This is not true. Balances always “vanish” while payouts process. Then you claim your BAT and it appears. If you had been connected prior, it may try to send to your Uphold or Gemini account. If it has you as Unverified then you’ll end up with a Claim button.
Keep in mind payments begin processing on the 8th of each month and can take a couple weeks to complete. You can track the status of payout either at Ads Payout Status Update or by checking the banner on top of https://sampson.codes/brave/ads/my_region/
If payments complete and you have not received your BAT, then you’ll need to open a Support Ticket by completing the form at https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360001302431