Will NY unemployment send me a new Key Bank card after my account was closed or do I need to call them?
So I finally got approved for unemployment after weeks of waiting. My benefits were released yesterday according to the website. Problem is my Key Bank account was closed a while back (I had some overdraft issues last year that I didn't resolve). I was checking my payment history and it says payment method is debit card, but I don't have an active card anymore. Does anyone know if they automatically send out a new card when they release funds or am I supposed to call them to request one? I'm really stressing because I need this money asap for rent that's already late. I've been trying to call but you know how that goes... impossible to get through to a real person. Has anyone else dealt with this situation before?
42 comments
Natasha Kuznetsova
They should send you a new card automatically. I had a similar situation when my card expired (didn't get closed, but still). The payment went through and about 7-10 days later I got a new card in the mail. Just make sure your address is updated in the system.
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Oliver Wagner
•Thanks for the info. My address is definitely updated. Did you have to activate the new card when you got it?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Yup, had to call the number on the card to activate it. Pretty standard stuff, takes like 2 minutes.
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Javier Mendoza
•This is wrong info. If ur account was CLOSED (not just expired), u definitely gotta call them. I went thru this last year.
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Oliver Wagner
•Ugh, thats what I was afraid of. Any tips on actually getting through to someone on the phone? I've been trying for days.
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Emma Thompson
After struggling with the same problem, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a live agent without the endless hold time. Talking to a real person got my money situation fixed so quickly! They basically wait on hold for you and call you when an agent picks up. Best thing I ever did to finally get my benefits sorted. Check out this video too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Malik Davis
•sounds too good to be true. another 'miracle solution' that probably doesn't work... 🙄
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Emma Thompson
•No seriously, I was super skeptical too but it actually works. I was about to give up after trying to call for 2 weeks straight. Got connected in about 45 mins with their service when I'd been trying manually for DAYS.
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Isabella Santos
•Wait does this actually work? I've been trying to get thru for almost 3 weeks now and I'm desperate
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Emma Thompson
•100% worked for me. They just keep dialing and navigate the phone tree, then call you when a human picks up. Simple but it saved me so much frustration.
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StarStrider
•I've been burned by so many of these 'unemployment hacks' before... what makes this different?
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Emma Thompson
•It's not a hack, it's just a service that calls for you. Nothing sketchy - they don't even ask for any personal info, they just connect the call to you when they get through. Saved me hours of my life.
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Ravi Gupta
You DEFINITELY need to call them. When your account is CLOSED (not just expired card), they don't automatically issue a new one. They have to manually reset something in the system. I had this exact problem in July when my Key account was closed due to inactivity. Took me 3 days of calling but once I got through, they fixed it on the spot.
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Freya Pedersen
The NY unemployment system is such a freaking joke. They make everything 10x harder than it needs to be. Why can't they just have direct deposit like a normal organization?! I hate that Key Bank card with a passion.
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Omar Hassan
•They do have direct deposit tho? I've been getting mine direct deposited for months. You just gotta set it up on your online account.
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Freya Pedersen
•WHAT?! Are you serious? Nobody told me this. Where exactly do you set that up?
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Omar Hassan
•Log into your NY unemployment account, go to payment methods, and there should be an option to set up direct deposit. You'll need your bank routing number and account number.
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Oliver Wagner
•This is super helpful info for the future, but I still need to figure out how to get this current payment that's already been processed to the debit card method 😫
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Chloe Anderson
When my account was closed last december, I had to call Key Bank directly not unemployment. The number should be on the back of your old card. If you don't have that anymore, try 1-866-295-2955. Took about 30 min on hold but way faster than getting thru to NYSDOL.
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Oliver Wagner
•Oh wow, I didn't think of calling Key Bank directly. I'll try this today, thank you!
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Diego Vargas
•When i called key bank they just told me I had to talk to unemployment anyway. Waste of time in my experience.
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CosmicCruiser
Here's what you need to do (went through this exact headache last fall): 1. Your money is likely sitting in limbo because your account was closed. The system tried to deposit it but couldn't. 2. You HAVE to speak with someone at NYSDOL. Unfortunately there's no way around this when your account has been closed due to overdraft issues - it's different from just an expired card. 3. Best times to call are Tuesday-Thursday between 8:05-8:30am. Slightly better chance of getting through. 4. If traditional calling isn't working (it usually doesn't), I highly recommend using claimyr.com - it's a service that does the calling/waiting for you and connects you when they get a human. Worth every penny since it got me my $2700 in stuck benefits released. 5. Once you talk to someone, ask them to reset your payment method to direct deposit if possible. This will help you avoid Key Bank issues going forward. 6. Document everything - who you spoke with, reference numbers, etc. The NY unemployment system is ridiculously frustrating, but there is a way through this maze. Hang in there!
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Oliver Wagner
•Thank you for such a detailed response! This is incredibly helpful. I'm going to try calling at those times and if that doesn't work I'll check out that service.
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Anastasia Fedorov
•Can confirm this advice is spot on. Almost identical situation happened to me and these steps worked.
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Sean Doyle
anyone else think its crazy that in 2023 we still have to deal with this prehistoric system? why cant they just text us updates or have an actual functioning website smdh
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Zara Rashid
•fr fr 💯 the whole unemployment system feels like it's running on windows 95
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Luca Romano
•Probably because they don't WANT it to be easy. The harder it is to claim benefits, the less money they have to pay out...
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Sean Doyle
•i heard they spent millions 'upgrading' the system last year and somehow made it WORSE lmao
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Nia Jackson
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but ur gonna need to call. Like actually talk to a human. The funds might be stuck in processing if your account is closed. This happened to my brother and he had to have them reissue the payment.
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NebulaNova
U might be waiting a while. I had a similar issue and it took nearly 3 weeks to get a new card after calling. They're slow AF.
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Oliver Wagner
•3 weeks?! I can't wait that long, my landlord is already threatening eviction 😥
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Mateo Hernandez
•Tell your landlord to chill - NY has protections against eviction when you can show proof of pending unemployment benefits. Print out your payment history screen as evidence.
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Aisha Khan
fun fact: you can actually request expedited shipping for the key bank card if you can get someone on the phone. they won't offer it, you have to specifically ask for it. worked for me back in february when i was in a similar spot.
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Ethan Taylor
•Yep, they can do 3-day shipping but you gotta be firm about needing it ASAP. sometimes they try to act like its not possible but it definitely is.
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Yuki Ito
Call this number instead of the main one: 888-209-8124. It's their direct line for payment issues. Still a wait but better than the general number. Select option 2, then 1, then 3 when prompted.
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Carmen Lopez
•That number is the same as the main one...? Or am I missing something
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Yuki Ito
•It's the same number but the key is the specific sequence of options. Most people don't choose the right path in the menu which is why they never get through.
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AstroAdventurer
Try reaching out on Twitter too. Sometimes they respond faster there than on the phone, believe it or not. Tag @NYSLabor in a tweet about your issue.
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Andre Dupont
Whatever u do DO NOT try to open a new Key Bank account on your own. It will mess everything up even worse. Let unemployment handle it or you'll end up with two accounts and a bigger mess. Ask me how I know... 🤦♂️
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Oliver Wagner
•Good to know, thanks for the warning!
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Zoe Papanikolaou
Check if you can get your state rep involved. My benefits were stuck for almost 2 months last year, I contacted my local assembly member's office and they have special contacts at NYSDOL. Had my issue fixed in 3 days.
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Jamal Wilson
•This is underrated advice. The constituent services people at your state rep's office can work magic with govt agencies.
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