Where is my NYS Department of Labor unemployment debit card - been waiting 3 weeks
I got approved for unemployment benefits almost 3 weeks ago and I still haven't received my debit card in the mail. My claim shows payments have been released but I can't access the money without the card. I've checked with my landlord and neighbors to make sure it wasn't delivered to the wrong address but nothing. Has anyone else had issues with their unemployment debit card not arriving? Should I be worried it got lost in the mail?
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Edwards Hugo
The unemployment debit cards are issued by KeyBank for NYS Department of Labor. They usually arrive within 7-10 business days after your first payment is processed. Since it's been 3 weeks, you should definitely call KeyBank's customer service line to report it as potentially lost and request a replacement card. You can also check if there's a way to track the card delivery status.
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Dylan Fisher
•Thank you! Do you know if I can get my payments while waiting for the replacement card or am I stuck until it arrives?
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Gianna Scott
same thing happened to me last year, card never showed up and i waited like a month before calling. turns out they had my address wrong in their system even though my unemployment claim had the right address
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Dylan Fisher
•Oh no, how did you fix the address issue? Did you have to contact NYS Department of Labor or KeyBank?
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Alfredo Lugo
I had a similar problem getting through to KeyBank about my missing unemployment card. Their phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to the right person at KeyBank. They have this video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Took about 20 minutes and I finally got my replacement card ordered properly.
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Sydney Torres
•How much does that cost? I'm already struggling financially waiting for my unemployment payments.
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Alfredo Lugo
•It was worth it for me since I'd been trying to get through for weeks on my own. Much easier than spending hours on hold just to get hung up on.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
The whole debit card system is ridiculous! Why can't they just do direct deposit like normal jobs? Now we have to deal with lost cards and fees and all this nonsense when we're already stressed about money.
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Caleb Bell
•You can actually switch to direct deposit once you get your card and set up the online account
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Danielle Campbell
Check your my.ny.gov account under payment history. Sometimes it shows the card delivery status there. Also make sure you didn't accidentally throw it away - the envelope looks like junk mail and the card itself is pretty thin.
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Dylan Fisher
•Good point about checking the payment history! I'll log in and see if there's any tracking info there.
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Astrid Bergström
I went through the same thing last month - waited almost 4 weeks for my card! Turns out the postal service had a delay in my area. What finally worked for me was calling KeyBank early in the morning (like 8 AM sharp) when their lines weren't as busy. They were able to confirm my address and expedite a replacement card. Also, definitely check with your post office to see if they're holding any mail for you - sometimes they hold cards if the delivery person couldn't access your mailbox or if your address wasn't clear.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Thanks for the tip about calling at 8 AM! I've been trying to call during lunch breaks and afternoons but always get busy signals. I'll definitely try first thing in the morning tomorrow. Also good idea about checking with the post office - I hadn't thought of that. Did they charge you anything for the expedited replacement card?
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