UNEMPLOYMENT QUESTIONS: Issues with unemployment benefit debit cards

7 Eyewitness News is getting answers for people who say they are having problems with New York's unemployment debit cards.

HOLD OF ANYONE.THE REBOUNDBUFFALO IS OURCOMMITMENT TOGUIDING YOUTHROUGH THE MANYCHALLENGES OF THISPANDEMIC... ANDFILING FORUNEMPLOYMENT HASBEEN ONE OF THEGREATESTCHALLENGES FORMANY FAMILIES.WE'VE BEENFOLLOWING YOURFILING FRUSTRATIONFOR WEEKS NOW...WORKING TO MAKESURE YOU GET THEHELP YOU NEED.TONIGHT - 7EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER GILATMELAMED IS GETTINGANSWERS FORPEOPLE... WHO SAYTHEY ARE HAVINGPROBLEMS WITH THESTATE'SUNEMPLOYMENTDEBIT CARDS.FOUR WEEKS OFDEPOSITS.MORE THAN $2,700 INUNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS.THE TRANSACTIONSSHOULD BE AWELCOMED SIGHTFOR DIANA ADDEO OFLACKAWANNA.THE ONLY PROBLEM."I'M REALLYFRUSTRATED."SHE HASN'T RECEIVEDTHE PHYSICALKEYBANK DEBIT CARDTO ACCESS THEMONEY."I STILL HAVE 4PAYMENTS ON THATDEBIT CARD THAT ICAN'T GET OFF."KEYBANK SAYS THEKEY2BENEFITS CARDIS TYPICALLY MAILEDOUT BEFORESOMEONE ISAPPROVED FORBENEFITSTO CUTBACK ON WAIT TIME.BUT ADDEO WASAPPROVED MORETHAN A MONTH AGO.AND EVERY TIME SHECALLS KEYBANK TOTRY AND TRACK THECARD"IF YOU HAVEN'TRECEIVED WITHIN 21DAYS, PLEASE CALLBACK BEEP"SHE CAN'T GETTHROUGH TO APERSON.KEY BANK SAYS IT'STAKING MEASURES TOINCREASE IT'S CALLCAPACITY.IN RESPONSE TO 7EYEWITNESS NEWS'COVERAGE OF THEUNEMPLOYMENTFILING FIASCO, THEDEPARTMENT OFLABOR SENT OUR EDREILLY A LETTERTUESDAY NIGHTOUTLINING THE EXTRASTEPS IT HAS TAKENTO HELP NEWYORKERS LEFT INLIMBO.THE DEPARTMENTSAYS IT'S INCREASEDITS PHONE PORTSFROM 1,000 TO 10,000DURING THE COVID-19PANDEMIC... ANDINCREASED ITS WEBSERVERS FROM 4 TOMORE THAN 60.BUT ADDEO HASN'THAD ANY LUCK THEREEITHER."I'M SO FRUSTRATEDBECAUSE I STILL HAVEBILLS TO PAY.

AND I'MLIKE EVERYBODY ELSEYOU KNOW I'M JUSTKIND OF WINGING IT,I'M WAITING, ANDWAITING, BUT THIS IS 5WEEKS."SHE SWITCHED TODIRECT DEPOSIT ANDSUCCESSFULLYRECEIVED THISWEEK'S BENEFITS."WE'VE ALSO HEARDFROM VIEWERSHAVING THE REVERSEPROBLEM.

THETEDESCOS IN THETOWN OF TONAWANDAHAVE THE PHYSICALDEBIT CARD, BUT IT'SNOT LOADED WITHTHE RIGHT AMOUNTOF MONEY."MARIANNE AND HERHUSBAND DENNISCERTIFY THEIRBENEFITS EVERYWEEK, BUT ONLYRECEIVED THEIR FIRSTTWO PAYMENTS.THEY'RE MISSING THELAST THREE."WE CAN'TUNDERSTAND WHYWE'RE SUDDENLY INTHIS DEAD ZONEHERE, WE DON'TKNOW."THE DEPARTMENT OFLABOR AND KEY BANKTELL 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS THEY'RE NOWLOOKING INTO BOTHCASES.AND LATE WEDNESDAYAGTERNOON... ADDEORECEIVED A CALLFROM THEDEPARTMENT OFLABOR WHO SAYSTHEY WILL REACH OUTTO KEYBANK TO ISSUEHER A NEW DEBITCARD.GILAT MELAMED, 7EYEWITNESS NEW