I feel your pain with this whole situation! Had almost the exact same issue with my property management company a few months back. What worked for me was actually going to the NY DOL office in person with a printed copy of my payment history and asking them to stamp/certify it as official documentation. The stamp made all the difference - suddenly it looked "official enough" for my landlord to accept. Also, if you haven't already, try logging into your account and looking under "Correspondence" or "Letters" section - sometimes there are automated letters about benefit exhaustion that got sent when the programs ended. Those often have the specific end dates landlords are looking for. The whole system is designed to be confusing, but don't give up! You'll get through this.

Dylan, I went through this exact nightmare last year when my apartment complex demanded the same documentation! After wasting countless hours on hold, I discovered you can actually request a "Wage and Benefit Statement" through your online account. Log in, go to "Online Services" then "View and Maintain Account Information" and look for "Request Benefit Documentation." It's buried pretty deep in the menus but it's there. You can request it to be emailed or mailed - I chose email and got it within 2 business days. The document clearly shows your benefit year, weekly benefit amount, and most importantly the end date. My landlord accepted it immediately. Also, pro tip: if you still can't find it online, many public libraries in NYC have staff who can help navigate government websites for free. Save yourself the headache of calling!

@OP - were you able to get through to someone? If you're still stuck, I also had luck emailing my local state assembly member's office. They have special liaisons at unemployment who can sometimes expedite these cases, especially when there's a technical issue like ID.me verification problems.

Great to see this got resolved! For anyone else who might face a similar name mismatch issue with ID.me verification, here's a quick summary of what worked: 1. Try the Claimyr service to actually reach an agent (seems to be the most reliable way based on this thread) 2. Have your legal name change documents ready when you call 3. The agent can update your name in the NYSDOL system and provide an ID.me workaround 4. Keep certifying weekly even while dealing with the issue 5. As backup options: contact ID.me support directly, try the technical support line at 1-855-528-5618, or reach out to your state representative The key seems to be getting past that initial phone barrier - once you talk to an actual person, they can usually resolve the name mismatch pretty quickly. Really helpful thread for anyone dealing with expired benefit years and verification problems!

Don't forget about New York State Disability Insurance if you're temporarily unable to work due to illness or injury. It's separate from unemployment but might provide some income while you're recovering. You pay into it through payroll deductions so you might be eligible even if you don't qualify for UI.

I work in HR and deal with these questions a lot. The key thing to understand is that New York has two separate systems: unemployment insurance (UI) through NYS Department of Labor and temporary disability insurance (TDI). If you can't work due to health issues, TDI is usually the better option - it pays up to 50% of your average weekly wage for up to 26 weeks. You're eligible if you've been paying into the system through payroll deductions. For UI, you'd need to prove you can work within your medical restrictions and are actively seeking jobs you can physically perform. The confusion comes from people calling disability benefits "medical unemployment" when they're really different programs with different eligibility rules.

works fine for me! been using it to pay my roommate rent since i lost my job. no issues with DOL or anything

I've been using my KeyBank unemployment card with Cash App for about 3 months now with no problems at all. The setup was pretty straightforward - just added it like any regular debit card. One thing I noticed is that Cash App sometimes takes a small fee for instant transfers, so I usually just do the free standard transfer that takes 1-3 business days. Haven't had any issues with NYS Department of Labor either - they don't seem to care what you do with the money once it's on your card, as long as you're meeting your other unemployment requirements.

Keep filing your weekly claims even if your employer contests! A lot of people stop filing thinking they have to wait for the decision but you'll lose those weeks if you don't certify. You can always pay back overpayments later if needed but you can't go back and claim weeks you missed.

Just wanted to add that if your employer does contest the claim, don't panic! I went through adjudication last year and it took about 3-4 weeks to get a determination. The fact that you have documentation about the safety issues you reported could actually work in your favor - retaliation for reporting workplace safety violations is illegal and can strengthen your case. NYS Department of Labor adjudicators do consider the circumstances around terminations. Keep detailed records of everything and stay on top of your weekly certifications like Santiago mentioned. The process is stressful but manageable if you stay organized.