How do I change my mother's maiden name on NYS Department of Labor unemployment account?
I'm trying to update my security information on my unemployment account and realized I entered my mother's maiden name wrong when I first applied. Now when I try to answer the security question it keeps rejecting my answer because I have the wrong name on file. I can't get into my account to change it and I can't file my weekly claim. Has anyone dealt with this before? Do I need to call NYS Department of Labor or is there another way to fix this?
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Brielle Johnson
You'll need to contact NYS Department of Labor directly to change security question information. You can't modify this through the my.ny.gov portal yourself. Call the customer service line and they can verify your identity using other methods and update your security questions. Make sure you have your Social Security number and claim confirmation number ready when you call.
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Jake Sinclair
•Thanks! Do you know what number I should call? I've been trying the main unemployment line but keep getting disconnected after waiting forever.
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Honorah King
ugh this happened to me too but with a different security question. took me 3 weeks to get through to someone who could actually help
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Jake Sinclair
•Did they make you verify a bunch of other stuff when you finally got through?
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Honorah King
•yeah they asked for like my employment history and dates and stuff but once they confirmed it was really me they fixed it pretty quick
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Oliver Brown
I had the same exact problem last year! Getting through to NYS Department of Labor by phone was impossible with their call volume. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Basically they handle the calling and waiting for you and then patch you through when they get an agent on the line. Saved me hours of frustration and I got my security questions updated the same day.
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Mary Bates
•Never heard of this before but honestly anything is better than sitting on hold for 4 hours just to get hung up on. Does it actually work?
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Oliver Brown
•Yeah it worked for me. I was skeptical at first but I was desperate to get my account fixed so I could file my weekly claims. Much better than the endless busy signals.
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Clay blendedgen
In addition to calling, you can also try visiting a local One-Stop Career Center if you have one nearby. They sometimes have direct lines to NYS Department of Labor that can help with account issues like this. You'll need to bring photo ID and your Social Security card to verify your identity for security question changes.
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Jake Sinclair
•That's a great idea! I didn't know they could help with this kind of thing. I'll check if there's one near me.
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Ayla Kumar
Just wanted to say be careful about what maiden name you use going forward. I made the mistake of using my mom's married name instead of her actual maiden name and it caused problems later when they asked for verification documents.
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Freya Christensen
I went through this exact same issue a few months ago! The phone lines are absolutely brutal - I must have tried calling 50+ times over two weeks. What finally worked for me was calling right at 8:00 AM when they open. Set multiple alarms and start dialing at exactly 8:00. I got through on my third try that morning. Have all your info ready: SSN, confirmation number, and be prepared to answer other identity verification questions like previous employers and dates. They were actually really helpful once I got someone on the line and fixed my security question within 10 minutes. Don't give up - you'll get through eventually!
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