i remember when i first got unemployment in 2022 they were still sending paper checks lol. the keybank card is way better than that mess!

Just wanted to add that you can also track your card shipment! Once KeyBank processes your card (usually within 2-3 business days after you select the debit card option), they'll send you an email with tracking information. Check your spam folder too - mine ended up there. The tracking really helped ease my anxiety about when it would arrive. Also, if you're really in a pinch financially while waiting, you might want to look into local food banks or emergency assistance programs in your area to help bridge the gap until your card arrives with those back payments.

Just make sure you stop filing your weekly claims once you start working! I made the mistake of filing one more week after I started my new job and it caused a whole mess with overpayment notices.

Congratulations on landing the new job! As others mentioned, those unused weeks don't roll over to a savings account or anything like that. However, I'd recommend keeping documentation of your original claim details (benefit year dates, weekly amount, etc.) just in case you need to reference them later. Also, when you stop filing, you might want to call or check online to confirm your claim is properly closed to avoid any potential issues down the road. Good luck with the new position!

Try calling right at 8am when they open or during lunch hours around 1pm. Those seem to be the best times to actually get through. Also make sure you have your confirmation number ready from when you first filed

I feel your pain - the waiting is absolutely brutal when you're trying to keep up with bills. One thing that helped me was documenting everything in a spreadsheet: dates I called, reference numbers, what representatives told me (if I got through), etc. This documentation became really useful when I finally reached someone who could actually help. Also, if you haven't already, try sending a secure message through the my.ny.gov portal explaining your situation and how long you've been waiting. Sometimes the written requests get routed to different people than the phone calls. Hang in there - I know it feels hopeless but eventually it does get resolved.

If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor for any reason, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to their agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helpful when you can't get through the normal way.

For your paper, you might also want to look into the Wisconsin Unemployment Compensation Act of 1932 - it was actually the first state unemployment insurance law in the US, which helped inspire the federal Social Security Act a few years later. New York followed pretty quickly after the federal mandate. The NYS Department of Labor website has some good historical resources in their archives section if you need more detailed info for your research.

I had trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor when I needed to speak to someone about my travel nurse claim status. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting hung up on. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier when I needed to verify my employment history with multiple agencies.

The system is so messed up honestly. I know nurses who got denied because they didn't understand how to explain their employment situation properly. NYS Department of Labor doesn't make it easy for people with non-traditional work arrangements.