Is ID.me verification now required to update NY unemployment direct deposit info? (System says verification mandatory)
I'm trying to update my direct deposit info on the NY unemployment website, and I've run into something new. When I go to "My Account Services" and try to click on "Update My Personal Information," the system says I need to verify my identity with ID.me first. The page specifically states: "Since these changes may affect the deposit of your benefits, the receipt of important information, or the amount of your payment you must verify your identity before proceeding. When you click Update My Personal Information below you will be taken to ID.me to verify your identity." I've claimed benefits already for this week, and I can see other options like: - "Inquire about your payment history" - "View Payment History" - "Update my personal information" (which requires ID.me verification) - "Get your NYS 1099-G" The system says I can use this system to: - Cancel or register for direct deposit - Make changes to my bank information if I have direct deposit - Change my address or tax withholding options It mentions that this online system is available between 7:30 am to 7:30 pm Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 5:00 pm Friday, all day Saturday, and Sunday until 7:00 pm. The page also says: "Most verifications can be completed in a matter of minutes. You should be redirected back to this application after verifying. If you are not redirected, return to https://applications.labor.oy.gov/Individual, log in again, and finish filing your claim." It specifically tells me NOT to call the Department of Labor for identity verification, saying: "Please do not call the Department of Labor to verify your identity. Our Telephone Claims Center cannot assist you with this step you must verify through the ID.me process." The page does say "ID.me is a trusted, secure service used by various federal and state government agencies. For more information about ID.me, visit https://on.ny.gov/IDmeSupport." I've never had to do this before when making changes. Does everyone have to do this verification thing now? I'm a little paranoid about giving more personal info after hearing about all those unemployment fraud cases last year. Has anyone done this ID.me verification? Is it safe or is this some kind of glitch in the system?
38 comments
Join the conversation
Oliver Brown
Yeah its a new security thing. They added ID.me back in April because there was so much fraud happening with claims. I had to do it when I updated my address last month. It only took like 10 minutes and you just need to take pictures of your drivers license and then do a video selfie thing. They match your face to your ID and then youre good.
0 coins
Honorah King
•Did you have any problems with the selfie part? My phone camera isnt that great...
0 coins
Oliver Brown
•Nah it worked fine on my old iphone 7. The lighting just has to be decent. Not sure about android tho
0 coins
Mary Bates
•It works on android too. I did it with a samsung galaxy s9. As long as your face is visible you should be fine
0 coins
Clay blendedgen
After weeks of not being able to get through to NY unemployment on the phone, I tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they actually got me connected to a real person! Best thing I ever did to get my banking info updated. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast after weeks of trying to do it online. Check out this video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
0 coins
Ayla Kumar
•yeah right, another 'miracle solution'... what's the catch? 🙄
0 coins
Clay blendedgen
•No catch! I was skeptical too but I was desperate after like 30 failed calls. They just get you thru the phone system faster. You still talk to the same NYSDOL people.
0 coins
Lorenzo McCormick
•sounds like one of those ads that pops up everywhere. anyone ACTUALLY try this?
0 coins
Carmella Popescu
•I actually did use it a few weeks ago. It works but you still need to wait for callback. Took about 2hrs for me but waaaaay better than calling myself all day
0 coins
Kai Santiago
•not falling for another unemployment 'hack'... these never work
0 coins
Lim Wong
Yes you have to do the ID.me verification! Its totally normal. The system was updated because of all the fraud. I was worried too but everyone has to do it now for anything involving money or personal info changes.
0 coins
Dananyl Lear
I went thru this last week. ID.me is legit - the labor department switched to it to stop all the scammers. It's kinda annoying but i get why they need it. Too many ppl had their accounts hacked and money stolen. Just make sure ur on the official labor website before you click any links!
0 coins
Honorah King
•Thanks! That makes me feel better about it. I'll make sure I'm on the official site
0 coins
Dananyl Lear
•np! just fyi the verification can take a few tries if the lighting is bad for the selfie part
0 coins
Noah huntAce420
Listen up yall! I work in IT security and ID.me is actually a pretty secure identity verification system. Many government agencies use it now. Its not just NY unemployment - the IRS, VA, and Social Security all use it too. Its annoying to setup but its WAY safer than the old systems they were using.
0 coins
Ana Rusula
•this is true. my brother works for a govt contractor and they use the same service for verification. its industry standard now
0 coins
Fidel Carson
OK SO HERES WHATS HAPPENING (sorry for caps but I see this question like 5x a day): NY unemployment added ID.me verification last year for ALL account changes related to money. This means: - Changing direct deposit info - Updating banking details - Changing tax withholding - Requesting payment reissue It's 100% legitimate and required. They didn't announce it very well which is why everyone gets confused. I had to help my mom do it and it took maybe 15 mins total. If you're having trouble with the verification, you can: 1) Try a different device 2) Make sure your ID isn't expired 3) Use better lighting 4) Request a video call with an ID.me rep if the automated system fails And if all that fails and you need to talk to someone at unemployment directly, I recommend using Claimyr.com - it's the only reliable way I've found to actually get through to a live person. Getting someone on the phone fixed like 90% of my issues. Hope this helps! 💯
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•I second the claimyr recommendation. Been trying to call for 2 weeks before I found them
0 coins
Honorah King
•Thanks for the detailed info! This is exactly what I needed to know
0 coins
Xan Dae
•wait hold up - does this actually work or is it just the usual BS?
0 coins
Fidel Carson
•It works. I'm not affiliated with them or anything, just a fellow frustrated NYer who finally got my issues fixed after using their service
0 coins
Fiona Gallagher
be careful!!! there are fake ID.me sites out there. make sure you only use the link from the official ny.gov unemployment site!!!
0 coins
Thais Soares
•THIS!!! My cousin almost got scammed by a phishing email claiming to be ID.me. Always go through the official website!
0 coins
Nalani Liu
•yup there's tons of scams targeting unemployment folks rn. never click email links
0 coins
Axel Bourke
I HATE the id.me thing. Took me like 6 tries to get it to accept my drivers license. But yea you gotta do it if you wanna update your direct deposit. Their facial recognition is trash tbh
0 coins
Aidan Percy
•Same it kept saying my face didn't match my ID even tho I look exactly the same 😒
0 coins
Fernanda Marquez
•Pro tip: if the auto system fails 3 times it lets you video chat with a human instead
0 coins
Norman Fraser
Just got off the phone with ny unemployment (took forever to get through) and they confirmed ID.me is required now for ANY changes to banking/payment info. If u have trouble with the online verification u can call but honestly the wait times are insane. Took me 3 days of trying
0 coins
Kendrick Webb
•how did you even get through? i've been calling for days
0 coins
Norman Fraser
•I used claimyr.com after someone recommended it here. They got me a callback same day
0 coins
Hattie Carson
my friend works at the DOL and says they added this because unemployment fraud went up like 3000% during the pandemic. tons of people had their direct deposit info changed by hackers
0 coins
Destiny Bryant
The whole system is such a mess 🤦♀️ Every time they add "security" it just makes it harder for actual people to get their benefits. But yes you have to do the ID.me thing. No way around it now.
0 coins
Dyllan Nantx
•For real tho!! It's like they don't want us to get paid. So many hoops to jump through
0 coins
TillyCombatwarrior
•at least it's better than florida's system lol 💀
0 coins
Destiny Bryant
•True 🤣 my sister lives in FL and their system is pure chaos
0 coins
Anna Xian
id.me didnt work for me at all!!! had to video chat with somebody and show my documents. took like 45min but finally got verified. Such a pain but yeah its required now smh
0 coins
PixelWarrior
Just went through this myself last week! The ID.me verification is definitely legit and required now. I was super hesitant at first too because of all the scam stories, but it's actually the real deal. Make sure you're going through the official NY unemployment site (labor.ny.gov) and not clicking any links from emails. The whole process took me about 20 minutes - had to take photos of my driver's license front and back, then do the selfie verification. My lighting wasn't great the first time so I had to redo the selfie part, but it worked fine on the second try. Once you're verified, updating your direct deposit info is pretty straightforward. It's annoying that they didn't really announce this change clearly, but I guess it's necessary with all the fraud that's been happening.
0 coins
Rudy Cenizo
I just went through this exact same thing yesterday! The ID.me verification is definitely required now for any banking or personal info changes. I was super paranoid about it too after hearing about all the fraud, but it's completely legitimate. The NY Department of Labor rolled this out earlier this year because of all the unemployment scams that happened during the pandemic. A few tips that helped me get through it faster: - Make sure you have good lighting when taking the selfie - Clean your phone camera lens first - Have your driver's license ready (make sure it's not expired!) - Use the official labor.ny.gov site, never click links from emails The whole process took me about 15 minutes. The facial recognition part can be a bit finicky, but if it fails a few times you can request to do a video call with an ID.me agent instead. Once you're verified, you're good to go for all future changes too - you won't have to do it again. I totally get being cautious about giving out personal info, but this is the new normal for government benefits unfortunately. Better safe than sorry with all the hackers out there!
0 coins