NYS Department of Labor unemployment debit card never arrived - why have i not received my unemployment debit card?
Filed my unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor about 6 weeks ago and it got approved 2 weeks back. I certified for my weekly claims and they show as paid on my.ny.gov portal but I still haven't gotten my debit card in the mail. The system says payments were issued but where's my card? I need this money for rent and groceries. Has anyone else had their unemployment debit card take this long to arrive? What should I do?
12 comments


Zara Khan
The KeyBank debit cards for NYS unemployment usually take 7-10 business days after your first payment is issued. Since you said your claim was approved 2 weeks ago, it should have arrived by now. Check your address on file in the my.ny.gov system - if there's any typo or old address, that could be the issue. You can also call KeyBank directly at the number on the NYS Department of Labor website to track your card.
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Sean Fitzgerald
•I checked my address and it's correct. Should I call KeyBank or NYS Department of Labor first?
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MoonlightSonata
same thing happened to me! took almost 3 weeks to get mine. turns out it got sent to my old apartment even though my address was updated in the system. had to request a replacement card
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Sean Fitzgerald
•How did you request the replacement? Did you have to call or can you do it online?
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MoonlightSonata
•had to call keybank and they sent a new one but it took another week
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Mateo Gonzalez
If your payments show as issued but you haven't received the card, you have a few options. First, verify your mailing address in your my.ny.gov account. Second, contact KeyBank at 1-866-295-2955 to check if the card was mailed and request expedited delivery if needed. Third, if there are issues reaching KeyBank due to high call volume, I recently discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helps people get through to NYS Department of Labor agents quickly - they have a helpful video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Sometimes you need to speak with an NYS Department of Labor agent to resolve card delivery issues on their end.
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Nia Williams
•Thanks for the KeyBank number! Going to try calling them first thing tomorrow morning.
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Luca Ricci
This whole debit card system is ridiculous!! Why can't they just do direct deposit like every other normal place? I'm dealing with the same issue and it's been 3 WEEKS. My landlord doesn't care that the state is slow with sending cards.
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Aisha Mohammed
•totally agree the system is outdated but you can switch to direct deposit once you get the card and activate it
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Ethan Campbell
Did you check if your mail is being forwarded properly? I moved recently and forgot to update my forwarding address with USPS and that delayed my unemployment card by 2 weeks. Also make sure no one else in your building or neighbors accidentally got your mail.
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AstroAlpha
I had a similar issue last month! My card took almost 4 weeks to arrive. Here's what worked for me: 1) Call KeyBank at 1-866-295-2955 early in the morning (around 8 AM) to avoid long wait times, 2) Ask them to verify the mailing address they have on file - mine had a small typo that I didn't notice, 3) If the address is wrong or the card was lost in mail, they can expedite a replacement for free. Also, once you get your card, definitely set up direct deposit through the KeyBank app or website so you don't have to deal with this again. The whole process is frustrating but hang in there!
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Ella rollingthunder87
•This is really helpful advice! The 8 AM call time tip is great - I've been trying to call during lunch breaks and the wait times are insane. Did KeyBank charge you anything for the expedited replacement or was it really free? I'm worried they might try to hit me with fees on top of everything else I'm dealing with right now.
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