How long after ID.me verification does NY unemployment release held funds?

After completing ID.me verification, it typically takes 3-5 business days for NYSDOL to process and release any held funds. You don't necessarily need to call, but it can help speed things up. Make sure you've completed ALL parts of the verification - sometimes people miss the final step where ID.me shares your verification with NYSDOL. You can check your ID.me dashboard to confirm this happened.

Thank you!!! I think I did everything right but now I'm paranoid I missed something. Where exactly is this dashboard? I just got the email saying verification complete...

mine took 2 weeks and they never paid the back weeks they owed me :( had to call

Omg seriously?? They owe me like 6 weeks of payments! Did you eventually get the back pay?

In my experience, there are two separate issues: (1) getting verified through ID.me and (2) having NYSDOL process that verification and release your funds. The first part is immediate once you complete it correctly. The second part is where delays happen.\n\nI waited 10 days after verification and nothing happened. Called NYSDOL but couldn't get through to anyone. Then I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. The agent released my payments right away once they confirmed my ID.me was complete. Check out their video if you're curious how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE\n\nWithout calling, some people wait 3-5 days, others wait weeks. Depends on your claim complexity.

What's this Claimyr thing? Never heard of it. Is it legit??

Yeah it's legit. It's a call service that connects you to unemployment faster. Basically holds your place in line so you don't have to keep redialing. Been around for years.

THEY ARE SO SLOW WITH EVERYTHING!!! i did id.me in january and didnt get paid til almost valentines day. had to call like 50 times and finally got someone who fixed it in 2 minutes. system is BROKEN!!!!

The delays aren't actually the system being broken - it's because they're processing thousands of identity verification requests and manually reviewing many of them. The ID.me system works instantly, but NYSDOL has to then match that verification to your claim in their system. That's where the bottleneck happens.

ok mr technical lol but when ur broke and cant pay rent it FEELS pretty broken 🙄

I went through this last month. After completing ID.me verification, I waited about 4 business days and nothing happened. I called NYSDOL (took forever to get through) and the representative told me they could see my ID.me verification was complete, but it hadn't been

This is really helpful, thank you! Did they release all your backpay at once or just start the new weekly payments?

They released everything at once for me - all 5 weeks of backpay plus the current week. It was a huge relief! Just make sure when you call that you specifically ask about the status of your ID.me verification AND about release of held payments.

it depends sometimes 2 days sometimes 2 weeks lol nysdol is random af

While it might seem random, there's actually a process. Claims with no issues are processed quickly (2-3 days). Claims that trigger additional review flags can take longer (1-2 weeks). The variations people experience usually relate to specifics in their claims history.

My cousin had to do id.me and he said they just started paying him automatically after like 4 days. never called or anything. but my other friend had to call. i think its just random honestly

Here's the official process after ID.me verification:\n\n1. ID.me sends your verification data to NYSDOL (usually within 24 hours)\n2. NYSDOL matches this verification to your claim (1-3 business days)\n3. If everything matches correctly, payments are automatically released (1-2 additional days)\n4. If there are any discrepancies or additional flags on your account, manual review is required (can add 5-10 business days)\n\nSo best case scenario is about 3-5 business days total, worst case can be 2-3 weeks if there are complications. Calling after day 5 is reasonable if you haven't seen any updates to your payment status.\n\nCheck your payment history status online - if it shows 'pending' that means they're aware of the verification but still processing. If it shows nothing or still says 'on hold' after 5 days, definitely call.

This is so helpful! Mine still says 'on hold' so I guess I need to call. Ugh wish my uncle would stop asking me about the money every day

My experience: did ID me on a Tuesday, got paid Friday! Hope yours is just as fast!

That would be amazing! When did you do yours? Recently or a while ago?

Just last month! February 2025.

u need 2 call them 100% they wont do anything unless u call its stupid

Quick update for everyone: NYSDOL recently changed their process in March 2025. They now prioritize ID.me verifications for claims with 4+ weeks of held payments. If you've been waiting less than 4 weeks total (not just after ID.me), you might be lower in their processing queue.\n\nAlso, for anyone still struggling to get through on the phone, seriously consider using Claimyr. After struggling for days trying to call myself, I got through in under 30 minutes. The agent told me they can see when the ID.me verification came in, and sometimes they just need to click a button on their end to release funds that are stuck in the system.

This is super helpful! I definitely have more than 4 weeks of held payments so hopefully I'm in their priority queue. If I don't see anything by Friday I'm definitely going to try calling or maybe use that Claimyr thing.

whatever u do DONT just wait around!!! i waited 2 weeks thinking it would process automatically and nope! when i finally got thru to someone they said

Just to give you a complete picture: About 60% of ID.me verifications process automatically within 5 business days. The other 40% require some form of manual review or intervention. There's no way to know in advance which category you'll fall into.\n\nIf you're in a financial emergency situation, mention that specifically when you call - they have procedures to expedite payments for hardship cases. Not guaranteed, but it can help prioritize your claim.

Thank you so much. I'm definitely in a hardship situation - staying with my uncle because I couldn't make rent last month. I'll try calling tomorrow morning.

Hey Katherine! I just went through this exact same situation a few weeks ago. After completing ID.me verification, I waited exactly 6 business days and then called NYSDOL. The representative was able to see my verification was complete and released my payments immediately during the call. Got paid within 2 days after that call. My advice: give it until Friday (assuming you did ID.me on a weekday), and if you don't see any payment status changes by then, definitely call. Have your confirmation email from ID.me ready when you call - it helps them locate your verification faster. Also, about your uncle - I totally get it! Family pressure when you're already stressed about money is the worst. Maybe just tell him you're expecting an update by Friday so he stops asking every day? Good luck!

Just wanted to add my recent experience since I see you completed ID.me yesterday! I did mine on a Tuesday in early March and got my first payment that Friday - so exactly 3 business days. But here's the key thing I learned: make sure you check your online payment history every day because the status will change from "on hold" to "pending" and then to "paid" pretty quickly once it starts moving. Also, about dealing with your uncle - I totally feel you on that pressure! Maybe show him this thread so he can see it's a normal waiting period and not something you have control over? Sometimes family just doesn't understand how these systems work. Hang in there - sounds like you did everything right and it should process soon! 🤞

Just wanted to jump in here with some reassurance! I completed my ID.me verification about 3 weeks ago and was in the exact same boat - living with family and feeling the pressure about when the money would come through. Mine took exactly 4 business days to process and then I got all my back payments in one lump sum. The key thing I learned is that once you see your payment status change from "on hold" to "pending" in your online account, you know it's actually moving through their system. One tip that helped me with family pressure - I just said "the system takes 3-5 business days to process according to everyone's experience, so let's check back on [specific date]." Having a concrete timeline seemed to help reduce the daily questions! You did the hard part by getting through the ID.me verification. Now it's just a waiting game, but based on what I'm seeing in this thread, most people get their money within a week. Hang in there! 💪

Hey Katherine! I just went through this same exact situation about 6 weeks ago. Completed my ID.me verification on a Wednesday and was living with my sister who kept asking about the money situation daily - so I totally understand the family pressure! My timeline was: ID.me completed Wednesday → payment status changed from "on hold" to "pending" the following Monday → got paid that Thursday. So about 8 days total, but only 6 business days. The thing that helped me most was calling NYSDOL on day 7 when I still hadn't seen any status changes. The rep confirmed my ID.me verification had gone through but said there was a small flag on my account that needed manual review. She cleared it right there on the call and I got paid 2 days later with all my back weeks included. My advice: Give it until early next week to see if your status changes online, but don't hesitate to call if nothing happens by Tuesday. And maybe tell your uncle you're expecting an update by Monday - having a specific timeline really helped reduce the daily check-ins when I was going through this! You've got this! The verification part is done, now it's just waiting for their system to catch up. 🤞

I just wanted to add my recent experience since it sounds like we're in similar situations! I completed my ID.me verification last week (Thursday) and was also staying with family who kept asking about when I'd get paid - the pressure is real! My timeline ended up being: ID.me completed Thursday → status changed to "pending" the following Tuesday → got paid Friday morning with all 7 weeks of back pay in one deposit. So it was about 8 calendar days total. The main thing I learned is that checking your payment status daily is key because once it changes from "on hold" to "pending," you know it's actually moving through their system. Mine stayed "on hold" for 4 days and then changed quickly. One thing that really helped with family pressure was being super specific about the timeline. I told them "based on everyone's experience, it takes 3-8 business days, so let's check back next Wednesday." Having that concrete date really reduced the daily questions! Since you completed yours yesterday, I'd say check your status daily and if it's still "on hold" by next Wednesday, that's when I'd call. But honestly, based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like yours will probably process within the next few days. The verification part is the hardest - now it's just waiting for their system to catch up! 🙏

I just went through this process last month and wanted to share my experience! I completed my ID.me verification on a Tuesday and got paid the following Friday - so exactly 3 business days. The key thing I noticed is that my payment status online changed from "on hold" to "pending" on Thursday, which was a good sign that things were moving. One thing that really helped me was setting up text notifications for my bank account so I'd know immediately when the deposit hit, rather than constantly checking my unemployment account. Also, when I got paid, it was ALL my back weeks at once (I was owed 4 weeks) plus the current week - so don't worry, they should give you everything you're owed in one lump sum! About your uncle situation - I totally get it! I was staying with my parents and they kept asking too. What worked for me was showing them some screenshots of other people's timelines from forums like this, so they understood it's a normal waiting period and not something I had control over. Maybe try that approach? Since you just completed it yesterday, I'd give it until early next week before calling. But you should see your payment status change from "on hold" to "pending" first, which will let you know it's actually processing. Good luck - you're so close to getting this resolved! 🙏

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! Just completed my ID.me verification this morning and have been reading through everyone's experiences here. It's so helpful to see the different timelines people have had - sounds like anywhere from 3-8 business days is pretty normal. The family pressure thing is SO real though. I'm also staying with relatives while waiting for my benefits and they keep asking when I'll be able to contribute to expenses. It's like they think I'm just sitting around not trying to resolve this! @Katherine Shultz I love all the advice people have given you about setting a specific date with your uncle instead of just saying "soon." I'm definitely going to try that approach. And the tip about showing family members this thread so they can see it's a normal waiting period is genius! Planning to check my payment status daily and if nothing changes by early next week, I'll try calling or maybe look into that Claimyr service people mentioned. Fingers crossed both of us get our payments soon! 🤞

Just wanted to chime in with my recent experience to give you some hope! I completed ID.me verification about 3 weeks ago and was in almost the exact same situation - staying with family who kept asking about the money every day. My timeline was: ID.me completed on a Monday → payment status changed from "on hold" to "pending" that Thursday → got paid the following Tuesday with all 5 weeks of back pay in one lump sum. So about 8 calendar days total, but only 6 business days. The biggest thing that helped with family pressure was being really specific about the timeline. Instead of saying "it should be soon," I said "based on what I've read, it takes 3-8 business days, so let's check back next Friday." Having that concrete date really reduced the daily questions! Since you completed yours yesterday, I'd expect to see your payment status change from "on hold" to "pending" sometime between Monday and Wednesday. If you don't see any changes by Thursday, that's when I'd definitely call NYSDOL. But honestly, based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like yours will probably process smoothly within the next few days. You've done the hard part with the ID.me verification - now it's just waiting for their system to catch up. Hang in there! 💪

Hey Katherine! I just went through this exact situation about 2 weeks ago and wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease some of your stress! I completed my ID.me verification on a Thursday afternoon and was also staying with family (my sister) who kept asking about when the money would come through - so I totally get the pressure you're feeling with your uncle! My timeline ended up being: ID.me completed Thursday → payment status changed from "on hold" to "pending" the following Tuesday → got paid Friday morning with all 4 weeks of back pay plus current week in one deposit. So 8 calendar days total, but only 6 business days. The key things I learned: 1) Check your payment status daily because that change from "on hold" to "pending" is your first sign it's actually moving through their system, and 2) Be super specific with family about timelines - I told my sister "it takes 3-8 business days based on everyone's experience, let's check back next Wednesday" and that really reduced the daily questions! Since you completed ID.me yesterday, I'd expect to see movement by early next week. If your status is still "on hold" by Thursday, that's when I'd call. But honestly, you did the hardest part already - the verification. Now it's just waiting for their system to process it. Hang in there - you should have your money soon! 💪

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Just completed my ID.me verification yesterday and also dealing with family asking about the money constantly. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been SO helpful - sounds like 3-8 business days is pretty normal and most people get all their back pay in one lump sum once it processes. The advice about giving family a specific date instead of saying "soon" is genius! I'm definitely going to tell them "based on everyone's experience here, it takes about a week to process, let's check back next Friday" instead of dealing with daily questions. @Katherine Shultz since we both just did our ID.me verification this week, maybe we can keep each other updated on how it goes? I'll be watching for my payment status to change from "on hold" to "pending" early next week. Fingers crossed both of us get our payments soon! The waiting is definitely the worst part but at least we know we're not alone in this 🤞