How long does it take for NYS Department of Labor unemployment check to come in mail?
I just got approved for unemployment benefits after waiting 2 weeks for adjudication. My claim status finally changed to approved yesterday and I can see my first payment was processed. But I'm wondering how long it actually takes for the unemployment check to come in the mail? I really need this money to catch up on bills. Does anyone know the typical timeline from when NYS Department of Labor processes the payment to when you actually get the check? I'm in upstate NY if that makes a difference.
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Mei Chen
Usually takes 3-5 business days from when NYS Department of Labor shows the payment as processed. If you're doing direct deposit it's faster - like 1-2 days. But mailed checks definitely take longer. You can check your payment history on the my.ny.gov portal to see exactly when it was sent out.
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Jamal Edwards
•Thanks! I don't have direct deposit set up yet. Should I switch to that for future payments or is it too late now?
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Liam O'Sullivan
mine took forever!! like a whole week and it was processed on a tuesday. i think they mail them out in batches or something cause my neighbor got his 2 days before me even though we both filed same day
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Amara Okonkwo
You can absolutely set up direct deposit for future payments through your my.ny.gov account. Go to Payment Method and add your bank info. It won't affect the check that's already in the mail, but all future weekly payments will go direct deposit. Much more reliable than waiting for checks.
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Jamal Edwards
•Perfect, I'll do that right now. Do I need to wait until I receive this first check before setting up direct deposit?
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Amara Okonkwo
•No, you can set it up anytime. Just make sure your bank account info is correct because if there's an error, it delays everything.
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Giovanni Marino
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check on delayed payments, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an agent when my payment was stuck. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals when I needed to verify why my check was delayed.
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Jamal Edwards
•Interesting, never heard of that. Is it legit? I might need to call if my check doesn't show up by Friday.
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Giovanni Marino
•Yeah it's real, they just help you get through the phone queue. Worked for me when I had an issue with my payment method.
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Fatima Al-Sayed
The whole mailed check system is outdated honestly. I switched to direct deposit after my first payment took 8 days to arrive. NYS Department of Labor really should push people toward direct deposit more - it's 2025, who wants to wait for checks in the mail?
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Dylan Hughes
just wanted to say congrats on getting approved! the waiting is the worst part. once you get that first check and set up direct deposit you'll be all good
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