How does unemployment checks work - NYS Department of Labor payment process explained?
I just got approved for unemployment benefits after being laid off from my retail job last month. The NYS Department of Labor website says I'm eligible but I'm totally confused about how the actual payment process works. Do they mail physical checks or is it direct deposit? How often do the payments come? I set up my account on my.ny.gov but I'm not sure what happens next. Also, do I need to do anything special to keep getting the money each week? This is my first time dealing with unemployment and the website isn't super clear about the payment logistics.
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StarSeeker
Payments are issued weekly if you file your weekly claim on time. You'll get either direct deposit (faster) or a debit card depending on what you selected during setup. Most people get direct deposit within 1-2 business days after filing their weekly claim. You MUST file every week even if you didn't work - this is called your weekly certification and it's how you tell NYS Department of Labor you're still unemployed and looking for work.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Thank you! So I have to file something every single week? What if I forget one week?
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Sean O'Donnell
You file your weekly claim through the my.ny.gov portal every Sunday-Tuesday for the previous week. If you miss filing for a week, you can usually file for that week later but there might be delays. The key thing is keeping up with your job search requirements - you need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and log them in the system.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Oh wow I didn't know about the job search logging requirement. Where do I track those contacts?
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Sean O'Donnell
•It's in your my.ny.gov account under the job search section. You need to record the employer name, date, and method of contact for each application or inquiry you make.
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Zara Ahmed
been on unemployment twice and honestly the hardest part is getting through to someone when you have questions about your payments. the automated system is terrible and wait times are insane. i found this service called claimyr.com that actually helped me reach a real NYS Department of Labor agent when my payments got stuck. they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works - basically they handle the calling process for you.
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Luca Esposito
•how much does something like that cost though? seems like it should be free to talk to unemployment
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Zara Ahmed
•yeah it should be free but when you've been waiting 3 weeks for a payment and can't get through on your own, sometimes you need other options. saved me a lot of stress honestly
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Nia Thompson
MAKE SURE YOU SET UP DIRECT DEPOSIT! The debit card option has fees for ATM withdrawals and it's a pain. Also double check that your bank info is correct because if they send money to the wrong account it takes forever to fix.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Good point about the fees. I think I already set up direct deposit but I'll double check that.
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Mateo Rodriguez
just keep in mind your weekly benefit amount is based on your previous earnings, and there's usually a one week waiting period before your first payment. so don't panic if you don't see money immediately after filing your first claim.
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Mei Wong
One thing to add - make sure you understand the difference between your "weekly benefit rate" and your total benefit amount. Your weekly rate is what you get each week (usually around 50% of your average weekly wage), but you have a maximum total amount you can receive over the entire benefit year. In NY it's typically 26 times your weekly rate. Also, if you do any part-time work while collecting, you need to report those earnings when you file your weekly claim - they might reduce your benefit for that week but you won't lose eligibility completely. The system is pretty good at catching unreported work so always be honest about any income.
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