Anyone else dealing with NY unemployment claiming identity fraud after 12 weeks?

Welcome to NY unemployment hell. I had the EXACT same issue back in October. Took me almost 4 months to get it sorted out. The system is completely broken. What worked for me was calling right when they open at 8am. Still took like 16 tries but finally got through. The lady I talked to said they're crazy backlogged with these identity verification cases. Apparently there was a huge wave of actual fraud so now they're flagging everyone suspicious.

I finally got through to them using this service called claimyr.com that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent picks up. Seriously saved my sanity after trying to call for weeks. Got connected to a real person who fixed my ID verification issue in about 20 minutes. They had to manually verify my documents but said there was a huge backlog. Got my payments including backpay within a week after that call. Talking to an agent was the only way I got my benefits flowing again. Check out this video that explains how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

same issue here. been 10 weeks with identity verification pending. so frustrating. the whole ny unemployment system is designed to make us give up i swear

Have you tried contacting your state representative? That's what finally worked for me. My local assembly person has a staff member who deals with unemployment cases. I emailed them explaining my situation and they contacted DOL directly. Had my identity verification cleared within 2 weeks after months of nothing.

The identity verification is THE WORST PART of ny unemployment right now. Im pretty sure they're deliberately making it hard to clear. My coworker had his account flagged even though he's been filing the exact same way for years! makes no sense.

Here's what you need to do to get this resolved (dealt with this myself last year): First, document EVERYTHING. Every call attempt, every upload, every email. Dates and times. Second, you need to talk to a real human. The website is basically useless for identity verification issues. I know it's frustrating but calling is your best option. If you can't get through by phone after multiple attempts, try claimyr.com which is what finally worked for me. They'll wait on hold and connect you when a rep answers. Third, be prepared when you do talk to someone. Have all your docs ready. They'll probably ask you verification questions. Fourth, if that doesn't work, go the state rep route. Email AND call your assembly member and state senator. They can escalate. Fifth, if nothing else works, file a complaint with the NYS Department of Labor Inspector General. Sounds extreme but sometimes that's what gets action. The system is overwhelmed but persistence pays off. Took me 7 weeks to clear my identity verification, but I did get all backpay. Good luck!

lmaooo good luck. ny unemployment is a joke. i waited 5 months for them to verify my identity then they denied me anyway 🤡

Try twitter! Seriously. Tweet at @NYSLabor and include your issue. Sometimes they respond and ask you to DM them. Worth a shot since nothing else seems to work.

Everyone in this thread needs to know that the identity verification step is where they try to weed people out. DON'T GIVE UP! That's what they want. Keep calling, keep emailing, keep trying different approaches. I had success with claimyr.com when I couldn't get through any other way. Whatever you do, don't stop certifying weekly even if you're not getting paid!

Have u tried the message center in your account? Thats how i got mine fixed. Go to your online account, send a message specifically about identity verification, and attach all your documents AGAIN even if you already uploaded them. Put "URGENT IDENTITY VERIFICATION" in the subject. I did this every 3 days until someone finally looked at it.

im sorry youre dealing with this BS. the whole identity verification thing is a mess. honestly, the only thing that worked for me was getting thru to an actual person on the phone. i used claimyr.com after wasting weeks trying to call myself. paid for their service and got connected to a real agent who fixed it right away. sometimes u just gotta spend a little to save yourself the headache. got all my back payments too!

unpopular opinion but maybe go in person? i know most offices are "closed to public" but i literally just showed up at my local labor dept office and refused to leave until someone helped me. was a bit dramatic but it worked 😂

I feel your pain. The identity verification process is ridiculous. They claim it's to prevent fraud but it's really just a way to delay paying legitimate claims. After TWO MONTHS of trying to call everyday, I finally broke down and used claimyr.com after seeing it recommended here. Got through to an agent who fixed everything in one call. Explained that my documents were sitting in some digital queue and no one had even looked at them yet. Payments started again 4 days later with all backpay.

ny unemployment be like "we need 37 forms of ID and your firstborn child to verify you" and then still take 6 months to process 💀

Did you check if your mail forwarding is set up correctly? I had this EXACT problem and turned out they had mailed me a letter requesting additional verification to my old address even though I updated my address in the system. Never got the letter, so my claim stayed pending forever.

it sux that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get what we're entitled to. system is rigged against us fr

Fun fact: I worked in a call center before and I can tell you the WORST times to call are mid-morning and lunch time. Try calling at 8:01am exactly when they open or 30 min before closing. Those are your best shots.

Anyone talking about using claimyr.com - it actually works? Been fighting with identity verification for 9 weeks now and about to lose my apartment...