One more important thing to remember: after you complete the full application and get approved, you still need to certify weekly to receive benefits. Many people miss this step and wonder why they aren't getting paid. Set a reminder on your phone for the same day each week to log in and certify that you're still unemployed and looking for work.

Just want to echo what everyone else has said - ID verification is definitely just the first step! I made the same mistake last year and sat around waiting for benefits after only doing the ID part. You'll need to go back to your NY.gov account and complete the full application with all your employment details. Pro tip: have your Social Security card, driver's license, and last few paystubs ready before you start the main application - it makes the process much smoother. The whole thing took me about an hour to complete properly. Good luck!

Just make sure you're staying current on those payments! I've seen small businesses get behind on payroll taxes and it becomes a nightmare with penalties and interest. The IRS and NYS Department of Labor don't mess around with late payments.

As someone who's been through several NYS Department of Labor audits, I'd also recommend keeping detailed records of when you accrue vs when you pay these taxes. The timing differences can get tricky during audits - they want to see that you're properly matching the liability recognition with the actual payroll periods. Setting up a simple spreadsheet alongside your accounting entries can save you headaches later if questions come up about your unemployment tax compliance.

Just to add - your rate also depends on your NAICS code (industry classification). Construction and seasonal businesses tend to have higher base rates than office-based businesses. Make sure your payroll company has the right industry code for your business because that affects your starting rate calculation.

The 4.1% rate your payroll company quoted sounds correct for a newer employer. New York uses what's called a "standard rate" for businesses that haven't been operating long enough to establish an experience rating. After about 3-4 years of paying into the system with no claims, you should see that rate drop significantly - I've seen rates go as low as 0.3% for businesses with clean records. Just make sure your payroll company updates your rate when you get your annual notice from NYS DOL, because some don't automatically adjust it and you could end up overpaying.

I'm in almost the exact same situation and it's incredibly frustrating! Filed my claim in early March, got the monetary determination letter showing $485/week, have been certifying religiously every week since then, but absolutely zero payments. When I call, they keep telling me it's "under review" but can't give me any specifics about what they're reviewing or how long it will take. What's really maddening is that I know people who filed AFTER me and are already receiving payments! The inconsistency in how they're processing claims makes no sense. I've started keeping a detailed log of every call I make because the representatives give me different information each time. Reading through all these responses, I think I'm going to try contacting my assembly member's office and also look into that Claimyr service. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get through to someone who can actually help rather than just reading me the same "pending review" status over and over again.

This entire thread is so helpful but also heartbreaking to read. I'm in week 16 now with no payment despite being "approved" and it's destroying my mental health. The worst part is feeling completely powerless - like no matter what you do, you're just stuck waiting for some mysterious process to complete while your bills pile up. I've tried everything mentioned here: calling daily, uploading extra documents, requesting supervisor escalations, keeping detailed logs. Nothing works. Every rep gives me a different story about what's supposedly happening with my claim. One said it was waiting for employer response, another said identity verification, another said there was no issue at all and it should process "soon." The system is clearly designed to wear people down until they give up. How many people have been forced to take jobs they're overqualified for or go into debt just because NYSDOL can't get their act together? This isn't just bureaucratic incompetence - it's actively harming New Yorkers when we're most vulnerable. I'm going to try the assembly member route and Claimyr service based on everyone's suggestions. At this point I'll try anything. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - at least we know we're not alone in this nightmare.

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from NYS Department of Labor about how wages affect your claim, I had good luck using Claimyr to actually talk to someone. They helped me get through to an agent when I had questions about my benefit calculation. Check out claimyr.com - there's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way easier than trying to call the regular number.

This whole system is so needlessly complicated!! Why can't they just have ONE wage limit instead of making employers deal with federal AND state limits? No wonder payroll departments are always screwing things up.