Just to add - make sure your employer is reporting your wages correctly to NYS Department of Labor even though you're not paying unemployment tax directly. Those wage reports are what determine your benefit amount if you ever need to file a claim.

This is really helpful information! I'm new to New York and was also confused about this. One thing I'd add is that even though employees don't pay unemployment tax directly, it's still worth checking your pay stubs regularly to make sure all your other deductions look correct. I've found that when you understand what should and shouldn't be there, it's easier to spot any payroll errors early. Plus, keeping good records of your pay stubs can be helpful if you ever need to verify your wage history with NYS Department of Labor.

lol welcome to unemployment hell. might as well get comfortable, ur gonna be here a while 🤡

I'm going through the same thing right now - submitted my reconsideration request about 3 weeks ago and still waiting. From what I've been reading online, it seems like the delays are getting worse because they're so understaffed. Have you tried calling the main number early in the morning? I heard 8am is the best time to get through, though I haven't had luck yet myself. Hang in there, we're all in this together!

I went through this in January. After ID.me AND uploading employment docs, it still took about 10 days before payments started. The maximum payable amount just sits there taunting you until they release it lol. Hang in there.

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I see you found that employment verification notification! I had the exact same thing happen - ID.me went through fine but then I was stuck for weeks. Turns out they needed my employment docs too but the notification was buried in a tiny corner of the dashboard. Once I uploaded my W-2 and last few paystubs, it took exactly 8 business days for everything to activate and my first payment to process. The weekly certification button appeared first, then about 3 days later the actual money hit my account. Make sure you certify every week even while waiting - you can backdate missed weeks but it's easier to stay current. The whole process is incredibly frustrating but you're on the right track now!

This thread is so helpful - I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed my claim in mid-January and have been stuck in ID.me verification limbo for 6 weeks now. I've been certifying every week religiously but haven't seen a penny. What's really frustrating is that when I finally got through to someone last week, they said my case was "escalated to a specialist" but couldn't give me any timeframe. The agent literally said "it could be tomorrow, it could be next month" - like thanks for nothing! 🙄 I'm definitely going to try contacting my assembly member after reading all these success stories. I'm in Queens so I'll look up who represents my district. Also going to check if there are any discrepancies between my ID.me info and my claim - I never thought about that before but it makes total sense. The stress of not knowing when (or if!) the money will come is almost worse than not having it. At least with regular unemployment you know what to expect. This new system is clearly broken and it's affecting so many people. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips!

I'm in a very similar situation and wanted to share what finally worked for me after being stuck for 8 weeks. Like many of you, I was getting nowhere with the regular phone lines and the "your claim is under review" responses. What actually got my claim moving was filing a complaint with the NY Department of Labor's Office of Special Investigations. You can do this online through their website under "Report Fraud/File Complaint" - but instead of reporting fraud, you file a complaint about processing delays. I explained that my claim had been pending for over 2 months without any clear explanation or timeline. Within 3 business days of filing the complaint, I got a call from a different department and my claim was processed that same week. All my back payments showed up 2 days later. The key is to be specific in your complaint - mention how long you've been waiting, that you've verified with ID.me successfully, that you're continuing to certify weekly, and that regular customer service hasn't been able to provide any resolution timeline. I know it feels like just another bureaucratic step, but it worked when nothing else did. Worth trying if you've already been waiting more than 6-8 weeks!

Glad to hear your account finally unlocked! For anyone still dealing with this issue, I went through the same thing a few months ago. Here's what I learned from my experience: The ID.me verification delay is usually on NYSDOL's end, not ID.me's. They have to manually sync the verification data with their legacy system, which is why it takes longer than the advertised 24 hours. A few additional tips: - Don't attempt to verify multiple times if it's taking long - this can actually delay the process further - Make sure your NY.gov account email matches exactly what you used for ID.me - If you changed your phone number recently, that can sometimes cause sync issues The system definitely needs improvement, but hang in there - it does eventually work. Most people I know had their accounts unlock within 2-3 days max.

I went through this exact same frustration last month! After my ID.me verification, it took almost 4 days for my account to unlock. What really helped was understanding that there are actually TWO separate systems that need to sync - ID.me's system and NYSDOL's legacy unemployment database. Here's what worked for me when I was in your situation: 1. Wait the full 72 hours before calling (I know it's stressful, but calling too early just clogs up their phone lines) 2. Check your ID.me account dashboard to confirm your verification shows as "Complete" 3. Try logging in early morning (around 6-7 AM) when their servers are less busy The good news is that once it's fixed, it stays fixed - no need to re-verify. I also noticed that payments seem to process faster once your account is properly verified through ID.me. Hang in there, the waiting is definitely the worst part but it does resolve!