Morning edition · October 28, 2026
A missing digit in a bank-account number left a Brooklyn man separated from thousands of dollars in unemployment benefits, according to a newly published consumer report. The case ended with the money reaching the correct account, but only after a prolonged effort to resolve the mistake.
In an October 26 report by WABC’s 7 On Your Side, Philip Walters said he entered a checking-account number missing its final digit in New York’s benefits portal. Payments were directed to someone else’s account.
An approval did not mean the money arrived
Walters told the station he had already challenged benefit denials and won a hearing before discovering the payment problem. He said his bank needed the Department of Labor to initiate a recall of the money.
WABC reported working with the department and bank to address a paperwork obstacle. Ultimately, $11,782.54 was deposited into Walters’ correct account. He also told the station that he had found a job.
The account documents one person’s experience. It does not establish how frequently comparable errors occur, and the recovery does not guarantee that every payment dispute will follow the same timetable.
What the state tells claimants to check
The New York Department of Labor’s direct-deposit guidance emphasizes accurate routing and checking-account information. It warns that incorrect information can delay payments and advises against relying on deposit slips, which may contain numbers unsuitable for direct deposit.
The department says enrollment and changes must be made through the authenticated online account rather than over the telephone. Claimants can check their payment history to determine whether funds were released, then verify receipt with their financial institution.
These steps distinguish several different problems: a claim awaiting approval, an approved payment not yet released and money released but not received. Knowing which stage has failed gives a claimant a more precise question to bring to the agency or bank.
For households depending on benefits while searching for work, that distinction is practical rather than technical. A portal showing a payment and a bank account actually receiving it are separate pieces of evidence. Walters’ experience shows why both matter.