NY unemployment payment held up for 4 weeks after ID.me verification - anyone got funds faster?

I had the exact same thing happen to me in March. Went through the stupid ID.me stuff and then radio silence for weeks. I eventually used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me through to a real person who unlocked my account. Talking to the agent got my payments released within 48 hours instead of waiting another 3 weeks. Honestly was the best decision I made after banging my head against the wall trying to get through on the phone.

Took me just over 6 weeks from ID.me verification to getting paid. The "2-3 weeks for manual review" is BS they tell everyone. Their backlog is insane and nobody seems to be processing these claims with any urgency. I literally had to borrow money from family to avoid getting evicted. The system is completely broken.

Welcome to the wonderful world of NY unemployment where everything takes 3x longer than they tell you 🤡 I had my payments held for almost 2 months after ID.me back in February. They don't care that people have bills and need to eat. The whole system is designed to make you give up.

I'm going through this exact same BS right now!!! Got verified through ID.me five weeks ago and STILL waiting. Called and some lady just kept saying "it's in process" over and over. Like wtf does that even mean?? How can they just stop our money with no warning and then make us wait months to get it back??

Here's what nobody tells you: there are different levels to these "manual reviews" after ID.me. Level 1 is basic and can be cleared in 1-2 weeks. Level 2 requires supervisor approval and takes 3-4 weeks. Level 3 involves their fraud department and can take 6+ weeks. The reps won't tell you which level you're at because they don't want you to know how long it'll really take. I worked at NYSDOL before (not anymore thankfully) and this is how they operate.

After dealing with this ID.me nightmare for almost 2 months, I finally found a SOLUTION that worked for me. Call your state assembly person's office! I contacted mine last week explaining my situation, and their office has staff dedicated to unemployment issues. They reached out to NYSDOL directly and my payments were released 2 days later. Don't waste time with the regular phone lines!

Honestly the most comprehensive solution I can offer after going through this myself THREE times: 1. Keep certifying every week even while waiting - you'll get backpay 2. Call early (right at 8am) or use a service like claimyr.com that will wait on hold for you (saved me hours of frustration) 3. When you get through, specifically ask for a "payment release specialist" - regular reps can't override the ID.me hold 4. Be super nice on the phone - if the agent likes you, they're more likely to actually help instead of just reading scripts 5. If you get nowhere after a week of calls, contact both your state senator AND assembly person 6. Document everything - dates, times, agent names if possible I've helped several friends navigate this mess and this approach has worked consistently. The system is deliberately frustrating but there are ways through it if you're persistent!

anybody else notice how these "verification" issues always happen right when ur about to hit the end of your benefit year? makes u wonder if its all just a scam to make people reapply and risk getting denied 🤔

I literally just got my payments today after 5 weeks of ID.me hell. What finally worked was threatening to file a complaint with the NY department of labor ombudsman. Suddenly they "found" my verification and released everything within 24 hours. Don't let them push you around - know your rights!

lmao welcome to NY unemployment where the rules are made up and your needs don't matter 😂

Different take here: stop waiting and start hustling in the meantime. I was in your exact position in January. Instead of just waiting around, I signed up for Uber Eats, DoorDash, TaskRabbit, etc. Made enough to cover basics while fighting the unemployment system. Don't put all your eggs in the NYSDOL basket - they WILL let you down.

ur prob not gonna get a straight answer from anyone at unemployment. they have no clue whats happening and just tell u what u wanna hear to get u off the phone. i wish i had better news but prepare for the worst & hope for the best

This is why I stopped dealing with the regular phone lines and just used Claimyr. Spent like 3 weeks trying to get through the normal way and got nowhere. Used their service and had a real person on the phone within an hour who actually fixed my issue. Not a paid promotion lol, just sharing what worked for me: claimyr.com

The whole ID.me thing is such a joke. They claim it's to prevent fraud but I had to wait 2 months to get MY OWN MONEY that I'm legally entitled to? Make it make sense. And don't even get me started on their customer service...

Quick tip: when you call, if you press 3, then 2, then wait 5 seconds and press 1, then 4 - it bypasses some of the menu options and gets you closer to a real person. Doesn't always work but has helped me get through faster a few times.

My sister is going through the same thing right now. She's on week 5 of waiting after ID.me verification. The worst part is she keeps calling and getting different answers each time - one person says it's almost done, next person says it hasn't even been looked at yet. Total failure of a system.