I literally just went through this exact same nightmare! Completed my ID.me verification 9 days ago and was going crazy waiting for something to happen. After reading all these responses, I called that fraud department number (888-598-2077) this morning and got through in about 35 minutes - way better than the regular line! The rep was super helpful and explained that they have to manually review every ID.me case because of fraud prevention. She released my payments immediately and said I should see the money in 2-3 business days. Definitely don't wait any longer - that fraud line is the way to go for ID verification issues! And I totally feel you on the family situation - my dad was doing the same thing asking me every single day about it. Sometimes I think the stress from constant questions is worse than actually waiting for the money 😅

I went through this EXACT same thing last month and it was so frustrating! Completed my ID.me verification and then sat there for 11 days watching absolutely nothing happen. Like everyone else is saying, you definitely need to call - the systems don't sync automatically which is completely ridiculous. I used that fraud department number (888-598-2077) that @Diego Vargas mentioned and got through in about 50 minutes, which was way better than the regular line. The rep told me they have to manually review every single ID.me case because of all the fraud issues they're dealing with. She was able to release my payments right there on the call and I had the money in my account within 2 business days. Don't wait any longer - 8 days is definitely long enough! And I totally feel you on the aunt situation - my mom was doing the same thing asking me every day and it just added so much extra stress. Sometimes I think the constant questions are worse than actually waiting for the money 😅 That fraud line is definitely your best bet for ID verification issues. The regular unemployment number is basically useless for this type of problem. Good luck and hopefully you get it sorted out quickly!

I heard they're updating their phone systems soon. Hopefully that'll make it easier to get through. Fingers crossed! 🤞

I'm going through the exact same thing! Been calling for almost two weeks now and it's beyond frustrating. What I've been doing is calling multiple times throughout the day - sometimes I'll call 10-15 times in a row because occasionally one will go through to the hold queue instead of getting that dreaded "high call volume" hangup message. Also, try calling on different days of the week - I've heard Tuesdays and Wednesdays might be slightly less busy than Mondays. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get basic help with our benefits. Stay strong and keep trying! 💪

The weekly payment thing confused me too when I first started. You file your weekly claim (usually on Sunday-Tuesday) and then if everything looks good, the payment gets released a few days later. I always file on Sunday morning and usually see the direct deposit hit my account by Wednesday. Just make sure you answer all the questions correctly about work search and any income you might have had that week.

Welcome to the unemployment club! I've been dealing with NYS DOL for about 3 months now. Yes, you file weekly and get paid weekly (after the waiting week), but here's what nobody tells you upfront - set up direct deposit ASAP through your online account. Paper checks can take forever and sometimes get lost in the mail. Also, keep detailed records of every weekly certification you submit because if there are any issues, you'll need to reference dates and what you reported. The system can be glitchy so screenshot your confirmations. Good luck!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the forfeit day penalty is one of the most frustrating aspects of NY unemployment! I went through something very similar last year with 25 forfeit days for income they claimed I didn't report (even though I had screenshots proving I did). Here's what I learned: DEFINITELY keep certifying every single week during your forfeit period! This is absolutely critical - if you stop, they'll close your claim entirely and you'll have to start over from scratch. The forfeit days get deducted from your total with each weekly certification (7 days per week), so your 30 days will take about 4-5 weeks to complete. I know it feels pointless certifying when you're not getting paid, but think of it as staying in the system while serving your "penalty time." Mark each week on your calendar so you can see your progress - it really helped me mentally to count down. The good news is that once you've served all 30 days, your payments will automatically resume with your next certification. No additional steps needed on your part. Just keep documenting everything going forward and maybe consider keeping screenshots of all your certifications from now on. The system is definitely stacked against us, but don't let them wear you down! You've got this! 💪

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! I just went through the exact same situation - 28 forfeit days for "unreported income" that I absolutely DID report correctly. The frustration is real! But please listen to everyone here - you MUST keep certifying every single week during your forfeit period. I cannot stress this enough! Here's what helped me get through it: I created a simple countdown chart and crossed off each week as I completed my certification. Your 30 forfeit days will take about 4-5 weeks of certifying to complete (since each weekly cert covers 7 days). It feels awful certifying for $0, but think of it as keeping your place in line while serving your "sentence." The silver lining is that once you've served all 30 days, your payments automatically restart - no additional paperwork or calls needed. I just got my first payment back last week and it felt amazing! Stay strong and don't let the system break you down. Document everything going forward and consider this a hard lesson learned about keeping receipts for EVERYTHING with NY unemployment. You've got this! 💪

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I was really stressing about this. Just to clarify - when I file my initial claim, should I mention the military retirement pay in the "other income" section, or is there a specific place where it asks about retirement/pension income? I want to make sure I'm being completely transparent from the start so there are no surprises down the road.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! I'm also a veteran receiving military retirement pay and was laid off from my civilian job. Just to add to what others have said - when I filed my initial claim online, there was definitely a separate section specifically for pension/retirement income. I reported my military retirement pay there and it had zero impact on my weekly benefit amount. The NYS Department of Labor treats it as non-deductible income since it's from past military service, not current employment. I've been collecting both my retirement pay and UI benefits without any issues. The key is just being upfront about it from the beginning like you're planning to do. You should be all set!