NY unemployment payments stopped - everyone talking about ID.me verification?
Has anyone else noticed they haven't gotten their NY unemployment payment this week? I'm scrolling through posts and seeing everyone talking about something called ID.me verification? What exactly is this ID.me thing and why is it suddenly required? Can someone break down the step-by-step process for how to complete it? I'm not very tech savvy lol. Do I need to do this to get my payments back?
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Dylan Cooper
ID.me is a verification service NYSDOL started using in 2025 to fight fraud. Basicly they need to confirm your identity before they keep paying you. Got the same notice last week, payments stopped until I did it.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Thanks but HOW do I actually do it?? Do they email a link or something?
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Sofia Morales
ID.me is a third-party identity verification system that NYSDOL now requires for all unemployment benefits recipients. You should have received an email with instructions, but if not, here's how to complete it: 1. Log into your NY.gov account and go to your unemployment dashboard 2. Look for the alert banner about identity verification (should be at the top) 3. Click the link to start the ID.me process 4. Create an ID.me account if you don't already have one 5. Upload photos of your government ID (driver's license, passport, etc.) 6. Take a selfie video following their instructions 7. Verify your phone number and email 8. Once approved, your payments should resume within 3-5 business days Make sure you have good lighting when taking photos. If the system can't verify you automatically, you'll need to do a video call with an ID.me representative.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•OMG thank you for the detailed steps!! I just checked and did see an email from NYSDOL about this but it went to my spam folder. Going to try this right now.
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StarSailor
i did the id.me thing and STILL haven't gotten paid for 2 weeks now. the website says "pending verification" whatever that means. this is so frustrating!!!
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Dmitry Ivanov
•The same thing happened to me! After I completed ID.me, I waited over a week with "pending verification" status. I finally managed to speak with an actual agent who told me there was a backlog of verifications they're processing manually. She had to manually approve mine right then on the call. Took FOREVER to get through though - I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of calling for days. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Ava Garcia
DONT DO IT!!! its a SCAM to collect your personal info!! the government already has all our info why do they need MORE?? wake up people!
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Miguel Silva
•This is incorrect information. ID.me is a legitimate identity verification service used by many government agencies, not just NYSDOL. While I understand privacy concerns, it is not a scam - it's an official requirement. If you don't complete the verification, your benefits will remain on hold indefinitely. The verification is in place due to the unprecedented fraud experienced during the pandemic.
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Zainab Ismail
For anyone struggling with ID.me, some tips from my experience last month: - Use a desktop/laptop if possible, not your phone - Make sure your ID isn't expired (mine was and that's why I got rejected) - If you wear glasses, take them off for the selfie - Have backup documents ready (SSN card, birth certificate) - If you fail the automated verification, don't panic! The video call with a human representative is actually easier It took me about 30 minutes total to get verified once I had everything ready.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Ok so I just tried doing it and got stuck on the selfie part! It kept saying "face not detected" even though I was RIGHT in front of the camera. So frustrating! Going to try again on my laptop instead of phone like you suggested.
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Dylan Cooper
u can also do it on ur phone if thats easier. download the id.me app. I found it easier than the website tbh
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StarSailor
•the app crashed 3 times for me lol the website worked better
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Ava Garcia
Anyone else notice how they always find ways to DELAY our money?? First the "system upgrades" in January that delayed everyones payments for 2 weeks, now this ID.me garbage. They're probably investing our money and making interest off it while we struggle to pay bills!!
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Zainab Ismail
•While I understand your frustration (trust me, I've been there!), the ID.me requirement is actually helping people get their money faster in the long run. My nephew had his account hacked last month, and because of the ID.me verification, NYSDOL was able to quickly restore his rightful access instead of freezing his account for weeks during a manual investigation.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
UPDATE: I finally got through the ID.me verification! Had to use my laptop like someone suggested. For anyone else struggling with this, make sure you're in a well-lit room and don't wear glasses during the face scan part. My payments were still on hold for a few days after completing it though.
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Sofia Morales
•Glad you got it working! Yes, there's typically a 3-5 business day processing period after your ID.me verification is complete before payments resume. If it goes longer than a week, I'd recommend contacting NYSDOL directly.
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Dmitry Ivanov
Just so everyone knows, if you get stuck in "pending verification" status after completing ID.me, you NEED to talk to a live agent. They have to manually release the hold sometimes. I was stuck for almost 3 weeks before using Claimyr to get through to someone. The agent told me thousands of people are in the same situation right now.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•Thank you for this info! My status just changed from "pending verification" to "approved" today, so looks like mine went through automatically. Such a relief!
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