Anyone else wait months for NY unemployment claim then get told to verify ID.me?

Same boat dude. Waited 9 weeks with zero communication from them. Finally managed to call and they hit me with the 'oh you needed to verify with ID.me' BS. Like seriously? Send a damn email!! Got my ID.me done right away but still waiting another 3 weeks later. The system is broken af.

After 6 weeks of getting nowhere with ny unemployment, I finally found a way to get through to a real human. Used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that waits on hold for you and then calls you when an agent picks up. Talking to a live agent got my claim moving forward and my payments released within days. Best decision I made after weeks of frustration. They have a YouTube video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

ID.me is such a nightmare. I had to do it FIVE times because their stupid system kept rejecting my perfectly clear photos. Then had to do a video call where I waited 4 hours. FOUR HOURS!!! And the worst part is ny unemployment never actually told me I needed to do this either - I just figured it out reading Reddit posts from other desperate people.

this is exactly why the unemployment system is broken. they make it HARD ON PURPOSE so people give up and they don't have to pay benefits. they hope you'll just get frustrated and stop trying. don't give up - keep calling, keep bugging them, and document everything.

Look I've worked my way through this nightmare system and here's what you need to know: The ID.me verification is critical - they won't process anything without it. But they do a terrible job communicating this requirement. Once you complete ID.me, don't assume they know. Call them again and specifically tell them you've completed verification. The best times to call are: 7:55am-8:10am right when they open, 12:05-12:20pm when lunch shifts change, or 4:30-4:45pm. Avoid Mondays completely. Keep detailed records of every interaction - who you spoke with, date/time, what they told you. This is crucial if you need to escalate. If you're still struggling to reach someone, try Claimyr.com - they'll wait on hold and connect you with an agent. Saved me days of frustration. After verification, your claim should process in 2-3 weeks. If not, you need to call again and ask for a supervisor. Use the phrase "financial hardship" - this can flag your claim for expedited review. Don't give up - the system is deliberately difficult, but persistence pays off.

hot tip: call your state rep/assemblyperson. I was dealing with the same nonsense for 10 weeks, called my assemblyman's office, and magically my claim was fixed within 48 hours. they have special contacts at unemployment who actually do their job.

Quick question - did they mention anything about backdating your claim? Will you still get all the weeks you've been waiting once it's finally approved?

The ID.me thing isnt even that hard, its just nobody tells u about it! I found out by googling why my claim was taking so long. Check ur messages in ur acct to see if maybe they did tell u and u missed it?

I hate to say this but the best way to get things moving is to just pretend like you're gonna break down crying on the phone. I legit told a lady I was facing eviction and couldn't feed my kids (slight exaggeration lol) and suddenly my ID.me thing got pushed through that day. Sometimes you gotta play the game. 🤷‍♀️

Hey so you have to call early in the morning! I called 75+ times and finally got through at 7:58am. ID.me is required for all new claims now but DOL is terrible at telling people. Took me 4 months total but I finally got paid last week. Hang in there!

Lmaooo welcome to the wonderful world of NY unemployment, where you're expected to be psychic and know all their requirements without them telling you. I waited 5 months before getting a single payment. Keep calling, be annoying, and don't take vague answers. Ask specifically what the NEXT step is and when you can expect to see movement.

what's crazy is all the ID.me verification actually accomplished was letting ACTUAL scammers steal millions from unemployment while regular ppl like us get stuck in verification hell. the system is a joke.

Try calling the governor's office too. I did and they connected me with someone who actually knew what they were doing. My claim got fixed that day after 3 months of waiting.

My trick was calling the TTY/TDD line (the one for hearing impaired) - way less wait time. Just say you have hearing difficulties if they ask. Got through in 10 mins vs 3+ hours on regular line.

if u figure out a way to speed up the process lemme know 😭 been stuck in the exact same situation since February. ID.me verified 2 months ago and still nothing.

The NYSDOL is the most incompetent organization I've ever dealt with in my life. They denied my claim saying I didn't have enough work history when I worked full time for 3 years straight. Had to appeal and wait another 4 months. The entire system needs to be investigated.

i stg unemployment is DESIGNED to be impossible to navigate. they don't want to pay us so they make us jump through 500 hoops hoping we'll just give up. don't let them win. be persistent.

Man this hits home so hard. I've been dealing with the exact same thing for 2 months now - zero communication about needing ID.me verification until I finally got through to someone last week. The worst part is they act like it's YOUR fault for not knowing about some random requirement they never told you about. I'm still waiting after completing ID.me verification too. The system is absolutely broken and it feels like they're hoping we'll just give up and go away. Stay strong and keep fighting - we shouldn't have to be detectives just to get benefits we're entitled to.