Help with uploading documents to NY unemployment - friend needs to submit proof

she needs to call right at 8am when they open, thats the only way to get thru. I had same issue last month

She might be able to upload the documents through her online account without speaking to anyone. Have her log into her NY.gov ID account, go to the unemployment services section, and look for the document upload tool. There should be a section specifically for submitting verification documents. Each document needs to be clearly labeled (SSN card, ID, pay stubs, etc.) and should be in PDF format if possible.

Has she tried emailing them? Sometimes you can get a response faster that way. Try unemployment.nysdol@labor.ny.gov and put her claim number in the subject line. Also, tell her to be super specific about what documents she has and what the error message says exactly. Screenshot the error if possible and attach it to the email.

I was in the EXACT same situation back in February!!!! It was so frustrating because I had all my documents ready but couldn't upload them. I kept getting put on hold forever then disconnected. I was about to give up when I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes instead of calling for days. They basically call and wait on hold for you then connect you when a real person answers. Saved my claim honestly. Here's their site: claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

tell ur friend to try the local department of labor office!!! sometimes you can get help in person without the phone nightmare. i went to the one in albany last yr when my account was locked and they helped fix it on the spot.

If she's specifically getting an identity verification error, she likely needs to complete the ID.me verification process first before she can upload documents. This is a separate step that was implemented in 2023 to reduce fraud. She needs to: 1. Create an ID.me account if she hasn't already 2. Complete the identity verification through their system (requires photo ID and possibly a video selfie) 3. Once verified through ID.me, she should be able to access the document upload section If she's already done this step and still getting errors, then yes, speaking with a representative is necessary.

my cousins wife went through this hole thing last month, ID.me verification is a MUST do before u can upload anything else!!!!

If the ID.me verification doesn't work (sometimes it has glitches with certain IDs or webcams), then definitely try that Claimyr service I mentioned. That's exactly why I used them - my ID.me verification kept failing and I needed to talk to someone to override it. The agent was able to verify me over the phone and manually allow my document uploads.

Just wanted to add that if she gets through to someone, make sure she asks for an extension on the document deadline if she's cutting it close. In my experience, they'll usually grant a 7-10 day extension if you explain the technical difficulties you've been having. Make sure she gets the agent's name and ID number if they promise an extension.

Update: Just wanted to let everyone know that my friend was able to complete the ID.me verification (thanks for pointing that out!) but still needed to speak with someone. She used the Claimyr service that was suggested and got through to an agent who helped her submit all her documents. The agent even gave her a 2-week extension on her deadline just in case any other issues come up. Her claim is now being processed! Thank you all for the helpful advice!

This is such great information! I'm dealing with a similar situation with my brother who's been stuck in the same loop. The ID.me verification step is definitely the key - so many people don't realize that's a separate requirement now. It's frustrating that NY unemployment doesn't make this clearer on their website. Going to share this thread with him since he's been calling for weeks too. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here!

This whole thread is super helpful! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. The NY unemployment system is honestly broken - the fact that people have to use third-party services like Claimyr just to get through to a human is ridiculous. But I'm glad solutions exist. For anyone else reading this, the key takeaways seem to be: 1) Complete ID.me verification FIRST, 2) If that doesn't work, try calling right at 8am, 3) If all else fails, consider using Claimyr or similar services. Really shows how this community helps each other navigate these bureaucratic nightmares!

Just went through this exact same nightmare with my sister-in-law last month! The ID.me verification was definitely the missing piece for her too. One thing I'd add is that if anyone is having trouble with the ID.me video selfie part (it can be really picky about lighting and camera quality), you can sometimes do it on a phone with a better camera and then log back into the unemployment site on the computer afterward. Also, for future reference, I found that Tuesday and Wednesday mornings around 8:15am seem to have slightly better odds of getting through on the phone lines than Mondays or Fridays. Really glad this community exists to help navigate these bureaucratic mazes!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I work at a local library and we get so many people coming in asking for help with unemployment issues just like this. I'm definitely going to save this information to share with patrons who are struggling with the same problems. The ID.me verification step seems to trip up a lot of people - we've had several folks come in frustrated because they couldn't figure out why their documents wouldn't upload. It's great to see the community coming together to share these solutions. I might even print out a simple guide based on this thread to keep at our reference desk since this seems to be such a common issue. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping each other navigate this complicated system!