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Kelsey Hawkins

How long after ID.me verification till ny unemployment benefits show up?

I had to do the whole ID.me verification thing for my unemployment claim back in July after getting laid off from my factory job. They sent me an email saying my identity might have been compromised and I needed to verify through this ID.me system. I uploaded my drivers license, did the facial recognition video thing, and even had to do a video call with some guy who made me show my ID again. The ID.me site gave me a green checkmark saying I was verified on July 23rd. It's now September and still zero benefits. My online account says "pending" every time I check. I've been calling the ny unemployment office literally every day but can't get through to a human. My rent is two months behind and I'm about to get evicted. Does anyone know how long this is supposed to take after verification? I thought once I did the ID.me thing, the money would start flowing within a week or two. Starting to think someone at the unemployment office just forgot about my claim.

id.me verification should only take like 24-48 hours to process in their system normaly. But the ny unemployment office is a whole different story. Mine took 3 weeks after verification to start getting payments. Something is definitely wrong if its been since July. You NEED to talk to a real person. The only way I finally got through was using claimyr.com - they stayed on hold for me and called when they got a real person. Talking to an agent got my payments flowing within a day after being stuck for weeks. Best money I've ever spent considering how much back pay I was owed.

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is that some kind of scam? never heard of a service doing that before

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Not a scam at all. They just wait on hold so you don't have to. I was skeptical too but I was desperate after trying to call for weeks. Here's a video explaining it: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

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wait so they just call for you? do they need any of your personal info?

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Nope, they just call the number and wait on hold, then connect you when someone answers. You talk directly to the unemployment people yourself. They're just the hold-waiting service.

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Bro I was about to say there's no way this works but I just checked their reviews and ppl seem happy. might try it tmrw cuz I'm in the same boat as OP 🤔

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It's super random. Mine took 9 days after id.me but my roomate took almost 6 weeks. The whole system is broken. You HAVE to talk to a real person on the phone to get it fixed. Keep trying to call early in the morning like right when they open.

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I'm going through EXACTLY the same thing right now. ID.me verified me in August and still nothing. I finally got through to someone last week after calling 63 times (not exaggerating) and they told me my account was flagged for "additional review" after the ID.me verification. Apparently there's some secondary process they don't tell you about. The lady said it could be another 2-3 weeks. The whole system is a joke.

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Did they say why it was flagged for additional review? I'm wondering if mine is in the same boat. And how did you manage to get through to someone?

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They said something vague about "discrepancies" but wouldn't be specific. I think it's just random tbh. I got through by hitting 0 repeatedly when the automated system started talking, then 2, then 1. Still took forever but eventually worked.

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the secondary review is such bull****. They should tell people about that upfront instead of making it seem like ID.me is the only hurdle.

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Look, I hate to be that person but the system is DESIGNED to be hard to navigate. They make it confusing and difficult on purpose so people give up. You absolutely must speak with an agent directly - no amount of waiting will fix it automatically. My claim sat for 3 months after ID.me until I finally reached someone who fixed it in literally 5 minutes.

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💯 THIS. The whole unemployment system is built to discourage people from claiming benefits they're entitled to.

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yep 100% right. in 2022 there's no reason they can't have a modern working system unless they WANT it to be broken

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After my ID.me verification I had the same exact problem. The thing that solved it - I contacted my state senator's office. NYS senators have special liasons to the unemployment office. I emailed my senator with my claim info and within 3 days I had a call from someone at unemployment who fixed it immediately. Don't wait like I did - reach out to your local rep now!!

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Underrated comment right here ⬆️ The senator thing really works. My cousin did the same thing after waiting months.

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how do you even find your state senator? i don't even know who mine is lol

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Just google "who is my NYS senator" and there's a website where you put in your address. Super easy.

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I'm gonna give you the REAL comprehensive answer here because I went through this hell last year and eventually got it fixed. After ID.me verification, there are several possible statuses your claim can fall into: 1) Everything processes normally and payments begin within 1-2 weeks. This happens for maybe 60% of people. 2) Your claim gets flagged for "secondary review" which can take 3-8 weeks. This happens if there were any discrepancies in your application or if your employer contests anything. 3) Your claim gets stuck in limbo due to a system glitch where it shows "pending" forever with no movement. You're clearly in category 2 or 3. Here's what you need to do: - Call the unemployment office EVERY DAY. Use claimyr.com if you need to - they'll wait on hold and call you when they get a rep. Seriously life-changing service when I was desperate. - If calling fails after a week, contact your state senator AND assembly person (do both). Their offices have direct lines to DOL. - File a complaint with the NY Department of Labor on their website. - Make sure you're still certifying every week even though you're not getting paid. When they fix it, you'll get all back payments. - Check your spam folder and mail daily for any notices requesting additional information. The system is deliberately difficult, but persistence pays off. I eventually got all my back pay in one lump sum.

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Thank you so much for this detailed response. I'm definitely in category 2 or 3. I'll try that claimyr service tomorrow. I've been certifying every week religiously so at least that part is covered.

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This is prob the most useful comment I've ever seen on this subreddit. Saving this.

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can confirm contacting your state rep works wonders. my brother was stuck for 4 months, senator's office fixed it in 2 days.

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ahahaha welcome to ny unemployment hell my friend. it'll be 2-3 months minimum if you're lucky. the system is a dumpster fire.

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don't be a dick, the person is about to get evicted

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not being a dick just being realistic. system is broken af and ppl should know the truth

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check ur spam folder!!!! I waited for 2 months and then found out they had sent me an email asking for additional documents that went to spam. once i sent those it was processed in 3 days.

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OP you should reach out to eviction prevention services asap while you work on the unemployment issue. In NY they can't just throw you out without going through a whole legal process first. There are free legal aid services that can help you stall the eviction until you get your benefits.

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Thank you, that's a good idea. Do you know any specific services I should contact?

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Legal Aid Society if you're in NYC, or just google "free eviction help" plus your county name. Also call 211 - they can connect you with emergency rental assistance.

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i dont want to be the bearer of bad news but my cousins id.me got verified in february and he still hasnt gotten a single payment and its september now soooo... 🤷‍♂️

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Has he actually talked to anyone on the phone? That's not normal even for NY unemployment. Something else is wrong with his claim.

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he gave up after trying to call for like 2 months straight. just got a new job instead

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the ID.me thing is such a scam. its a private company that the government contracted to "solve" identity verification but it just adds another layer of bureaucracy. i had to do it twice because their facial recognition failed the first time 🤦‍♀️

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Are you still able to certify for weekly benefits through your online account? If yes, keep doing it EVERY WEEK even though you're not getting paid. If no, that could be part of the problem.

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Yes I've been certifying every single week. The system lets me do that part no problem, just no money ever comes through.

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That's good at least. When they fix it you'll get all the back pay. But yeah you definitely need to talk to someone.

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When you log into your account, does it show any kind of message or just "pending"? Sometimes there are specific hold codes that can tell you what's wrong.

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Just says pending with no other info. There's no error code or anything I can see.

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classic ny unemployment move. they hide the real status codes from claimants. only the phone reps can see the actual reason for the hold.

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My timeline after ID.me: verified on April 12, benefits started May 28th. So about 6-7 weeks. But I did have to call multiple times and finally got through to someone who told me there was an "adjudication" issue they needed to resolve. Nobody tells you anything unless you manage to talk to a human.

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this happened to my wife last year! the issue was that even tho ID.me verified her, there was a flag on her account because someone in another state had tried to claim benefits using her SSN. took forever to get it fixed. def sounds like identity theft might be part of your problem.

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That's exactly what the email said! That someone might have tried to use my info. How did your wife finally get it resolved?

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We used claimyr.com to finally get someone on the phone after weeks of trying. The agent had to remove the fraud flag and then it processed within a few days. Worth every penny considering how much backpay she was owed.

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the verification is just step 1. after that they do an "identity theft investigation" which can take months. its completely ridiculous. the only solution is calling until you get someone who can override the hold.

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It should be max 7-10 days but I'm convinced they randomly select people to torture with endless waiting. Keep calling!! Don't give up!!

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Not sure if this helps but there's actually a special ID verification phone line that's different from the main unemployment number. Try calling 1-888-783-1370 and press options for identity verification issues. Sometimes they can help faster than the regular reps.

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Thank you! I'll try this number first thing tomorrow.

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That number just routes you back to the main call center FYI. Tried it last month.

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I went through this exact same nightmare last year and it's absolutely infuriating. After my ID.me verification in March, I waited 4 months with zero communication from DOL. What finally worked for me was a combination approach: 1. I used that claimyr service everyone's mentioning - yes it costs money but honestly saved my sanity. They got me through to a rep in 2 days. 2. Simultaneously contacted my state senator's office (found mine on nysenate.gov). Their constituent services person actually called me back within 24 hours. 3. The phone rep told me my account had THREE different holds: identity verification (even though ID.me was done), employer separation issue, and some random "quality review" flag. The key thing is that ID.me verification doesn't automatically clear all the holds on your account. There can be multiple layers of BS keeping your claim stuck. Once the rep manually cleared everything, I got 4 months of backpay within a week. Don't wait any longer - use every resource mentioned here. The system is deliberately broken to discourage people from getting benefits they're legally entitled to. Also definitely look into emergency rental assistance through 211 while you're fighting this. You've got this - just need to be persistent and use the right channels!

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I'm going through something similar right now - ID.me verified in early August and still waiting. The frustration is real! Based on what I'm seeing here, it sounds like there might be multiple holds on your account that only phone reps can see and clear. I'm definitely going to try that claimyr service everyone's talking about since I've been calling for weeks with no luck. Also going to contact my state senator's office - didn't even know that was an option! In the meantime, make sure you're checking your spam folder regularly and keep certifying every week. And definitely look into emergency rental assistance through 211 to help with the eviction situation while you're fighting this. The system is clearly designed to make us give up, but don't let them win. We're all rooting for you!

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This is so helpful to read - I'm not alone in this mess! I had no idea about the senator thing either until I saw it mentioned here. Definitely going to try both claimyr and contacting my rep tomorrow. It's crazy that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get benefits we're entitled to. Thanks for the 211 tip too, I'll call them about emergency rental assistance. We really shouldn't have to become experts in navigating bureaucracy just to survive but here we are 🙄

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I'm so sorry you're going through this - the ID.me to payment timeline is absolutely brutal and unpredictable. I went through the same thing earlier this year and it's maddening how the system just leaves you in limbo with zero communication. Here's what I learned from my experience: ID.me verification is just the first hurdle, not the finish line. There are often multiple holds on accounts that only phone reps can see - things like employer disputes, secondary identity reviews, or random system flags. The "pending" status you're seeing doesn't tell you anything useful about what's actually blocking your claim. Given that you got that email about potential identity compromise, there's probably a fraud investigation hold on your account that's separate from the ID.me verification. This can take months to clear unless you get a human to manually review it. My advice: Don't wait any longer. Use every avenue people have mentioned here - the claimyr service to get through phone lines, contact your state senator's office through nysenate.gov, and call 211 for emergency rental assistance while you're fighting this. The senator route especially seems to work fast based on what others are saying. The system is designed to exhaust you into giving up, but you're entitled to those benefits. Keep certifying weekly so you get all the backpay when this finally gets resolved. You've got this!

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This is exactly the comprehensive advice I needed to hear. I had no idea there could be multiple holds beyond the ID.me verification - that explains why I'm stuck in this endless "pending" status. The fraud investigation angle makes total sense given that initial email about my identity being compromised. I'm definitely going to try the claimyr service first thing tomorrow and also reach out to my state senator. It's frustrating that we have to become detective-level experts just to get our own benefits, but I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. Going to call 211 about rental assistance too. Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed response!

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Wow, reading through all these responses really shows how broken the NY unemployment system is. I'm dealing with something similar - ID.me verified me back in June and I'm still stuck in "pending" hell. It's insane that we all have to become experts in navigating bureaucracy just to get benefits we've paid into. From what everyone's saying, it sounds like the ID.me verification is just step one, and there can be multiple invisible holds on your account that only phone reps can see. Since you got that email about potential identity theft, you probably have a fraud flag that needs manual review. I'm definitely going to try that claimyr service everyone keeps mentioning - seems like it's worth the cost if it actually gets you through to a human. Also had no idea about contacting state senators until reading this thread. OP, don't give up! The system wants us to quit but we're entitled to these benefits. Keep certifying weekly and try every avenue people have suggested. This thread has been more helpful than months of trying to navigate the DOL website. We're all in this together!

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