my cousin had the same problem last month and he said just keep trying different browsers until one works. he finally got it to work on microsoft edge of all things lol

UPDATE: I finally got through the ID.me verification! For anyone else struggling with this, here's what worked for me: 1. Used Chrome browser on my laptop (Safari was definitely part of my problem) 2. Made sure I was in a room with good natural lighting 3. Took off my glasses for the selfie part 4. Added a utility bill with my current address since my license has my old address 5. Made sure to go through each step slowly and carefully Thank you everyone for all your help and suggestions! My verification is now complete and they said my benefits should resume with the next payment cycle.

UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone else struggling with this, here's what worked: I used Claimyr (from the suggestion above) and got connected to an agent in about 30 minutes. The agent was able to pull up my account and see that there was indeed a calculation error on my 1099-G. They're sending me a corrected version within 10 business days. The agent also explained that the error happened because I had some weeks where benefits were adjusted retroactively, but the tax system didn't properly reconcile those adjustments. For anyone with similar issues, make sure you mention "retroactive adjustments" specifically when you get through. Thanks everyone for your help!

My cousin had the same problem but with her california unemployment. She spent weeks trying to get it fixed! I told her she should move to NY because our system is actually better than most states lol. At least here you can eventually get someone on the phone! Good luck with your taxes!

My sister had this same problem last month and she ended up emailing unemployment.questions@labor.ny.gov with her claim number in the subject line. She got a callback within 3 days. Maybe try that too?

UPDATE: I wanted to share what finally worked for me in case someone else has this problem. I tried everything suggested here: 1. The secure message in my account - got no response after 4 days 2. Calling at 8am sharp - still got the vaccine hotline 3. Emailing unemployment.questions@labor.ny.gov - no response after 3 days I finally used Claimyr that someone mentioned above and got through to an agent in about 30 minutes. The agent was able to fix my claim (there was a verification flag on it that shouldn't have been there) and my payments should resume this week. Thanks everyone for your help! The whole system is definitely broken right now, but at least I got my issue resolved.

Just to follow up - once you do get through to someone, make sure they check for two specific things: 1. A "partial benefits review flag" which is the automatic 16-week review others mentioned 2. A "quarterly wage consistency verification" which happens when they compare your reported earnings with what your employer has submitted Either of these can cause a payment hold without any notification to you. And yes, you will receive back pay for all weeks once resolved.

Any luck getting through to NYSDOL? I'm curious if using that Claimyr service worked for you like it did for me. Let us know!

this is why i HATE the keybank card!!! switched to direct deposit after they "lost" my payment twice. good luck getting through to nysdol, the whole system is a joke

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone! I used that Claimyr service and they called me back when I was connected to an agent. Turns out there was a payment hold on my account because of some random quarterly review thing. The agent cleared it right away and said I should get my payment within 3 business days. Why they couldn't just notify me about this is beyond me, but at least it's getting fixed! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!