NY unemployment claim stuck in ID.me verification review since January - no payments

same thing happened to me! took them 7 weeks to finish the "review" and suddenly all my payments appeared at once. no explanation, no nothing. the system is broken af

This is unfortunately common with NY unemployment right now. The ID.me verification can create a hold on your claim while they conduct a security review. The department is currently experiencing longer than usual processing times due to their new fraud prevention system implemented in December 2024. In the meantime, make sure you: 1. Continue certifying every week without fail 2. Check your DocuSign inbox for any forms they might have sent requiring your signature 3. Verify your NY.gov ID account has all your current contact information 4. Look for any messages in your online account inbox that might explain the hold The good news is that once approved, you'll receive all back payments you're entitled to in a lump sum.

I went through the exact same thing in February! The phone reps are absolutely useless - they just read from the same script about "claim being reviewed" without giving any actual information. What worked for me was contacting my state assembly member's office. Seriously, I was stuck for 5 weeks, contacted my assembly member on a Monday, and by Thursday my claim was processed and all backpay was in my account by the following Tuesday. Google "[your county] NY state assembly member" and most have unemployment assistance request forms right on their websites. They have direct lines to NYSDOL that we don't have access to.

After trying to get through to NYSDOL for weeks about my stuck claim, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. The agent was able to see exactly why my claim was held up (missing employment verification) and told me what to upload to fix it. Totally worth it for me since I was losing my mind trying to get answers. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A DISASTER!! I went thru this nightmare in January and didn't get paid until MARCH!! Keep calling EVERY DAY and DEMAND to speak to a supervisor. The regular agents are trained to tell you nothing. Supervisors can actually see what's happening and sometimes push it through. Also CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR not just assembly person!! They can often get things moving faster than assembly office. This is RIDICULOUS that we have to jump through hoops just to get the benefits we deserve!!

One additional thing to check - log into your NY.gov account and go to the "Messages" section. Sometimes they send requests for additional information but don't notify you by email or text. I've seen many cases where claims were delayed because people missed these messages. Also, check if your claim status says "pending" or if it shows any specific issue like "identity verification" or "employment verification." This can give you a clue about what's causing the delay.

have u tried calling right when they open at 8am? thats when i finally got thru

Something to consider - the ID.me verification delays often happen when there's a discrepancy between your ID.me information and your claim information. Even minor differences can trigger a manual review. Double-check that your name, address, and SSN are exactly the same on both systems. If there's even a slight difference (like using your full legal name on one system but a nickname on another), it can cause these extended reviews.

btw did u try the callback feature on the phone system? it sometimes works better than staying on hold

Just wanted to check in - any progress with your claim? Did you try contacting your assembly member?

my cousin had the same problem and it turns out he checked the wrong box somewhere on his application... might be worth going thru your initial claim again with someone on the phone to see if theres a simple mistake thats holding things up