NYS Department of Labor unemployment card never arrived - where is my unemployment card?
I've been approved for unemployment benefits for almost 3 weeks now but I still haven't received my KeyBank debit card in the mail. My weekly claims are being processed and show as paid on the my.ny.gov portal, but without the card I can't access any of my money. I called KeyBank and they said NYS Department of Labor has to issue the card request. When I try calling NYS Department of Labor I just get disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Has anyone else had their unemployment card take this long to arrive? I'm really stressed about paying rent next week.
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Paolo Rizzo
The KeyBank ReliaCard usually takes 7-10 business days to arrive after your first payment is processed by NYS Department of Labor. Since you're at 3 weeks, something might be wrong with the address they have on file. You can check your mailing address in your my.ny.gov account under profile settings. If it's wrong, you'll need to contact NYS Department of Labor to update it before they can reissue the card.
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Keisha Williams
•I checked and my address is correct in the system. Should I request a replacement card through KeyBank or does it have to go through NYS Department of Labor?
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Amina Sy
same thing happened to me last year, took forever to get the stupid card!! i ended up having to call keybank like 5 times before they finally sent a replacement. they kept saying to contact NYS DOL but that was impossible with their phone system
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Oliver Fischer
•Actually, if your first payment has already been processed and you haven't received the card after 2 weeks, you should call KeyBank at 1-866-295-2955. They can track the card and issue a replacement if needed. NYS Department of Labor only handles the initial card request, but KeyBank manages replacements for lost or delayed cards.
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Natasha Ivanova
I had the worst time trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor about my missing card. Spent weeks getting disconnected and leaving messages that never got returned. Finally found out about this service called Claimyr that actually gets you through to an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was able to get through and resolve my card issue the same day I used their service.
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Keisha Williams
•How much does that cost? I'm already broke waiting for this card to show up.
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Natasha Ivanova
•It's worth checking out their site for pricing info, but honestly after weeks of trying to get through myself it was a lifesaver. Sometimes you just need to talk to an actual person to get things moving.
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NebulaNomad
The whole unemployment debit card system is such a mess. Why can't they just do direct deposit like normal jobs? I bet half the problems people have would disappear if they could just get their money deposited normally instead of dealing with these stupid cards that get lost in the mail.
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Javier Garcia
•You can actually set up direct deposit! You have to wait until you receive your first ReliaCard, then you can log into the KeyBank website and switch to direct deposit for future payments. But yeah, having to wait for the card first is really frustrating.
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Emma Taylor
Hope you get it sorted out soon! I remember that anxiety of waiting for the card when you need the money. Fingers crossed it shows up in your mailbox tomorrow!
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Luca Esposito
I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! Three weeks is definitely too long - my card took about 10 days which was already pushing it. Here's what worked for me: first, double-check your address in the my.ny.gov portal like Paolo mentioned. If that's correct, call KeyBank directly at 1-866-295-2955 early in the morning (like 8 AM) when wait times are shorter. Tell them you never received your initial ReliaCard and need a replacement expedited. They should be able to overnight it to you for free since it's their fault for the delay. Don't let them transfer you back to NYS DOL - KeyBank handles the card replacements once the initial request is made. I know it's stressful when rent is due, but you should have your card within 1-2 business days once you get through to them. Hang in there!
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Andre Moreau
•Thanks so much for the detailed advice! I'm definitely going to try calling KeyBank first thing tomorrow morning at 8 AM like you suggested. It's reassuring to hear from someone who went through the exact same thing. I was starting to panic that I'd never see that money. Really hoping they can expedite a replacement card - fingers crossed it works out as smoothly as it did for you!
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