Just want to add that if you're really strapped for cash while waiting, check if NY has any emergency assistance programs available. I know some people who got help through local food banks and utility assistance programs while their unemployment was stuck in processing. The 211 helpline (dial 2-1-1) can connect you to local resources. It won't solve the unemployment issue but might help with immediate bills while you wait for this bureaucratic nightmare to sort itself out.

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!

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.