NYS Department of Labor direct deposit setup - how to set up direct deposit with unemployment benefits
I finally got approved for unemployment after waiting 2 weeks for adjudication, but I'm still getting paper checks in the mail which take forever to arrive. I want to switch to direct deposit but can't figure out where to do this in the my.ny.gov system. I've looked everywhere in my account but don't see any banking information section. Does anyone know how to set up direct deposit with unemployment benefits? My weekly claims are going through fine but I really need faster access to my money.
14 comments
Join the conversation
James Johnson
You need to log into your my.ny.gov account and look for the 'Payment Method' or 'Direct Deposit' section under your unemployment services. It's usually in the main menu after you select your unemployment claim. You'll need your bank routing number and account number. Make sure it's a checking account, not savings, as NYS Department of Labor doesn't allow savings accounts for direct deposit.
0 coins
Emily Nguyen-Smith
•Thanks! I found it under 'Manage Payment Options' - I was looking in the wrong place. Do you know how long it takes for the change to take effect?
0 coins
Sophia Rodriguez
It usually takes 1-2 weekly claim cycles for direct deposit to kick in. So if you set it up today, your next payment might still be a check, but the one after that should be direct deposit. Also, make sure your bank accepts ACH transfers - some smaller credit unions have weird restrictions.
0 coins
Mia Green
•This is correct. I switched to direct deposit last month and it took exactly 2 weeks to start working. The first payment after I set it up was still mailed as a check.
0 coins
Emma Bianchi
ughhh i've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for 3 days to ask about this exact thing and can never get through!! the phone system is terrible, it just keeps hanging up on me after being on hold forever. there has to be an easier way to get help with basic account stuff like this
0 coins
Lucas Kowalski
•I had the same problem trying to reach them about my direct deposit setup. Someone on here mentioned claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to actual NYS Department of Labor agents. I tried it and actually got connected within 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
0 coins
Emma Bianchi
•Really? That actually works? I'm so tired of getting disconnected I'm willing to try anything at this point.
0 coins
Olivia Martinez
Just be careful entering your banking info online. I always double check the routing number because if you mess it up your payment could get sent to the wrong account and then you have to wait weeks for NYS Department of Labor to fix it. I write it down first then type it in very slowly.
0 coins
Charlie Yang
Make sure you save a screenshot or print out the confirmation page after you set up direct deposit. I didn't do this and then when my payment was late I had no way to prove I had set it up correctly. Turned into a whole mess with customer service.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
I just went through this process last week! One tip that helped me - after you find the "Manage Payment Options" section that Emily mentioned, make sure to verify your address is correct too. My direct deposit got delayed because my mailing address in the system was outdated, even though the banking info was right. The system does a verification check and if anything doesn't match up it can cause delays. Also, keep your confirmation email - I screenshot mine just in case there are any issues later.
0 coins
Aisha Abdullah
•Great point about checking your address! I had a similar issue where my bank account info was correct but my address was still showing my old apartment. It's frustrating that such a small detail can hold up payments. Thanks for the tip about screenshotting the confirmation - I'll definitely do that when I set mine up. Did you have to wait the full 2 weeks for direct deposit to start working even with the address issue, or did it take longer?
0 coins
Luca Russo
•@Jibriel Kohn This is super helpful advice! I m'definitely going to double-check my address before I submit anything. Quick question - when you say verification "check, does" the system automatically cross-reference with your bank s'records, or is it just checking against what NYS has on file? I want to make sure I have everything lined up correctly before I attempt this. The last thing I need is more delays when I m'already struggling financially.
0 coins
McKenzie Shade
•@Luca Russo From what I experienced, it seems like NYS does some kind of verification against their own records rather than directly with your bank. When I had the address mismatch, the system flagged it during processing but didn t'give me a clear error message upfront. I only found out when I called after my payment was delayed. My advice would be to log into your my.ny.gov account and update your address in your profile settings first, then wait a day or two before setting up the direct deposit. That way everything should be consistent in their system. Better safe than sorry when you re'already dealing with financial stress!
0 coins
Mason Kaczka
I had this same issue a few months ago! One thing that really helped me was making sure to set up direct deposit right after I certified for my weekly claim. I noticed that if I tried to update my payment method in the middle of the week, it seemed to take longer to process. Also, don't panic if you don't see the change reflected immediately in your account dashboard - it took about 24-48 hours for the system to show my updated payment method, but the actual direct deposit still worked on schedule. Just make sure to keep certifying weekly as normal while the change processes. The transition from checks to direct deposit was honestly a game changer for my budgeting!
0 coins