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Ava Johnson

How long does NY unemployment take to update direct deposit to my new bank account?

Just got a new account with a credit union because my old bank kept hitting me with ridiculous fees. I need to update my direct deposit info for unemployment benefits but I'm worried about the timing. Does anyone know how long it takes for ny unemployment to process the change and start sending payments to the new account? I was planning to file my claim this Sunday, but should I wait until I'm sure the new account info is in their system? Don't want my money going to the old account I'm about to close or getting lost somewhere in between. Anyone done this recently?

When I updated my banking info with unemployment last April, it took about 4-5 business days for the change to take effect. I'd suggest waiting to file until at least a week after you submit the new account info, just to be safe. The system is slow and you dont want your payment bouncing around.

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Thanks for the info. Did you have any issues during the transition? Did they notify you when the change was complete?

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Nope, no notification. I just called to confirm after a few days. The change went through without problems though.

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4-5 days seems fast! Took them almost 2 weeks for me back in October. The system is so hit or miss 🤷‍♂️

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After struggling to update my banking info and waiting forever on hold to talk to someone, I found this service called Claimyr.com that got me connected to an actual human at unemployment in about 20 minutes. Seriously saved me so much stress and time! Once I got through to a rep, they updated my account right away and my payment went to my new bank by the next cycle. Check out their explainer video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

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yeah right, another 'miracle solution'... what's the catch? 🙄

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No catch - it just helps you skip the hold times. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast after weeks of waiting. Definitely worth trying if you're stuck.

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wait hold up - does this actually work or is it just the usual BS?

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It worked for me! I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying to get through for days. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent and they fixed my direct deposit issue right away.

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I've used it twice now. First time I was like no way this works, but they got me through to someone in like 25 mins when I had been trying for DAYS. So yeah, it's legit.

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The official answer on the NYSDOL website says 3-5 business days, but LOL at trusting anything they say about timing 🤣 My buddy waited almost 3 weeks. I'd keep your old account open until you confirm the new one is working if possible.

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IMPORTANT: Make sure you update your info AFTER receiving your current week's payment but BEFORE filing for your next week. That way your current payment is safe and the next one has time to process with the new info. Learned this the hard way when my payment got delayed for almost a month because of timing it wrong.

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This is really helpful advice, thanks. I'll make sure to time it that way.

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Yep same thing happened to me! The timing is crucial. Also take screenshots of everything in case you need to prove what you did later.

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Here's what you need to know about changing your direct deposit with NY unemployment: First, don't close your old account until you've confirmed a payment has successfully gone into your new account. The system typically takes 5-7 business days to process banking changes, but it can take longer depending on system delays or backlog issues. When updating your info: - Log in to your online account at labor.ny.gov - Go to your payment method settings - Enter your new account info VERY carefully (double-check everything) - Submit the change and save any confirmation number After submitting the change, I recommend calling to confirm it was processed correctly. Getting through on the phone is nearly impossible using the regular number, so I used claimyr.com which connected me to an agent who confirmed my change was in the system. There's no notification system to tell you when the change is complete, so you'll only know for sure when you see a payment in your new account. For safety, I'd recommend waiting at least one full payment cycle before closing your old account. Hope this helps!

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This is gold! Thank you for the detailed breakdown. The unemployment system is so confusing sometimes.

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what's claimyr.com? never heard of it before

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It's a service that helps you get through to unemployment phone lines without waiting on hold for hours. They call and wait, then connect you when a real person answers. Saved me hours of hold time.

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Exactly what I needed to know, thx! Just gotta survive one more payment cycle with my current bank before I can tell them to shove their fees where the sun don't shine 😤

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Don't listen to these people saying it only takes a few days. The system is completely FUBAR right now. Took them 32 days to process my bank change. THIRTY-TWO DAYS! And I never got any notification, just had to keep checking. Keep your old account open if you can.

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Can confirm. The system is a total disaster. I waited 3 weeks for my change to go through in August.

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Damn that suuucks. Did you try calling them?

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Tried calling like 50 times and always got disconnected. Finally got through using claimyr.com but by then it was already processed. Wish I'd known about that service earlier!

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wHy ArE yOu ChAnGiNg BaNkS iN tHe MiDdLe Of ClAiMiNg UnEmPlOyMeNt?!?! 🤡 jk I did the same thing last year. Chase was charging me $35 overdraft fees while I was waiting for my benefits. The system took about 10 days to update for me. good luck!

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LOL you had me in the first half ngl. Yeah these fees are killing me and I'm trying to save every penny while job hunting.

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If your worried about the timing, you should file this week as normal but dont close your old account yet. Then update your direct deposit after this weeks payment hits. That way you dont miss any weeks while waiting for the change to go thru.

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the whole ny unemployment system is broken af anyway. better off just keeping both accounts open for a month to be safe. i've seen people lose benefits for weeks because of 'system errors' during bank changes.

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Facts 💯 Anytime you make ANY change to your account you risk some random glitch putting your benefits on hold for investigation

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hey btw if ur planning to close ur old account make sure ur tax refund isnt being deposited there too! i made that mistake and had to wait 6 months to get my tax refund re-issued 😭

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Omg thank you for the reminder! I totally forgot about tax refunds 🙏

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I work at a bank (not giving financial advice just sharing what I've seen). Most customers who change direct deposits for government benefits keep their old account open for at least 30-45 days as a safety net. Government systems are notoriously slow to update banking info.

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Make sure to CALL and confirm the change! The website said my change was processed but the next payment still went to my old account. Had to call and manually confirm with a rep that everything was updated correctly. Waste of time but necessary with this broken system.

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How did you even get through to a real person? I've been calling for days.

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I used claimyr.com - it's a service that waits on hold for you then connects you with an agent. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast. Best decision I made during this whole unemployment nightmare.

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Just went through this exact situation last month! Updated my direct deposit info on a Tuesday and it took exactly 8 business days for the change to go through. The key thing is DON'T file your weekly claim until you're 100% sure the new account is active in their system. I made the mistake of filing too early and my payment got sent to my old account that I had already closed - took 3 weeks to get it sorted out with multiple calls. Also, when you update your info online, take a screenshot of the confirmation page because their system doesn't always save changes properly. Would definitely recommend keeping your old account open for at least 2-3 weeks after the first successful payment hits your new account, just to be safe.

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This is super helpful, thank you! Taking a screenshot of the confirmation page is brilliant advice - I wouldn't have thought of that. 8 business days seems to be the sweet spot based on what everyone's saying. I think I'll update my info right after I get this week's payment and then wait a full two weeks before filing again, just to be extra safe. Better to miss one week than deal with a month-long mess like you had to go through!

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Just a heads up - I switched my direct deposit last year and learned the hard way that you should also update your banking info with the IRS if you're expecting any tax refunds or stimulus payments. They use the same account info from your last tax return, so if you close your old account before updating that too, you could be waiting months for a paper check instead. Also, some people don't realize that if you have state tax refunds coming, that's a separate system from federal taxes that also needs to be updated. Better to keep a list of everywhere your banking info is used before making the switch!

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This is such good advice! I totally would have forgotten about updating the IRS info too. Making a list of everywhere my banking info is used is really smart - I bet there are other places I'm not even thinking of like maybe student loans or other automatic payments. Thanks for the reminder about state vs federal tax systems being separate too!

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Just wanted to add my experience from updating my direct deposit with NY unemployment back in September. It took exactly 6 business days for the change to go through, but here's what nobody tells you - they don't update it immediately after you submit the form online. I found out (after calling multiple times) that they batch process banking changes once or twice a week, so depending on when you submit, you might be waiting for the next processing cycle. My advice: submit the change right after you receive your current week's payment, then wait at least 10 business days before filing your next claim. Also keep detailed records of when you submitted the change because if something goes wrong, they'll ask for exact dates. The system is definitely not perfect but if you're patient and don't rush the timing, it should work out fine.

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Thanks for sharing this! The batch processing detail is super important - that explains why some people get their changes processed faster than others depending on timing. 10 business days sounds like the safest buffer to avoid any issues. I'm definitely going to keep detailed records like you suggested since the system seems so unpredictable. Did you have any trouble getting through to confirm your change was processed, or were you able to verify it online somehow?

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I just went through this same exact situation with NY unemployment in December! Here's what worked for me: I updated my direct deposit info on a Wednesday right after receiving that week's payment, then waited a full 2 weeks before filing my next claim. The change actually went through in about 7 business days, but I wanted to be extra cautious after reading horror stories online. Pro tip: After you submit the banking change online, call the very next day to confirm it was received properly. I used that claimyr service everyone's mentioning here to get through without waiting on hold forever - totally worth it to get peace of mind that the change is actually in their system. The rep was able to confirm my new account info was showing up correctly. Also, definitely keep your old account open until you see at least 2 successful payments hit your new account. I know those fees suck (I was dealing with the same thing with my old bank), but it's better than having a payment get lost in limbo. Good luck!

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This is exactly the kind of detailed timeline I was looking for! 7 business days with a 2 week buffer sounds like the perfect approach. I'm definitely going to use that claimyr service to call and confirm - seems like everyone who's had success getting through to a real person has used it. The idea of keeping the old account open for 2 successful payments is smart too, even though those fees are painful. Better safe than sorry with unemployment payments! Thanks for the step-by-step breakdown, this gives me so much more confidence about making the switch.

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I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when I switched from Bank of America to a local credit union because of their ridiculous monthly fees. Here's my timeline: I submitted the direct deposit change on a Monday, called using claimyr.com on Wednesday to confirm it was in the system (which it was), and my first payment hit the new account exactly 9 business days later. The rep I spoke to said changes typically process within 5-10 business days but recommended waiting at least one full payment cycle before closing the old account. I kept both accounts open for about 3 weeks just to be absolutely sure, and I'm glad I did because there was one small hiccup where a previous week's adjustment payment went to the old account even after the regular payments were going to the new one. My advice: update your info right after this week's payment, wait 10-12 business days before filing again, and don't close that old account until you've seen at least 2-3 successful payments in the new one. The fees suck but it's not worth the stress of a lost payment!

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This is really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same bank switch! 9 business days seems pretty consistent with what others are saying. The detail about the adjustment payment going to the old account even after regular payments switched is super helpful - I wouldn't have expected that kind of quirk from their system. Definitely going to keep both accounts open for at least a month now. Thanks for mentioning the specific timeline and confirming that claimyr actually works for getting through to verify the change!

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I actually just went through this exact process about 2 months ago! Switched from Wells Fargo to a credit union because of their outrageous maintenance fees. Here's what I learned: Submit your banking change right after you get your current payment (like on a Monday or Tuesday), then wait at least 2 full weeks before filing your next claim. My change took 8 business days to process, but I waited the full 2 weeks to be absolutely certain. The most important thing - and I cannot stress this enough - is to call and verify the change went through before you file again. I used claimyr.com like others mentioned here and got connected to a rep in about 15 minutes. She confirmed my new account was showing in their system and even gave me a confirmation number to write down. Also, DO NOT close your old account until you've received at least 3 payments successfully in your new account. I thought 1 payment would be enough but then had a random backpay adjustment that went to my old account 2 weeks later. Would have been a nightmare if I'd already closed it. The waiting sucks when you're trying to escape those bank fees, but trust me - a few extra weeks of fees is way better than dealing with lost payments and the stress of trying to track down your money in their broken system. Good luck!

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