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Oliver Wagner

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?

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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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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Yup, had to call the number on the card to activate it. Pretty standard stuff, takes like 2 minutes.

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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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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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sounds too good to be true. another 'miracle solution' that probably doesn't work... 🙄

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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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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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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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I've been burned by so many of these 'unemployment hacks' before... what makes this different?

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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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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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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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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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WHAT?! Are you serious? Nobody told me this. Where exactly do you set that up?

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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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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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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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Oh wow, I didn't think of calling Key Bank directly. I'll try this today, thank you!

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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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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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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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Can confirm this advice is spot on. Almost identical situation happened to me and these steps worked.

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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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fr fr 💯 the whole unemployment system feels like it's running on windows 95

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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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i heard they spent millions 'upgrading' the system last year and somehow made it WORSE lmao

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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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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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3 weeks?! I can't wait that long, my landlord is already threatening eviction 😥

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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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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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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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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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That number is the same as the main one...? Or am I missing something

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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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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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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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Good to know, thanks for the warning!

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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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This is underrated advice. The constituent services people at your state rep's office can work magic with govt agencies.

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I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago. Your payment is probably stuck in limbo right now because the system tried to deposit to your closed account. Here's what worked for me: Call Key Bank first at 1-866-295-2955 to confirm your account status, then you'll need to contact NYSDOL to have them reissue the payment. The funds won't just disappear - they'll hold them until you get it sorted out. Also, once you get through to someone, ask them to switch you to direct deposit for future payments so you don't have to deal with Key Bank anymore. It's a pain but totally fixable!

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This is really helpful! I'm in a similar situation where my payment got processed but my Key Bank account was closed due to overdraft issues. Did you have any trouble getting through to Key Bank at that number? And when you contacted NYSDOL to reissue the payment, did they make you wait for a whole new processing cycle or was it pretty quick once you got someone on the phone?

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Key Bank was actually pretty quick to answer - maybe 15-20 minutes on hold which isn't bad compared to NYSDOL! They confirmed my account was closed and gave me a reference number. For the reissue, once I finally got through to unemployment (took me using that Claimyr service someone mentioned), they were able to reprocess it within like 48 hours. No waiting for a whole new cycle thankfully. The rep said since the original payment had already been approved, they just had to redirect it. Definitely call Key Bank first though - having that confirmation made the NYSDOL call go way smoother.

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I had this exact same issue earlier this year! When your Key Bank account is closed due to overdrafts (not just expired), the system can't automatically send a new card. Your payment is probably sitting in limbo right now. Here's what I learned after going through this nightmare: 1. Call Key Bank first at 1-866-295-2955 to get confirmation that your account is closed and get a reference number 2. Then you HAVE to talk to someone at NYSDOL to have them reissue the payment - there's no automatic process for closed accounts 3. Ask them to switch you to direct deposit while you have them on the phone so this doesn't happen again 4. If you can't get through the normal way (and let's be real, you probably won't), I ended up using that Claimyr service people mentioned and it actually worked The good news is your money isn't lost - they hold it until you get it sorted. The bad news is you definitely need to make those calls. I know it's frustrating when rent is due, but once you get the right person on the phone it gets fixed pretty quickly. Hang in there!

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This is super helpful, thank you! I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now. Quick question - when you called Key Bank and got that reference number, did they tell you anything about how long the payment would stay in limbo? I'm worried it might get sent back to the state or something if I don't act fast enough. Also, did the Claimyr service cost much? At this point I'm willing to pay whatever it takes to actually talk to a human at NYSDOL.

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Key Bank told me the funds would stay in limbo for about 30 days before potentially getting sent back, so you do have some time but don't wait too long. As for Claimyr, I think it was like $20 or something - honestly worth every penny when you consider how much time and stress it saved me. I was literally about to lose my mind trying to get through the regular way. The whole process from using their service to getting my payment reissued took about a week total, which was way better than the months of runaround I was expecting.

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I went through this EXACT situation about 8 months ago and it was such a headache! Your payment is definitely stuck in limbo right now since the system tried to deposit to your closed account. Here's what you need to do: 1. Call Key Bank at 1-866-295-2955 first to confirm your account status and get a reference number - this usually takes 15-20 mins on hold which is way better than NYSDOL 2. Then you absolutely MUST speak to someone at NYSDOL to have them manually reissue the payment. There's no automatic process when accounts are closed due to overdrafts vs just expired cards 3. While you have them on the phone, ask to switch to direct deposit for future payments so you never have to deal with Key Bank again 4. Your money isn't lost - they hold it for about 30 days before potentially sending it back, so you have time but don't wait too long I know the phone situation is impossible, but if regular calling doesn't work, I honestly had success with that Claimyr service others mentioned. Cost me like $25 but saved my sanity and got me connected within an hour. Once I actually talked to someone at NYSDOL, they reprocessed my payment in 2 days since the original approval was already there. Hang in there - I know it's stressful when rent is due, but this IS fixable! Document everything and get those reference numbers. You got this! 💪

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