Due to potential fraud, U.S. Bank has started freezing Reliacards believed to have been involved in identity theft.
If yours has been incorrectly frozen, please contact U.S. bank. If you believe you are a victim of UI fraud please report it here.
First Payment
For all new claims, the first payment is usually sent by paper check.
Payment options
The Employment Department pays benefits electronically either by a U.S. Bank ReliaCard® Visa debit card or direct deposit. If you don’t apply for direct deposit, you will be sent a ReliaCard®.
Direct deposit
With direct deposit, we electronically transfer your weekly benefit payment into your checking or savings account at your bank, credit union, or savings and loan. To apply for direct deposit you will need your routing and account numbers.
To apply:
- Use the Online Claim System and select “electronic deposit," or
- Print the Authorization for Electronic Deposit Form and send it to us. Note: Due to our current workload, mailing or faxing these forms to us will delay your direct deposit. Using the Online Claim System is the quickest way to receive direct deposit.
You can locate the Authorization for Direct Deposit form online at Forms.
Important: When applying for electronic deposit review your bank and routing information carefully to ensure accuracy. The Employment Department has no control over your electronic payment after the payment is issued.
When you sign up for direct deposit it takes up to 2 weeks to verify your account information. During the verification period, you will receive payment by paper check. Submitting additional requests for direct deposit, before the verification process is complete, will cause the system to begin a new verification process and delay your direct deposit set-up.
ReliaCard® Visa
With the U.S. Bank ReliaCard® Visa, we deposit your payments onto a prepaid debit card. This card can be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted.
Please watch for the card in the mail. It will arrive in a white envelope with an Indianapolis, Indiana return address. Don’t throw it away, even if you sign up for direct deposit. If your direct deposit were to fail for any reason, we automatically switch back to payment by ReliaCard®. When we process payments for a regular UI or PUA claim, it typically takes 2 business days, excluding holidays, for that payment to show up on your ReliaCard®.
When you receive your card, call the toll-free number on the card to activate it. You can access your ReliaCard® account information online at ReliaCard® or by calling their customer service center at 1-855-279-1270.
The Employment Department will never ask you to pay to access your unemployment benefits.
The Employment Department does not use any other outside company to get you your benefits. All communications about your benefits will come directly from the Employment Department, not from an outside company. If you are asked to send money or pay to access your benefits, be aware that this is a scam.
If you do not choose direct deposit, you will get a new Money Network/My Banking Direct debit card within 10 days after we review your application. The card will come in a plain, unmarked envelope with an Omaha, NE return address. It will arrive before you find out if your application was approved, so no funds will be available right away. Benefit payments are only issued to the debit card account if your claim is approved.
This card is good for four years. Keep it even after you return to work or your claim year ends. If you need to reopen a claim or file a new claim within four years, we will pay benefits to the same debit card account.
If your debit card is stolen, or becomes lost or damaged, immediately call My Banking Direct at 888-292-0059. There is one free replacement per calendar year. Additional replacement cards cost $10 per card.
If you apply for Unemployment Insurance, you will be asked whether you want to receive your benefits by direct deposit or debit card.
If you apply over the phone, you will automatically receive your benefits via debit cad unless you had a previous claim and you received them by direct deposit.
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit is an electronic transfer of your weekly Unemployment Insurance payments into your bank checking account. It offers increased convenience and allows you to access your funds via your own bank account. You can have your benefits electronically deposited into your checking account as long as your financial institution participates in the direct deposit program.
You will have the option to begin or cancel direct deposit or update your bank information after you login with your NY.GOV ID and click on Unemployment Benefits. You can access this page from 7:30 am until midnight Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. Please have a check with you so you can enter your checking account number and the bank routing number when registering for direct deposit.
If you choose to cancel direct deposit, you will receive your funds via debit card. Initial registration for direct deposit will take approximately five business days from the time your account information is received. Generally, once direct deposit is established, benefits are deposited into your checking account within three business days after payments are released by the Department of Labor.
Debit Card
If you do not choose to have your benefits direct deposited, you will receive your Unemployment Insurance benefits payments on a debit card. The card is mailed to you and comes with information on how to use it. A debit card provides an easy, convenient and secure way to receive your Unemployment Insurance benefit payments.
If you are receiving your benefits on a KeyBank debit card, you have access to thousands of no-fee ATMs across the state through KeyBank and the Allpoint network.
- Find an ATM
- Key2Benefits Debit Card Frequently Asked Questions provided by KeyBank in English and Spanish (Español) (PDF)
- General debit card FAQs
You can view your monthly account statement, set account alerts and see your balance and other account information. You can also sign up for text alert and get notified as soon as your benefits are deposited onto your debit card.