Received $0.00 deposit from NY unemployment before actual payment - normal?

Yes, this is completely normal! The $0.00 deposit is essentially a test transaction that NYSDOL does to verify your bank account information before sending the actual funds. It's a good sign - it means they've processed your claim and are preparing to deposit your benefits. You should see the real payment within 1-3 business days after the test deposit.

I had the same thing happen in January 2025. Got a $0 deposit on Tuesday and then my actual payment ($625) showed up on Thursday. It's just them setting up the direct deposit system. Nothing to worry about!

I've seen this happen to lots of people. Usually it means your payment is coming soon, but sometimes it can indicate an issue with your banking information or claim status. If you don't receive your funds within 3 business days after seeing the $0 deposit, you should definitely contact NYSDOL. The challenge is getting through to an agent - if you're having trouble, I recently used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying to get through. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE that shows how it works. Saved me so much stress!

THIS IS EXACTLY HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS!!! They do a test deposit to make sure your account is valid. Then they release the funds. But if your claim has ANY issues (even minor ones you don't know about), they can hold the payment even after the test deposit. I had a $0 deposit then waited THREE WEEKS with nothing because there was a "pending verification" that nobody told me about. The system is BROKEN!

I'm having a similar problem but slightly different... I got the $0 deposit two weeks ago and then a real deposit of $372 but that's way less than I was expecting based on my previous earnings. Has anyone else had issues with incorrect payment amounts after the test deposit? I'm trying to figure out if they made a mistake or if I did something wrong on my application.

To summarize for anyone finding this thread later: 1. A $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL is normal and usually indicates your real payment is coming soon (typically 1-3 business days) 2. If you don't receive payment within 3 business days, there might be an issue with your claim that requires contact with NYSDOL 3. Sometimes the $0 deposit happens but payment is delayed due to pending verifications or other claim issues 4. Even after receiving the test deposit, continue checking your claim status online for any messages or required actions Hope this helps anyone experiencing the same situation!

ya my brother got same thing last month they r just making sure ur bank info works

Just wanted to add my experience - I got the $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL back in February and was worried it meant something was wrong. Turns out it's totally standard procedure! My actual payment ($542) came through exactly 2 business days later. The key thing is to keep checking your online account during those few days to make sure there aren't any pending issues or document requests that could delay your payment. If everything looks clear and you still don't get paid within a week, that's when you should definitely call them.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL on Monday and have been checking my account obsessively ever since. Reading through all these responses is really reassuring - sounds like it's completely normal and I should see my actual payment in the next day or two. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, especially the timeline details. It's so stressful when you're waiting for that first payment and don't know what to expect from the system!

I can confirm this is totally normal! I went through the same thing in December 2024. The $0.00 deposit is basically NYSDOL's way of testing your bank account before they send the real money. It's actually a good sign that your claim is being processed. In my case, I got the $0 deposit on a Wednesday and my actual payment ($459) showed up the following Friday. Just keep an eye on your online account to make sure there aren't any pending issues that could delay things. If you don't see anything by early next week, then it might be worth calling them to check on your claim status.

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation! Got my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL yesterday and have been anxiously waiting to see what happens next. Reading through everyone's experiences here is incredibly helpful - it seems like this is just their standard process for verifying bank account details before sending the actual payment. The consistent timeline people are reporting (1-3 business days between the test deposit and real payment) gives me hope that I should see my funds by early next week. It's such a relief to know this is normal procedure and not a sign that something went wrong with my claim. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines!

I just went through this exact same thing last week! Got the $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL on Thursday and was totally confused - thought maybe it was some kind of error or glitch. But sure enough, my actual payment of $512 showed up on Monday morning. It's definitely their standard process for verifying your banking information before they release the real funds. The waiting period between the test deposit and actual payment is nerve-wracking, especially when you're counting on that money, but it seems like everyone here has had the same experience with the 1-3 day timeline. Just wanted to add another data point that this is completely normal! Keep checking your online account to make sure there aren't any pending issues, but you should be good to go.

Just wanted to share my recent experience to add to the helpful timeline data here! I received my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL this past Tuesday and was initially worried something was wrong with my claim. After reading through all these responses, I felt much more confident that it was just their standard verification process. Sure enough, my actual payment of $598 hit my account this morning (Friday) - exactly 3 business days after the test deposit! The waiting was definitely stressful, especially since this was my first unemployment claim, but everything worked out just as everyone described. For anyone currently waiting after getting their $0 deposit, try not to stress too much - it really does seem to be their normal procedure and the payments do come through within that 1-3 day window that people keep mentioning.

I'm experiencing this exact same thing right now! Just saw a $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL this morning and immediately started panicking that something was wrong with my claim. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief - it sounds like this is completely standard procedure for them to verify banking info before sending the actual payment. The consistent timeline everyone is reporting (1-3 business days between test deposit and real payment) gives me hope that I should see my funds by early next week. It's amazing how much anxiety this process causes when you're relying on these payments! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines - it really helps newcomers like me understand what's normal vs. what's cause for concern.

I'm currently going through this same situation! Got my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL yesterday and came straight to this community to see if anyone else had experienced it. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to see so many people confirm that this is just their standard verification process before sending the actual payment. The consistent 1-3 business day timeline that everyone is reporting gives me confidence that I should see my real payment by early next week. It's wild how much stress this whole unemployment process causes, especially when you're not familiar with how the system works. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and timelines - it really makes a difference for those of us going through this for the first time!

I'm dealing with this right now too! Just got my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL this afternoon and was completely freaking out thinking it meant my claim was denied or something went wrong. This thread is like a lifesaver - seeing so many people share the exact same experience with the same timeline really puts my mind at ease. It's crazy how the system doesn't give you any heads up that this test deposit is coming, so you're left wondering if it's good news or bad news! Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should see my actual payment sometime between Monday and Wednesday. The stress of waiting for that first unemployment payment is no joke, especially when you're not sure what's normal. Really grateful for everyone who shared their timelines and outcomes - it makes such a difference for those of us navigating this process for the first time!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just received my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL this morning and immediately started worrying that something was wrong with my claim. This thread has been such a lifesaver - reading through everyone's experiences really shows how consistent this process is. It's incredible how many people have shared almost identical timelines of getting the test deposit followed by their actual payment 1-3 business days later. The fact that this seems to be completely standard procedure makes me feel so much better. I've been unemployed for about a month now and this will be my first payment, so the anxiety has been real! Based on all the positive experiences shared here, I'm cautiously optimistic that I should see my real payment by Wednesday or Thursday. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their stories and timelines - it really helps those of us who are new to this whole process understand what's normal!

I just wanted to add my experience from last month to help reassure anyone going through this! I got my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL on a Friday afternoon and spent the entire weekend convinced something was wrong with my claim. I kept checking my online account obsessively and even called the helpline (couldn't get through, of course). But sure enough, my actual payment of $634 showed up on Tuesday morning - exactly 2 business days after the test deposit. Looking back, I wish I had found this thread earlier because it would have saved me so much unnecessary stress! The $0 deposit really is just their way of verifying your bank account before releasing funds. For anyone currently waiting after seeing that test deposit, try to stay patient - based on everyone's experiences here, your real payment should come through within that 1-3 day window. The system works, it's just not very transparent about what's happening behind the scenes!

I'm currently experiencing this exact situation! Just got my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL yesterday and was initially worried it meant there was an issue with my claim. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - it's amazing how consistent everyone's timeline has been with the test deposit followed by actual payment within 1-3 business days. This is my first time filing for unemployment so I had no idea what to expect from the system. The lack of communication from NYSDOL about what these test deposits mean definitely adds to the stress when you're already anxious about your claim status. Based on everyone's shared experiences here, I'm feeling much more optimistic that I should see my real payment by Thursday or Friday. Thanks to everyone who took the time to document their timelines - it really helps newcomers understand what's normal vs what requires action!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Just received my $0.00 deposit from NYSDOL this morning and immediately panicked thinking my claim was rejected or there was some error. This thread is such a relief to find - seeing so many people share nearly identical experiences with the same 1-3 day timeline from test deposit to actual payment really calms my nerves. I've been unemployed for about 5 weeks now and this will be my first payment, so the anxiety has been through the roof! The fact that NYSDOL doesn't explain what these test deposits mean definitely doesn't help with the stress. Based on all the positive outcomes shared here, I'm cautiously optimistic that I should see my real payment by Thursday or Friday. Thank you to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - it makes such a huge difference for those of us navigating this confusing system for the first time. I'll definitely update when my payment comes through to add another data point for future people who find this thread!