I've been collecting unemployment from NYS Department of Labor for about 4 months now and have KeyBank. My deposits consistently hit around 2:45 AM on Wednesday mornings - the timing has been super reliable! What I learned early on is that the NYS Department of Labor processes payments Tuesday evening, but your bank doesn't actually credit your account until their overnight ACH batch runs, which is typically between 2-6 AM Wednesday. I always check my NYS unemployment account Tuesday night to confirm it shows "payment released" - that way I know the money is definitely coming overnight. For anyone planning bill payments around their unemployment deposit, I'd strongly recommend waiting until you can actually see the money in your account Wednesday morning rather than scheduling anything for early Wednesday. I made that mistake my first week and had to scramble when the deposit came through a bit later than expected. The system is pretty predictable once you know what to expect though!

I've been collecting unemployment from NYS Department of Labor for about 2 months now and have Santander Bank. My deposits consistently hit around 4:10 AM on Wednesday mornings - it's been really reliable timing! What I noticed is that Santander seems to process ACH transfers a bit later than some of the bigger banks others mentioned, but it's still within that overnight window. The key thing I learned is to always check your NYS unemployment account on Tuesday evening - if it shows "payment released" or "payment issued," you can count on the money being there by early Wednesday morning. For bill planning, I always wait until I can actually see the deposit in my account before making any payments, even though the timing has been consistent. One week there was a slight delay until around 5:30 AM and I was glad I hadn't scheduled anything too early! The NYS Department of Labor has been pretty dependable with their payment schedule once you're established in the system.

Just be really careful about this stuff. I reported my wages wrong once and they hit me with an overpayment notice months later. NYS Department of Labor doesn't mess around with wage reporting errors.

For tips specifically - if you're in a restaurant job, make sure you're reporting what you actually received, not what the restaurant reports as your tip income. Sometimes there's a difference and you want to be accurate on your weekly claim certification.

From what I understand, the key issue is the 'able and available' requirement for unemployment. If you're medically unable to work, you can't truthfully certify that you're able and available each week. I'd recommend contacting NYS Department of Labor directly to explain your medical situation and get official guidance before making any decisions about stopping or continuing your weekly claims.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and wanted to share what I learned from talking to a case worker. The timing of when you stop unemployment versus when you apply for disability matters a lot. You should stop certifying for unemployment benefits as soon as you know you're unable to work, not wait until disability is approved (which can take months). If there's any overlap period where you collected UI while unable to work, NYS Department of Labor can require you to pay it back even if it wasn't intentional. Also, make sure to keep documentation from your doctor about when your condition started affecting your ability to work - this helps establish the exact date you should have stopped claiming UI benefits.

Just went through this same issue last month! Here's what worked for me - I called right at 8am when they open and got through after about 30 minutes. Make sure you have your claim number and SSN ready. The rep was able to credit my waiting week immediately and I got paid 3 days later. Don't give up, the key is persistence and calling early! Also keep certifying your weekly claims while you wait or you'll create more issues for yourself.

Had the exact same problem a few months ago! The waiting week thing is super confusing. What finally worked for me was calling the Teleclaim line (888-209-8124) instead of the main number - seemed to have shorter wait times. When you do get through, ask them to check if your waiting week was properly applied to your claim. Sometimes there's a glitch where it shows as served but isn't actually credited. Also make sure you didn't accidentally skip any weekly certifications during that first week - that can mess up the waiting week credit too. Once they fix it, the backpay should come pretty quick (mine was like 4-5 days). Hang in there!

I work for a law firm that handles employment cases and can confirm that employer relocation beyond reasonable commuting distance is definitely considered "good cause" under NY Labor Law Section 593. The 50+ mile rule mentioned earlier is generally accurate, but it's not just about distance - they also consider commute time and whether public transportation is available. Syracuse to Buffalo is about 150 miles, so you're well beyond the threshold. When you file your claim, emphasize both the distance (150+ miles) and time (2.5+ hours each way) as creating an undue hardship. Also mention any family circumstances that prevent relocation, like kids in school or caring for elderly parents. The fact that you've been there 4 years actually works in your favor - it shows you're not someone who quits jobs frivolously. Don't let HR intimidate you - they're often wrong about unemployment eligibility because it's not their area of expertise.

I actually had a very similar situation about 6 months ago when my company moved from Binghamton to White Plains. The distance was about 160 miles and would have meant a 3+ hour commute each way. I was terrified that HR was right about it being considered a "voluntary quit," but I filed for unemployment anyway. NYS Department of Labor approved my claim after about 3 weeks of review. The key was being very detailed in my application - I explained the exact mileage, calculated the daily commute time, estimated the additional gas and wear-and-tear costs (which would have been over $400/month), and mentioned that my spouse's job and our mortgage kept us rooted in Binghamton. I also included screenshots of the company's relocation announcement email. The adjudicator I spoke with was actually very understanding and said cases like this are more common than people think. Don't give up - your situation with Syracuse to Buffalo sounds even more clear-cut than mine was!