Keep EVERYTHING until your claim is completely closed and then add 3 years on top of that. Trust me on this one - I got hit with an overpayment notice 2.5 years after my claim ended and having all my documentation saved my butt. They wanted proof of my job search activities from specific weeks and if I hadn't kept my logs they would have assumed I wasn't looking for work.

I work as a filing clerk at a law office and we deal with government document retention all the time. The 3-year rule mentioned here is correct - NYS Department of Labor follows standard administrative law timelines. I'd also suggest keeping a simple spreadsheet or log noting what documents you have and the dates. That way if you ever need to locate something specific, you don't have to dig through everything. Also, if you do go digital, make sure your scans are clear and legible - blurry photos won't help you if there's ever a dispute.

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!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with the same issue - found unemployment records going back to 2017 mixed in with other paperwork. I had no idea about the 3-year audit window or that NYS could request job search verification years later. That's honestly pretty nerve-wracking! Based on everyone's advice, I'm going to organize everything into the different retention categories: 1099-G forms with tax documents (7 years), weekly certifications and job logs (3 years from claim end), and keep any overpayment/appeal stuff indefinitely. The scanning approach sounds perfect too - I'll digitize everything before deciding what physical copies to keep. Really appreciate all the real-world experiences shared here, especially the audit stories. Better to be prepared than caught off guard later!

This is such a timely thread for me! I just started a new job after being on unemployment for 8 months and realized I have no system for organizing all the paperwork I accumulated. Reading through everyone's experiences about the 3-year audit window was definitely a wake-up call - I had no clue NYS could come back that far to verify job searches. The systematic approach everyone's describing makes so much sense: 1099-G forms for 7 years with taxes, weekly certs and job search logs for 3 years, and scanning everything for digital backups. I'm especially glad to hear about services like Claimyr for getting through to actual people at NYS DOL if needed later. Going to spend next weekend getting organized using the three-pile method before this paperwork takes over my apartment! Thanks for all the practical advice and real experiences - this saved me from either hoarding everything or accidentally tossing something important.

this whole system is ridiculous!! you're literally selling your BLOOD to survive and they want to penalize you for it? meanwhile rich people get tax breaks for breathing. the unemployment office makes everything so complicated on purpose to discourage people from claiming what they're entitled to

I work at a plasma center and can confirm that donation payments are considered reportable income by most state unemployment agencies, including New York. What you're receiving is compensation for your time and biological material, which makes it taxable income. We actually provide donors with 1099-MISC forms at the end of the year for amounts over $600. The good news is that NYS has that partial benefit calculation others mentioned - you won't lose your entire weekly benefit amount, just a portion based on what you earn. It's definitely better to report it accurately from the start rather than risk complications later.

I'm new to this whole unemployment process and just filed my claim yesterday after getting laid off from my bartending job in the East Village. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and anxiety-inducing! It's really helpful to see actual timelines from real people rather than just the vague official information. I'm particularly stressed because I'm a freelancer on the side too and I'm worried that might complicate my claim - did anyone else here have multiple income sources when they filed? Also, does anyone know if the weekly certification process is pretty straightforward once you get into the rhythm of it? I keep seeing people mention how important it is to not miss those weekly filings. Thanks for creating such a supportive thread here - it's clear we're all going through similar stress and it helps to not feel alone in this process!

I'm going through this exact same process right now - filed my claim about 10 days ago after getting laid off from my job at a coffee shop in Brooklyn. The waiting period is absolutely killing me financially! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so helpful though. I had no idea about filing weekly certifications while waiting for the initial claim to be processed - that seems like such a crucial detail that isn't made clear enough in the official information. Dylan, since you mentioned working at a restaurant for 2 years, your case should definitely be straightforward. I've been checking my account obsessively too but I'm going to try some of the suggestions here like setting up alerts instead. Also planning to call my landlord today to give them a heads up about the situation - several people mentioned that being proactive with communication helps. This thread has made me feel so much less alone in this stressful process. Hoping we all get good news soon!