NY unemployment ID.me verification problem - stuck with duplicate account error

I had a similar issue with ID.me last month. The key is to get to an actual human at ID.me through their video verification service. Don't bother with emails - they're swamped and rarely respond. Go back to the ID.me verification page, click on the 'verify with an ID.me Trusted Referee' option that should appear after the system fails to verify you automatically. You'll need to wait in a virtual queue, but at least you'll talk to someone who can fix the duplicate account issue on the spot.

i had this EXACT problem omg!! the whole duplicate account thing is a NIGHTMARE. i spent 3 weeks trying to fix it and kept getting nowhere. emails dont work AT ALL with id.me they never answer!!! and nys unemployment phone people just keeo sending u back and forth

This is a common issue with NY unemployment's ID.me integration. Their systems sometimes create phantom accounts when your information partially matches existing records. Here's what you need to do: 1. Go to ID.me's direct support page (not through NYSDOL) 2. Select "Account Recovery" not "Account Problems" 3. Use the self-service verification option to upload your documents again 4. If that fails, request the video verification with a Trusted Referee 5. When speaking with the referee, specifically mention the duplicate account issue and ask them to merge or remove the phantom account If they successfully verify you, you'll need to go back to your NY unemployment account and restart the verification process with the corrected ID.me account. Your back payments will be processed once verification is complete.

Dude, the whole ID.me thing is a mess. I had verification problems back in January and couldnt get anyone on the phone. My brother-in-law works in IT and he told me sometimes these systems create ghost accounts when you've previously used the same device or IP address as someone else who verified. Do you share a computer or wifi with anyone who might have used ID.me?

I've been going through the exact same nightmare with ID.me! Been trying to get my NY unemployment for 6 weeks now because of this stupid verification issue. Have you tried calling the NY unemployment office directly? Their main number is always busy, but I discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual agent after trying for DAYS on my own. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - basically they hold your place in the phone queue and call you when they reach an agent. The agent I spoke with was able to submit an internal ticket to their ID.me liaison team who can manually verify you. Worked for me when nothing else did!

I work as a career counselor and see clients with ID.me issues all the time. One important thing to note: when faxing documents to NYSDOL (which is a good backup method), always include a cover sheet with your full name, phone number, and NY unemployment ID number (NOT your SSN). Call their document processing center at 518-457-9000 exactly 5 business days after sending the fax to confirm receipt. Also, the duplicate account error often happens when your email has slight variations in their system (like john.smith vs johnsmith or with/without numbers). Try creating a completely new email address only for unemployment purposes and asking ID.me to link your verification to this new email instead.

did you try making a NEW id.me account with totally different email??? thats what i did and it worked fine

Just checking back - were you able to get through to an ID.me Trusted Referee? If you're still having trouble, there's one more thing you can try: contact your state representative's office. I know it sounds extreme, but when government systems are completely failing you, sometimes a call from a state rep's office can work miracles. They have special channels to contact unemployment office leadership.

btw anyone else notice how id.me problems got soooo much worse since january?? my friend applied last year and had zero issues but now everyone i know has problems with it

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! For anyone with similar problems, here's what worked: 1. I used Claimyr to get through to NYSDOL (took 1.5 hours instead of endless busy signals) 2. The agent connected me with their special ID.me support team 3. They found that my identity was linked to an old account created when I briefly looked into unemployment in 2023 but never completed an application 4. They unlinked my ID from the old account and reset my verification status 5. I had to go through ID.me verification again, but this time it worked perfectly Thank you everyone for your help! I should receive all my back payments within 3-5 business days.

Wow, what a journey! I'm dealing with a similar ID.me nightmare right now - been waiting 3 weeks for any kind of response from them. Your post gives me hope that there's actually a way through this mess. I had no idea about the Claimyr service or that NYSDOL has a special ID.me support team. Question for anyone who's been through this - when you finally get verified, do they automatically process all your missed weekly certifications, or do you have to go back and manually certify for each week you missed? I'm worried about losing weeks of benefits because of their broken system. Thanks Logan for sharing your resolution steps - I'm going to try the Claimyr route tomorrow!