NY unemployment benefits not showing up after activating new key card - what to do?

When you get a new key card, there can be a delay of 3-5 business days before your funds show up, even if the system says your claim was accepted. The NY unemployment system processes the claim but the bank that handles the debit cards has its own timeline. Have you checked the balance through the KeyBank website rather than just the unemployment portal? Sometimes the unemployment website doesn't update as quickly as the actual card balance.

same thing happend to me in January...took almost 2 weeks for money to show up on new card even tho everything said processed!! system is broken smh

This is a common issue with replacement KeyBank cards for NY unemployment. There are a few things you should do: 1. First, verify that you activated the card correctly. Call KeyBank directly at 866-295-2955 to confirm it's properly activated. 2. Check if your payments are still going to an old account. Sometimes when you get a new card, you need to update your payment method in the system. Log in to your NY.gov account and go to payment preferences. 3. If it says the claim was accepted but no money is showing up, there might be a payment hold. You should contact NYSDOL directly to ask about any holds on your account. If you're having trouble getting through to an agent, I'd recommend using Claimyr. It helped me get through when I had a similar issue with my benefits not showing up after switching payment methods. Their system calls for you and gets you connected to a live agent much faster: claimyr.com - there's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Wait did u verify ur identity when u got the new card? There's an extra security step now in 2025 where u have to upload ID verification for new cards even if ur claims are still active. My friend just went thru this & her money was held until she did the ID verification thru ID.me on the unemployment website. Check ur messages in ur account, might have a notice about it.

I had a similar issue just last month. The KEY to fixing this (no pun intended) is to understand that there are TWO separate systems at work here: NYSDOL's unemployment system and KeyBank's card system. Even if NYSDOL shows your payments as processed, there can be a disconnect with KeyBank. In my experience, this happens for a few reasons: 1. New card activation hasn't fully processed in the bank's system (can take 1-3 business days) 2. Your first payment to a new card might be held for fraud prevention (up to 5 business days) 3. There's a payment method issue in your account settings The FASTEST way to resolve this is to speak directly with an NYSDOL agent who can see exactly what's happening on both ends. They can release any holds immediately in most cases. Regular customer service at KeyBank typically can't solve unemployment-specific issues.

maybe check if u set up direct deposit before? if u did, money might be going there instead of new card. happened to my cousin

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED TO MAKE EVERYTHING DIFFICULT!!! I swear they put these delays in ON PURPOSE to make people give up on benefits they EARNED. I had to fight for EVERY PENNY last year when I had a similar problem. Called for WEEKS and got nowhere until I finally reached someone who admitted there was a "system flag" on my account for no reason. They're HOPING you'll just go away!!!!

UPDATE: I just checked with a friend who works at NYSDOL. There's currently a known issue with new KeyBank cards issued in the last 30 days. The system is flagging some of them for additional verification due to an increase in fraud attempts. If your claim says processed but money isn't showing up, you almost certainly need to speak with an agent to have them manually verify and release the funds. This isn't something that will resolve itself quickly in most cases. I'd recommend calling first thing in the morning (7:30am) when their phone lines open to have the best chance of getting through.

Any update? Were you able to get through to NYSDOL and resolve the issue?

glad u got it fixed! next time this happens (and with NY unemployment, there's always a next time lol) u know what to do

OF COURSE it was a "security hold" they "forgot" to tell you about!!! They do this ALL THE TIME. At least you got your money. I'm still fighting with them over back payments from December!!!