Can I withdraw money from my NY unemployment Key Bank card while my account has a hold?

In most cases, no. If NYSDOL placed a hold on your account, the KeyBank card is usually frozen too. You need to contact them to find out why there's a hold. Common reasons are identity verification issues, unreported income, or benefit eligibility questions. Until the hold is resolved, you likely won't be able to access those funds.

i had this happen last month. couldnt get ANY money out. the hold means exactly that - they are holding ALL your funds until they figure out whatever they need to figure out. sucks but thats how it works

You NEED to call them ASAP!! I went through this in February. Had a hold for 'routine verification' that froze my card for 6 WEEKS because I couldn't get through to anyone. They DON'T tell you why on the website, you have to talk to an actual person. And no, you can't withdraw anything while it's on hold - I tried everything (ATM, cash back at store, transfer to bank) and nothing worked.

I tried calling the regular unemployment number when this happened to me and spent hours on hold before getting disconnected. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through and resolved my hold in one call. They've got a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - it basically gets you to the front of the phone queue. Worth it when you're dealing with rent deadlines!

Let me clarify a few things about account holds on NY unemployment: 1. A hold means all access to funds is restricted - ATM withdrawals, transfers, and purchases won't work 2. Most holds are due to: verification issues, missed certifications, unreported income, or suspected fraud 3. Only a claims specialist can remove the hold 4. You MUST speak with someone to resolve it - there's no automatic timeframe 5. Request an emergency release of funds if you have urgent needs like rent Call first thing in the morning (7:30am) when wait times are shortest. Be prepared with your claim ID and any correspondence you've received about the hold.

when did u notice the hold? Sometimes they do temp holds that clear in 24-48 hrs, especially if u recently changed ur bank info or address. mine had a 2 day hold when i updated my address last month but fixed itself

Have you been claiming consistently every week? I had a hold placed on my account back in January because I missed certifying for one week and then tried to claim for two weeks at once. They thought it was suspicious and froze everything. Took me calling 32 times before I got through, but once I did, they fixed it that same day.

EVERYBODY saying "just call" has NO IDEA how impossible it is to get through right now!!! I called 50+ times a day for a WEEK and never got past the automated system. That's why I was stuck for 6 weeks! They're severely understaffed since the January 2025 system upgrade.

Update: According to NYSDOL's latest announcement, they're automatically removing certain types of holds within 5 business days if they're related to the system verification process that started in January 2025. Check your email and the Message Center in your account for any communications about the specific type of hold.