Went through this whole process last week. You need a smartphone with a good camera that can do the facial recognition stuff. If you have an older phone you might have trouble. Took me about 45 mins total to get verified but then another 3 days for unemployment to actually recognize it in their system.

Same thing happened to me in January! The timing is definitely suspicious - they wait until you're almost done with benefits then spring this on you. I found the link through the official NY DOL website, not from the letter. Go to labor.ny.gov, log into your account, and look for any alerts or messages about identity verification. If there's nothing there, try calling the main number and mentioning the reference number from your letter. The whole process took me about 2 hours including a video call because the facial recognition failed twice. Make sure you have good lighting and a stable internet connection!

Just wanted to follow up - did you ever get through to someone? Were you able to resolve your pending claim issue?

Just wanted to add another option that worked for me - I reached out to my local unemployment office directly (not the main hotline). Each region has offices with case workers who can sometimes help with pending claims. You can find your local office on the NYSDOL website under "Find a Career Center." I walked in during their office hours and spoke to someone face-to-face who was able to look up my case and identify the issue. Sometimes the in-person approach works better than trying to get through by phone!

yeah my friend went through this same thing and won her case. the key is being able to prove you didn't do anything wrong. do you have any witnesses or documentation?

I went through a similar situation about 8 months ago when my retail job eliminated my position. My manager initially contested it claiming I had attendance issues, but I had kept records of all my approved time off requests and sick days. The adjudication process took about 3-4 weeks, and I had to submit a written statement explaining my side. The key things that helped me were: 1) keeping copies of all official communications from my employer, 2) being completely honest in my responses to NYS DOL, and 3) providing specific dates and details about the layoff. Since you have that reduction in workforce notice, you're in a much better position than I was. Just stay organized and respond promptly to any requests from the department. Good luck!

FINAL UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know the money came through this morning! Full backdated amount including all the extra $435 payments. Literally went from $0 to over $9,000 in my account. After 3 months of stress and financial hardship, I can finally breathe again. For anyone else stuck in pending limbo: don't give up, keep certifying weekly, and definitely find a way to speak to a human agent who can see what's actually happening with your claim.

Congratulations on finally getting your benefits! Your story is so encouraging for others dealing with similar situations. $9,000 after 3 months of waiting must feel incredible. It's crazy that it took using a third-party service to get through to someone who could fix what was apparently a simple system glitch. Really shows how broken the communication is when people are left in limbo for months without any explanation. Thanks for sharing your journey and keeping everyone updated - stories like yours give hope to others still waiting!

Just wanted to say good luck to your brother. Even if the unemployment doesn't work out, there are other resources available while he's job hunting.

I work in HR and can confirm that drug test failures are typically classified as misconduct by NYS Department of Labor. However, there are some nuances your brother should be aware of. If the company didn't follow proper testing procedures, if he has a valid prescription that could explain the results, or if there were issues with the chain of custody for the test, these could be grounds for appeal. He should definitely file the claim regardless - don't let HR discourage him from applying. The worst they can do is deny it, but sometimes employers don't provide adequate documentation to support their misconduct claim. Also make sure he keeps all paperwork from his termination and any communication with the employer.