Have you tried the virtual assistant on the unemployment website? Sometimes it can help with verification issues. But honestly talking to a real person is the fastest solution. I spent 2 weeks trying to DIY before finally getting through to someone who fixed it in 5 minutes.

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Been waiting 6 days for my ID.me verification code and nothing. What's really frustrating is that my friend applied for unemployment in a different state and their verification went through instantly. It seems like NY's system integration with ID.me is particularly broken. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here like using incognito mode and checking different email folders. Really hoping we can get this sorted soon because the financial stress is real when you're counting on these benefits to pay rent 😰

did anyone else notice that the verification system works better on Explorer than Chrome? weird but I finally got thru using my old laptop with Explorer after Chrome kept crashing

I'm dealing with the same identity verification nightmare right now! Been stuck for over a week and my claim is on hold. The online system keeps timing out when I try to upload documents. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like the phone verification is definitely possible but getting through is the real challenge. @Anastasia Sokolov thanks for sharing that new callback system info - I'm going to check if I'm in that queue since I've definitely failed the online verification more than 3 times. Has anyone tried the early morning calling strategy that @Luca Esposito mentioned? I might set my alarm for 7:55am tomorrow and start dialing right before they open. At this point I'm willing to try anything - my rent is due next week and I can't afford to wait much longer for this to get resolved.

The system has been pretty reliable lately but I'd still recommend not waiting until Sunday night to file. Weekday mornings seem to work best in my experience. Also double-check everything before submitting because fixing mistakes later is a huge pain with NYS Department of Labor.

Just went through this process myself two weeks ago! The application took me about 40 minutes, but I had to stop and hunt down some old pay stubs. Pro tip: if you're still employed, try to get a copy of your recent pay statements and employment letter before your last day - HR departments are usually more helpful while you're still on payroll. Also, file as soon as possible after your separation date. I waited three days thinking I needed to "settle in" first and ended up kicking myself because those are days I could have been accumulating benefits. The waiting period for approval is real though - still haven't gotten my first payment yet but at least the claim is processing.

8.5% is definitely high! I remember during the recession it got up to like 12% in some areas and that's when all the extended programs kicked in. You should definitely be eligible for something extra.

I'm in a similar situation - been on UI for about 14 weeks and my county's unemployment rate is around 9.2%. From what I've researched, New York does have Extended Benefits but they're tied to both state and federal triggers. The state trigger is usually around 6.5% as others mentioned, but there's also a federal component that looks at how current rates compare to previous years. I'd recommend checking the NYS DOL website weekly since EB status can change month to month. Also, if you're getting close to exhausting your regular benefits, make sure you keep certifying even if the system seems to glitch - I heard some people had issues with automatic transitions to EB programs.

This reminds me of when I was unemployed in 2019 and kept hearing about how great the job market was. Turns out we were getting close to that danger zone of too-low unemployment. Then 2020 hit and... well, we all know what happened. Now I'm back on unemployment again and at least the NYS Department of Labor system seems more prepared this time.

interesting question OP! never thought about it that way