NY unemployment deposited over $1200 to KeyBank card I never received - what legal options do I have?

I had the EXACT same problem back in February. After two months of trying to get ny unemployment to update my address, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real agent. It was the best money ive ever spent cuz I was able to talk to someone who actually fixed the problem in one call. The agent updated my address in their system and KeyBank sent me a new card in like 5 days. Try it: claimyr.com - they got me through after I spent weeks getting nowhere. Talking to a real agent was the only way I could resolve this mess. Watch this video if u want more info: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Contact your state assembly person ASAP! I had a similar issue with my claim and was getting nowhere for weeks. My assembly person has staff dedicated to unemployment issues. I filled out a form on their website and they followed up within 2 days. Had my issue resolved in a week. Google "[your county] NY state assembly" to find yours.

I know this sounds crazy but try reaching out to unemployment on Twitter. I had a problem with my funds being stuck and after months of getting nowhere, I sent them a direct message explaining my situation and someone got back to me within a day. Worth a shot 🤷‍♀️

The KeyBank cards are absolute GARBAGE. Same thing happened to me - they sent it to an address I hadn't lived at in 2 years despite having my current address on file with unemployment. The whole system is designed to make it as hard as possible for us to get our money.

Here's what you need to do to address this situation (I worked through something very similar): 1. Document EVERYTHING. Write down dates, times, who you spoke with, reference numbers - this will be crucial if you end up filing a complaint or taking legal action. 2. File an official complaint with NYS Department of Labor through their website. Use specific language about the failure to update your address despite multiple documented attempts. 3. Contact the NYS Attorney General's office and file a consumer complaint. They have a specific division that handles issues with state agencies. 4. Reach out to legal aid in your area - many offer free consultations for unemployment issues. The Legal Aid Society of NY specifically helps with these cases. 5. As others have mentioned, contacting your state representative can work wonders. They have staff dedicated to constituent services who can cut through red tape. 6. If you're desperate to speak with someone directly, I highly recommend Claimyr.com - it's a service that gets you through to an unemployment agent without the hours of hold time. Once I actually spoke with someone, they were able to update my address in their system during that call. The good news is that your money isn't gone - it's just locked in bureaucratic hell. While legal action is an option, exhausting administrative remedies first will likely get you faster results. The key is being persistent and escalating through multiple channels simultaneously.

Bruh the exact same thing happened 2 me!!! I was missing like $1400 for almost 4 months. What finally worked was I had to physically go to a New York Career Center (they're connected to unemployment) and talk to someone in person. Brought all my docs with me and they fixed it that day. Google your nearest location.

I hate to be that person but... you might wanna check if someone stole your card. My roommate had the same issue where they said they sent the card but she never got it. Turns out someone in her old building took it from the mail and activated it. You should call KeyBank fraud department ASAP to make sure no one's using your funds.

Legal advice? Good luck lol. You can't sue the government unless they let you sue the government. #facts Trust me I tried. You're better off just keeping at it with the calls tbh. The system is rigged against us little people 🤡

SMALL CLAIMS COURT. You don't need a lawyer and filing fee is like $20. I did this after 5 months of trying to get my money and magically they fixed the issue two days before my court date. Just the threat of legal action can work.

Has anyone else noticed that they deliberately make this process confusing af? Like how hard is it to update an address?? Its literally ONE FIELD in a database somewhere. This is BY DESIGN to discourage people from collecting benefits they're entitled to. Stay strong OP 💪

not legal advice but practical advice: call right when they open (7:30am i think). The queue fills up fast and if you call after like 8:15 you probably won't get through. Also try on Tuesday/Wednesday - Mondays and Fridays are the worst days to call based on my experience

dont waste ur time with leagl action, it will take forever. I had similar problem and tried EVERYTHING. what finally worked was getting my brother who works for city govt to connect me with someone he knew at unemployment. if u know ANYONE who works for state/city govt ask them to help. its all about who u know in this broken system 😤

If u need $ while waiting on this to be resolved, try applying for emergency rental assistance thru HRA. They have a hardship program for people waiting on benefits. It won't solve ur keybank issue but might help with immediate bills.

Honestly, it's a mess right now with address changes because of all the fraud. Someone in my building had their unemployment benefits stolen when someone changed THEIR address without permission. So now they're being super strict but also super inefficient about address changes. Not helpful to you but might explain why it's taking so long.

i know everyone is suggesting complicated solutions but have you tried the ny.gov message center? login to your account and send a message specifically about the address change for keybank. I got a response in 3 days when I did this (compared to never getting through on phone). make the subject line very clear like "ADDRESS CHANGE NEEDED FOR KEYBANK CARD"

Everyone is making this so complicated lol... just do what I did. Call KeyBank directly (not unemployment) and tell them you need to report your card lost. They will send a replacement to whatever address unemployment has on file. Then SEPARATELY call unemployment and update your address with them. Once that's done, call KeyBank AGAIN and request another replacement card. Yes its stupid but it worked for me.

real talk - the most effective solution is to keep calling until you get someone helpful. Some agents literally just don't care and will tell you anything to get you off the phone. But others actually know how to help. It's like a lottery. I had to call 6 times before I got someone who knew what they were doing and fixed my issue in 5 mins.

jus walk in2 unemployment office n refuse to leave till they fix it. worked for me lol but I had to wait 4 hours

have u tried requesting a direct deposit instead of the keybank card? Sometimes easier to set up new payment method than fix issue with current one. Go into ur account settings and see if u can update payment preferences