From reading all these comments it seems like a lot of people are having the same problem this week. Has anyone tried contacting their bank to see if there are any pending transfers that might be held up on their end? I'm wondering if this could be a banking system issue rather than just NYS Department of Labor.

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. I'm going to file my claim today and explain my situation as clearly as possible. Even if I can't get the back weeks, at least I'll start getting something going forward. I'll update here if I have any luck with the backdating request!

Just want to add my experience here - I was in a very similar situation in 2023. Lost my job in August but didn't file until November because I was confident I'd land something quickly (spoiler: I didn't). When I finally filed, I was completely honest about my unemployment start date and explained that I had been actively job searching but didn't realize I should file immediately. The agent I spoke with was sympathetic but explained that NY generally doesn't backdate for "personal choice" reasons, even when that choice was based on optimism about finding work. I didn't get any backpay, but here's what I learned: file your initial claim online at labor.ny.gov, and when you get to the section asking why you're filing now instead of when you first became unemployed, be completely honest but frame it around any external factors if possible. Did you have interviews lined up? Were you told by someone you might not qualify? Any documentation helps. The silver lining is that once you're in the system, NY unemployment benefits are pretty decent compared to other states. You'll likely get benefits going forward, which is better than nothing. Don't let the potential backpay denial discourage you from filing - every week you wait is another week of benefits you're definitely losing.

Just wanted to add - when you call that number (1-888-209-8124), make sure you call right at 8 AM when they open or try again around 2-3 PM like Sara mentioned. I've found that calling right at opening time gives you the best chance of getting through without a super long wait. Also, don't hang up if you get put on hold - I made that mistake the first few times and had to start over. The hold music is terrible but just stick with it! And definitely have all your paperwork ready because once you get an agent on the line, they'll want to go through everything pretty quickly.

One more tip that helped me - if you get through to an agent but they say they're having system issues or need to transfer you, ask them to keep your spot in line rather than hanging up and calling back. Sometimes they can put you on a brief hold while they fix whatever's going on, which is way better than starting over. Also, if you're calling about a layoff specifically, have your employer's federal tax ID number ready if you can get it - it speeds up the verification process. The whole thing can feel overwhelming but the agents are usually pretty helpful once you get through to someone!

I've been through this exact same situation! What really helped me was setting up text alerts through my bank app so I get notified the moment any deposit hits my account, even if it's pending. Also, I learned that if you have a same-day certification deadline (like if you missed your usual day), the NYS Department of Labor processes those payments on a different schedule - usually takes an extra 1-2 days. Since you mentioned bills due tomorrow, you might want to check if your bank offers any overdraft protection or if you can move the due date by a day or two. The money will definitely come, it's just the timing that's unpredictable between DOL and the banks.

I've noticed the same pattern with my deposits! One thing that really helped me track the timing was keeping a simple log of when I certify versus when I actually see the money. After a few months, I realized my bank (KeyBank) consistently takes exactly 3 business days from when NYS Department of Labor shows "paid" status. So now I just plan around that schedule instead of stressing about it. Also, if you're really tight on cash, some banks will give you provisional credit for regular direct deposits like unemployment - worth asking about if this becomes a recurring issue with bill timing.

Has anyone actually FIXED this kind of problem before?? I'm in a similar situation (reported wrong hours) and still waiting for them to fix it after THREE MONTHS!!! The lack of communication is APPALLING!!! And they wonder why people get frustrated with the system!!

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through something similar last year. I worked part-time at a restaurant and forgot to report about 6 weeks of shifts. When I finally called NYSDOL, they were actually pretty reasonable about it. Here's what helped me: - I called first thing Monday morning (seemed to have better luck getting through early in the week) - Had all my wage information ready in a spreadsheet - Admitted the mistake upfront and emphasized it was unintentional They set up a payment plan for the overpayment over 12 months, which was totally manageable. The whole process took about 2 months to fully resolve, but no fraud penalties since I self-reported. Don't panic - these mistakes happen more than you'd think, and they're used to dealing with them. The fact that you're proactively trying to fix it will work in your favor.