BUFFALO, N.Y. — 2 On Your Side is getting answers for people who are repaying the New York State Department of Labor after being overpaid last year.
Many of these people have sent in their checks and are wondering why they haven't been cashed yet.
Patricia Wiseman from Gowanda, like so many people received not one, but two of those mystery payments of $600 last spring. And then last month, the New York State Department of Labor asked her to give it back, so she did.
Wiseman wrote out a check and mailed it to the P.O. Box in Albany as instructed. But that was it. She never heard anything confirming they got her check, and it hasn't come out of her checking account yet.
So, Wiseman emailed 2 On Your Side's Kelly Dudzik on Monday looking for answers. She has seen our unemployment stories during the pandemic, and she has co-workers in the same situation. Wiseman figured a lot of people out there have the same question she has.
"We're just wondering why our checks are sitting in Albany, and they've not been cashed, not deposited, you know, not taken from our checking accounts," Wiseman said. "I mean, I'm sitting on $1,200 that I don't even know where it is. Did they get my payment? No notification that they did, and I would just like some answers."
2 On Your Side asked the New York State Department of Labor about this, and we are told there is no delay and the normal process takes up to 45 days. We shared that information with Wiseman.
"I think it's crazy. I do. That same week, I sent a check to my automobile insurance, and I pay per year, and I sent a check out on Thursday and on Monday it came out of my checking account," Wiseman said. "Now, if the insurance company is as big as it is can take out money that fast, what's wrong with the state of New York doing it?"
Wiseman is happy she has an answer now. She just wishes the state had given her a heads up about the 45 days in the text or letter they sent her because she was worried about where her check was. It has personal information on it.
If you have a question about your unemployment benefits, just email Kelly Dudzik and she will try to get an answer for you.