Identity verification nightmare with NY unemployment - been waiting 3 months for backpay

Oh man, I had almost the EXACT same situation in February. Different story every time I called. One rep says it's processed, next one says it's on hold. I was ready to lose my mind! What finally worked for me was using Claimyr to get through to an actual claims specialist (not just the first-level phone people). The regular phone reps honestly don't have the authority to do anything. I spent like 3 weeks trying before I found claimyr.com and their service got me to a real specialist in about 20 minutes who actually fixed my identity verification issue while I was on the phone. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - seriously saved my sanity.

The identity verification process is a major bottleneck in NY's unemployment system right now. Here's what you need to understand about the current process: 1) Even if you completed ID verification, it might not have been properly marked in their system 2) The first-tier representatives often can't see the full status of your claim 3) When they say "escalation," it means your case goes to a specialized unit, but they're backlogged What I recommend: Call back tomorrow and specifically ask for a "ID verification specialist" right at the beginning. If they say they can't transfer you, politely ask to speak with a supervisor. Be persistent but always polite. The key is getting to someone with actual authority to release your claim from the ID verification hold.

been waitin 2 months myself. system is broken af. one rep tells u something then next one says opposite. so frustrated i cant even

I work with claimants in a related field, and identity verification issues have been a huge problem in NY's system since they upgraded their software in January 2025. Here's what's happening behind the scenes: When you verify your identity, it gets flagged in one part of their system, but sometimes doesn't propagate to the claims processing side. This creates a situation where your identity IS verified in one database but shows as pending in another. The most effective approach right now is to: 1. Request written confirmation that your identity was verified (get a reference number) 2. Call back and provide that reference number to the next rep 3. Ask specifically for a "cross-system verification check" Also, document EVERYTHING. Get the ID number of every rep you speak with, the time of your call, and what they told you. This creates a paper trail that becomes important if you need to file a formal complaint.

THEY'RE DOING THIS ON PURPOSE!!! I waited 4 months last year for my benefits because of the same "identity verification" excuse. They hope people will just give up and go away. NY unemployment is deliberately understaffed and their systems are designed to be confusing so they can save money by delaying benefits. Call your state representative and file a complaint!!

This happened to me too back in January. Would you believe it took them 4 months to finally process my claim? And the worst part is, each rep told me something different. What weird is that my wife applied the same day as me and got her benefits in 2 weeks with no problems. The only thing that worked was when I followed the advice someone gave me here to contact my local state assembly person's office. They have special liaisons with the unemployment office. Within 3 days of contacting my assemblyman's office, my identity was suddenly "verified" and the money appeared. Worth trying at least.

Just to follow up on the Claimyr question - yes, it does actually work. I was super skeptical too but I was desperate after 6 weeks of getting nowhere. The thing with NY unemployment right now is that there are different tiers of representatives. The regular phone people you usually reach can basically just read your file but can't actually fix anything. They just tell you what they see on their screen and make notes. What Claimyr does is connects you with the actual claims specialists who have the authority to fix things in the system. They got me through to someone who literally fixed my identity verification issue while I was on the phone. The woman was like "oh I see the problem, your verification is stuck in pending status even though you completed it. Let me fix that..." and she literally resolved it during our call.

Just a thought - have you checked your NY.gov ID account to see if there are any action items or messages there? Sometimes they send requests for additional verification documents through that system but don't tell you about it when you call. I had a similar issue and discovered they needed additional documentation, but none of the representatives mentioned it during my calls. Worth checking if you haven't already.

my cousin works 4 the state (not unemployment) but says they got MASSIVE backlog still from when they switched computer systems. like tens of thousands of claims stuck in limbo. he said internal memo went out saying they're working thru them but its gonna take months. sucks but might just be stuck waiting

One more important note: If you've been waiting more than 10 weeks for your benefits after filing your claim, you qualify for what's called a "Commissioner Review" under NY unemployment regulations. This is a special expedited review process. Call and specifically say: "I'd like to request a Commissioner Review under Section 597.4 as my claim has been pending for more than 10 weeks without determination." This specific language triggers a legal obligation for them to process your claim within 3 business days. Many representatives won't volunteer this information because it creates more work for them, but it's your right under NY state regulations.

I had a similar issue last year but with wage verification not identity. actually i think my problem started with identity verification then became a wage issue? anyway it was all very confusing. i was about ready to give up when i finally got through to a competent person who fixed everything. got all my backpay in one lump sum which was nice but didn't help with the 3 months of stress and late payments i had to deal with. btw, has anyone else noticed that if you call at exactly 7:58am right before they officially open, you sometimes get through faster? worked for me twice.

Update us when you get this resolved! So many of us are in the same boat. The system is BROKEN and they don't care because it's not their bills that are late and their kids going without. I've been telling everyone to document EVERYTHING and we should consider a class action lawsuit for the delays. They can't just sit on our money for months with no explanation!