NY unemployment payments timing after waiting week - when will I get first deposit?

Generally, you should receive your first payment 2-3 business days after certifying for your first payable week (which is the week right after your waiting week). So if you certified on Sunday or Monday, you might see money by Wednesday or Thursday. Make sure your direct deposit info is set up correctly in your account!

mine took 5 days to show up after my waiting week. but my friend got hers in 2 days. depends i guess

The first payment always takes the longest because the system is still processing your claim completely. After the first payment, subsequent weeks are much more predictable. I was SO STRESSED waiting for mine to come through - took almost 7 business days for my first payment back in January! After that, always hit my account by Wednesday morning like clockwork. Just hang in there!

The official timeline from NYSDOL is 3-5 business days after certification for direct deposit, and 7-10 days for the debit card option. However, I've noticed that first payments sometimes take 1-2 days longer while they validate everything. You can check your payment status under "Payment History" on the website - it will show "Released on [date]" when the payment is processed. If you don't see anything by Friday, it might be worth calling to verify everything is properly set up.

Had the SAME exact question when i filed in February! My first payment came exactly 4 business days after i certified. But honestly the most stressful part was not knowing if everything was set up right and wondering if I needed to call someone. So much anxiety about whether I'd done something wrong or if the system was just slow.

My brother filed for NY unemployment like two months ago and had the same question. He got his first payment like 4 days after the waiting week. BTW did you know they take taxes out automatically if you selected that option? My brother didn't realize that and was confused why his payment was less than expected.

DONT PANIC if it takes longer than expected!!! The system is SO GLITCHY in 2025!! my first payment took almost 2 weeks even though the website said it was released!!! I called like 20 times before getting through and they said it was a "processing delay" whatever that means. Second payment came right on time though. The whole system is just broken.

Quick update for anyone finding this thread: the NYSDOL revised their payment processing schedule in May 2025. Now if you certify on Sunday, payments are typically processed Monday and hit accounts Tuesday-Wednesday for most major banks. Credit unions and smaller banks might still take an extra day or two. First payments still tend to take slightly longer than recurring ones.