How do I get my unemployment money from NYS Department of Labor?
I filed my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor 2 weeks ago and still haven't received any payments. My claim status says 'approved' but I don't know what I'm supposed to do next to actually get the money. Do I need to set up direct deposit somewhere? File weekly claims? I'm really confused about the whole process and could use some help figuring out how to get my unemployment money.
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Jackson Carter
You need to file your weekly claims! Even though your initial claim is approved, you have to certify for benefits every week by filing a weekly claim. Log into your my.ny.gov account and look for the 'File Weekly Claim' option. You'll need to answer questions about your job search activities and any work you did that week. Once you complete your weekly claim, payments usually process within 2-3 business days if you have direct deposit set up.
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Lilah Brooks
•Thank you! I see the weekly claim option now. Do I need to file for both weeks since I've been waiting or just this current week?
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Jackson Carter
•You should be able to file for both weeks. The system will show you which weeks are available to claim. Make sure you file for all available weeks to get your full benefits.
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Kolton Murphy
also make sure your direct deposit is set up or you'll be waiting forever for a check in the mail. i made that mistake and waited an extra week
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Lilah Brooks
•How do I set up direct deposit? Is that in the same my.ny.gov account?
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Evelyn Rivera
Yes, direct deposit setup is in your my.ny.gov account under payment preferences. You'll need your bank routing number and account number. If you don't set up direct deposit, NYS Department of Labor will mail you a debit card called KeyBank Debit MasterCard for your unemployment payments. The debit card usually takes 7-10 business days to arrive by mail.
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Julia Hall
•The KeyBank card is actually pretty convenient once you get it. You can use it anywhere or transfer money to your regular bank account through the app.
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Arjun Patel
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor when I had payment issues. Ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me from sitting on hold for hours trying to figure out why my payments were delayed.
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Jade Lopez
•Interesting, never heard of that before. Did they actually help resolve your payment issue?
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Arjun Patel
•Yeah, turns out there was a small issue with my job search log that was holding up my payments. The agent was able to explain exactly what I needed to fix and my payments started coming through the next week.
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Tony Brooks
make sure you keep track of your job search activities too!! they can ask for proof anytime and if you dont have it they'll stop your payments
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Omar Zaki
Just went through this same process last month! The key things are: 1) File your weekly claims every Sunday-Saturday for the previous week, 2) Set up direct deposit in your my.ny.gov account (takes 1-2 business days to activate), and 3) Keep detailed records of your job search activities. I was also confused at first but once you get into the routine it's pretty straightforward. Your first payment should come within a few days of filing your weekly claim as long as everything is set up correctly.
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