How to verify identity for NYS Department of Labor unemployment claim - stuck for days
Been trying to verify my identity for my unemployment claim for the past 4 days and getting nowhere. The NYS Department of Labor website keeps asking me to upload documents but every time I try it says 'error processing request.' I've tried uploading my driver's license, social security card, and W2 from last year but nothing seems to work. The file sizes are under the limit and they're in PDF format like it says. Anyone else having this problem? I'm worried my claim is going to get delayed even more because of this identity verification issue.
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Paolo Rizzo
The identity verification system has been having issues lately. Try using JPG or PNG files instead of PDF - sometimes that works better. Also make sure your documents are crystal clear and well-lit photos. The system is pretty picky about image quality for identity verification.
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Keisha Johnson
•Thanks! I'll try converting to JPG and taking new photos. Do you know if there's a specific size requirement beyond the file size limit?
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QuantumQuest
same thing happened to me last week!! took me like 6 tries but finally got through. try clearing your browser cache first then use chrome or firefox, not safari or edge
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Amina Sy
For identity verification with NYS Department of Labor, you need to make sure the documents show your full name exactly as it appears on your claim. If there's any mismatch (like middle initial missing or different spelling), the system will reject it. Also, expired IDs won't work - everything needs to be current.
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Oliver Fischer
•Wait, what if my license has my maiden name but I filed under my married name? Do I need to upload marriage certificate too for identity verification?
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Amina Sy
•Yes, if there's a name discrepancy you'll need supporting documentation like marriage certificate or court order to verify the name change.
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Natasha Petrova
The identity verification process is such a pain. I had to call NYS Department of Labor like 50 times before someone could help me figure out why my documents weren't going through. Turns out there was some glitch on their end.
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Javier Morales
If you're still having trouble getting through to verify your identity, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent. They have this video demo (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) that shows how it works. Basically they keep calling until they get you through to someone who can help with identity verification issues. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.
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Keisha Johnson
•Interesting, I've never heard of that. Did they actually help you resolve the identity verification problem or just get you through to someone?
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Javier Morales
•They got me connected to an agent who walked me through exactly what was wrong with my documents and helped me resubmit everything correctly. Much better than trying to figure it out on my own.
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Emma Davis
Another thing to check - make sure you're not uploading during peak hours. The identity verification system seems to work better early morning or late evening when fewer people are trying to use it.
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Justin Trejo
I had the exact same issue with the identity verification! What finally worked for me was using a different device entirely - I was trying on my phone and kept getting errors, but when I switched to my laptop it went through immediately. Also make sure you're using the most recent version of your browser. The NYS DOL system seems really finicky about browser compatibility for identity verification uploads.
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Amina Bah
•That's a great point about switching devices! I've been trying on my phone this whole time. Going to try my laptop tonight and see if that helps with the identity verification. Did you have to re-upload all your documents from scratch when you switched devices, or did the system save your progress?
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Aisha Ali
I've been dealing with identity verification issues too and found a few things that helped. First, make sure your documents are saved at high resolution - the system sometimes rejects blurry or low-quality images even if they look fine to you. Second, try uploading one document at a time rather than all at once. I kept getting timeouts when trying to upload multiple files together. Also, if you're still getting the "error processing request" message, try logging out completely, clearing your cookies, and logging back in. Sometimes the session gets corrupted and a fresh login fixes the upload issues. Hope this helps!
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