If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about this directly, I used claimyr.com recently to get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call and getting busy signals. Sometimes you really need to talk to a real person about complex situations like yours.

Just wanted to add that when you're working part-time while on unemployment, make sure you report your work hours AND gross earnings for each week, not just one or the other. NYS Department of Labor needs both pieces of info to calculate your partial benefits correctly. Also, if you do file a new claim, they'll look at your base period earnings to determine your new weekly benefit amount - so if you earned more in recent quarters, your new claim might actually have a higher weekly benefit rate than your old one. Worth checking into!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been stuck in ID.me hell for weeks because of my PO Box situation. Reading through all these suggestions is giving me hope though. I'm going to try the PS Form 1093 from the post office first since that sounds like the most official option. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to getting my bank to print a statement with my physical address and maybe try the video verification route. It's so frustrating that the system makes it this hard for people who live in rural areas or just prefer using PO Boxes for security reasons. Thanks everyone for sharing what worked - this thread is way more helpful than anything I've gotten from calling unemployment directly!

I've been lurking here for weeks dealing with this exact nightmare! Finally got verified last week after 2+ months of fighting with ID.me. What ended up working for me was combining multiple approaches - I got that PS Form 1093 from the post office that @Sophia Long mentioned (lifesaver!), plus I had my credit union print out an official account statement with my physical address. The key was doing the video verification call with both documents ready. The agent could see my driver's license matched everything and finally pushed it through. For anyone still stuck: don't give up! Try multiple document combinations and definitely do the video call if you can wait the 3-4 hours. The system is absolutely broken for rural folks but persistence pays off. Also keeping a detailed log of every attempt helped me explain the situation to the video agent. Rooting for everyone still fighting this battle! 💪

yeah this is why I went back to school... better to be a student than deal with this mess lol

I went through something similar with my master's in computer science last year. NYS Department of Labor actually has specific guidelines for professional-level job searches - you don't need to apply for minimum wage positions that clearly won't hire you. Focus on roles that match your education and experience level, even if they're slightly below your previous salary. The key is showing "reasonable" job search efforts. I kept a spreadsheet with all applications, including company responses about overqualification, and never had issues with my weekly certifications. Also consider reaching out to professional associations and alumni networks - NYS DOL counts networking activities as valid job search efforts too.

The W9 itself won't affect your benefits but just be really careful about timing. I know someone who got in trouble because they reported freelance income on the wrong week when they actually did the work versus when they got paid. The NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about when work was actually performed.

Just want to add that you should definitely keep a copy of that W9 for your records along with any emails or documentation about when the work was actually completed. I've been through a few unemployment audits over the years and they really appreciate having clear documentation of work dates vs payment dates. The fact that you already included this income in your initial application when you filed in December shows you were being honest and thorough from the start. You're handling this exactly right - the W9 is just a formality for their tax reporting and won't impact your ongoing weekly certifications at all.

just wanted to say good luck! same thing happened to my friend and she won her appeal. the truth usually comes out in these hearings

From my experience working in HR before switching careers, I'd estimate employees win unemployment appeals around 40-50% of the time when they have solid documentation like you do. The fact that you have a company-wide email about budget cuts is huge - that directly contradicts their misconduct claim. NYS Department of Labor judges are pretty good at spotting when employers are trying to avoid paying unemployment costs. Make sure to organize all your evidence chronologically and practice explaining your timeline clearly. You've got a strong case!