You definitely want to apply for SNAP and see if you qualify for emergency assistance through your county's Department of Social Services. Also check if your local food banks have any job training programs - some of them partner with employers for direct hiring. Don't wait until your last payment to start applying for other help.

I'm in a similar situation - my benefits are ending in a few weeks and I'm terrified. Has anyone had luck with the WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) programs through the career centers? I heard they sometimes provide funding for retraining or certification programs while you're job searching. Also, @Klaus Schmidt, you might want to check if your county has emergency rental assistance programs - many still have federal funding available from the pandemic relief money. It's not much but could buy you some time while you figure out next steps.

Just went through this exact same nightmare with my sister-in-law last month! The ID.me verification was definitely the missing piece for her too. One thing I'd add is that if anyone is having trouble with the ID.me video selfie part (it can be really picky about lighting and camera quality), you can sometimes do it on a phone with a better camera and then log back into the unemployment site on the computer afterward. Also, for future reference, I found that Tuesday and Wednesday mornings around 8:15am seem to have slightly better odds of getting through on the phone lines than Mondays or Fridays. Really glad this community exists to help navigate these bureaucratic mazes!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I work at a local library and we get so many people coming in asking for help with unemployment issues just like this. I'm definitely going to save this information to share with patrons who are struggling with the same problems. The ID.me verification step seems to trip up a lot of people - we've had several folks come in frustrated because they couldn't figure out why their documents wouldn't upload. It's great to see the community coming together to share these solutions. I might even print out a simple guide based on this thread to keep at our reference desk since this seems to be such a common issue. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping each other navigate this complicated system!

same here, filed 2 weeks ago and still waiting... at least the weekly claims are easy to do online

I'm also navigating this for the first time and it's definitely overwhelming! From what I've gathered from everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the 2-3 week timeline is pretty standard if everything goes smoothly. One thing that's been helpful for me is keeping detailed records of everything - screenshots of when I filed, copies of all the forms, dates of weekly certifications, etc. That way if there are any issues or delays, I have documentation. Also, I've been treating the job search requirement seriously from day one even though the payments haven't started yet. Better to stay on top of it than scramble later. Hang in there - we're all figuring this out together!

sounds to me like u need to talk to a live agent ASAP before your deadline hits. I was in the same boat last month - website kept crashing, phone lines always busy. I finally used claimyr.com and got connected to a rep who submitted my appeal over the phone. Saved my claim and got all my backpay. worth every penny vs losing all those benefits.

OMG this is giving me flashbacks to when I tried to file my initial claim last year! The NY DOL website is absolutely horrible. What finally worked for me was using a really old computer at my local workforce development center - they have public computers specifically for unemployment stuff and the staff there knows all the workarounds. Also, definitely document everything like others said - take screenshots of every error, write down times you tried, etc. The appeals deadline can be extended if you can prove their system was broken. Don't give up, the construction industry layoffs are totally legitimate reasons for benefits and you deserve that money!

yo check out ur state senator/assembly person's office!!! i spent 4 months dealing with this nonsense and got nowhere. called my assembly person and they fixed it in DAYS. they have special contacts at unemployment who can actually do stuff.

Same story here! Got the exact same "24-48 hours" promise THREE different times over the past 2 months. Still waiting on that first callback 🙃 At this point I'm convinced they have a script that just says "tell them someone will call back" to get people off the phone. The system is completely broken. I've started documenting everything like others suggested - dates, times, rep names, what they promised. At least when I call back I can reference all the previous broken promises. Stay strong and keep calling! We shouldn't have to fight this hard for benefits we're entitled to.