I had to do this back in January and my experience was TERRIBLE. The video verification was scheduled then canceled TWICE without notice. I ended up waiting 23 days - well beyond their "14 day" promise. When I finally got someone on the phone, they claimed my verification had been approved a week earlier but "hadn't been entered into the system correctly." Sure. Magically fixed it while I was on the phone. ALWAYS follow up before their deadline - don't just trust the process!

When I did my video verification last year, it actually went pretty fast. Got approved in 4 days. But I think I just got lucky with timing honestly. I remember the agent said something about how they were catching up on a backlog. Anyway, I'd just keep checking the website every morning, that's when they usually update the system. By the way, my brother is applying for benefits now too. Does anyone know if he needs to do the video verification or is it only for certain people?

anyone else think its weird they make us fax stuff but then they email us? make it make sense lol

Update: I ended up using FaxZero this morning to send my documents. It was actually pretty easy! They give you 5 free faxes per day (up to 3 pages each). I got an email confirmation that it went through successfully. Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I'll update again if I run into any issues with them receiving it.

When you do finally get through to someone, make sure you get their ID number or at least their first name. Also ask them to put detailed notes in your file about the conversation. This creates a record in case you need to reference the call later. And be extremely clear that you want to WITHDRAW your contest and have benefits processed based on the original determination. Sometimes the agents use specific terminology that's different from everyday language.

I see from your other comments that you've been certifying regularly - that's good. One other thing to check: log into your NY.gov account and make sure your payment method is correctly set up. Sometimes when there's an issue with a claim, the system might revert to a default payment method like debit card even if you originally selected direct deposit. It's worth verifying while you're waiting to speak with someone.

Quick update - I just saw your post and wanted to mention something important. If you do contact your state representative, make sure to highlight how long you've been trying to resolve this (almost 2 years). Representatives' offices prioritize cases based partly on urgency and time elapsed. Also, be prepared with your NY.gov ID number, the exact weeks you're missing payments for, and documentation of your attempts to contact DOL. The more organized your information is, the faster they can help you.

I had a similar issue but was missing payments from November 2023. What ended up working for me was sending a direct email to the Commissioner's Office (I found the email address on the NYSDOL website contact page). I didn't get a response to my email, but about 10 days later I got a call from someone at the DOL who said they were following up on my email to the Commissioner. They fixed my issue on that call and I got my missing payments the following week. I think sometimes you need to escalate beyond the regular channels. The regular phone lines and messaging system seem completely overwhelmed.

To address your follow-up question about benefit amounts: The 3 days of work shouldn't reset or significantly change his benefit amount. NY calculates benefits based on a base period that looks at several quarters of past earnings. A few days of work in 2025 would be a very small part of this calculation.\n\nOne important thing to note: If his previous unemployment claim expired, and he hasn't worked much since then, he may need to use what's called an \

This is super helpful information, especially about the alternate base period. He hasn't had much work since his original layoff, so it sounds like that might apply to his situation. I'll make sure he mentions this when filing. Thank you!

my form says i got $8.12 in interest lol are they really gona care if i just dont report that??

After reading all these comments, I'm gonna just report it and be done with it. Not worth the stress over a few bucks. But I'm definitely remembering this the next time I hear the NY unemployment department talk about how they're "improving services." 🙄 Thanks everyone for the information and commiseration!

btw has anyone else noticed the DOL website is down like EVERY other day?? how are we supposed to check our claims when the system is always "under maintenance" 🙄

To address your question about waiving the filing fee for a writ of mandamus: Yes, you can apply for a fee waiver by filing a "Poor Person's Application" (officially called an "In Forma Pauperis" application). You'll need to prove financial hardship. But based on all the advice here, I strongly recommend pursuing these steps in this order before considering legal action: 1. Use the expedited hardship review process mentioned above 2. Contact all relevant elected officials (multiple methods) 3. File a complaint with the Governor's office 4. Consider services like Claimyr to reach an agent directly 5. Contact NY Legal Aid Society for free legal consultation If you do pursue a writ, the timeline mentioned above (3-4 months) is unfortunately accurate in today's court system. Legal action should be your last resort.

just curious how much did u make at ur part time job? cuz if u made too much u might not have gotten anything anyway

Based on your part-time earnings, you would likely have qualified for partial benefits. In NY, you can earn up to 30% of your maximum benefit rate without reduction (that would be about $151 in your case). After that, benefits are reduced by 25% for each dollar earned. With $250-300 weekly income, you would have received roughly $204-229 in partial benefits each week. This is why it's worth pursuing the backdating request - you're potentially looking at thousands in benefits you were eligible for. Make sure to emphasize in your request that had you known, you would have been filing weekly claims this entire time.

One more important note: if you're using tax software to file your return, make sure you enter your 1099-G information correctly. The software should guide you through this, but many people make errors when entering unemployment compensation. The full amount from Box 1 of your 1099-G needs to be reported on Schedule 1 of your federal tax return, which then transfers to your Form 1040.

Thank you everyone for the help! Sounds like I definitely need to report the full amount from my 1099-G. I'm going to check if I can still set up withholding for my remaining benefits to avoid a bigger surprise next year. Not the news I was hoping for, but at least now I know what to expect.

Based on your responses, it sounds like there's likely a verification flag or processing issue that needs manual intervention. Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly common with the NY unemployment system in 2025. If your payment is still showing as 'pending' after 5 business days, I strongly recommend speaking with a representative directly. While there may be system-wide delays as others have mentioned, it's better to address potential account-specific issues sooner rather than later, especially if you depend on these payments.

UPDATE: My payment finally processed! It took 6 business days instead of the usual 2-3. When I checked my account this morning, the status had changed from 'pending' to 'processed' and the money was in my bank account about 2 hours later. Looks like it was just a delay in their system processing. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!