Need ID.me phone number for NY unemployment verification - stuck on identity check

The ID.me support number is 844-464-3363. You can call them Monday-Friday 8am-8pm ET or weekends 8am-5pm ET. Make sure you have all your identity documents ready when you call. They'll probably need to verify your info over the phone and might still require you to complete certain steps online.

I had same problem last week. Called that number and waited 45 minutes! Better option is to try the video verification again but use different lighting. My verification kept failing when I was in my living room but worked fine when I went to my bathroom with brighter lights. Try that first!

I went through this exact nightmare last month with my NY unemployment verification. After three days of trying to get the facial recognition to work, I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual person at NYSDOL who helped override the verification issue. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE and their website is claimyr.com - it was way faster than dealing with ID.me directly.

The ID.me issues are ridiculous right now. I work with unemployment cases and here's what you need to know: 1. Their phone support (844-464-3363) is overwhelmed - expect 1+ hour waits 2. Video verification works best with: - Natural light (near window during daytime) - Plain background (white wall is ideal) - Latest version of Chrome/Firefox - Wired internet connection if possible 3. If you fail 3 times, you'll be LOCKED OUT for 24 hours 4. Important: NY unemployment will NOT deny your claim due to ID.me technical issues as long as you're making good faith efforts to verify Document each attempt with screenshots showing the errors in case you need to appeal later.

the whole ID me thing is a JOKE!!! i had to try 8 TIMES before it worked!!! the system is designed to DENY people benefits by making it impossible to verify!!! and when i finally got thru after WEEKS the unemployment office said i might have to pay back benefits cuz it took too long to verify!!! SYSTEM IS RIGGED

Just went through this last week! Something nobody mentioned yet - make sure you're not using any VPN or privacy extensions in your browser when doing ID.me verification. I kept getting errors until I turned those off. Also I had to use my passport instead of my driver's license because their scanner couldn't read the NY hologram thing properly.

did u try clearing ur cookies and cache? worked for my cousin when he had same problem

Just wanted to follow up on this thread with a quick update since so many people are having ID.me issues with NY unemployment. As of March 2025, NYSDOL has updated their process so that claimants experiencing technical difficulties with ID.me can request a verification exception by submitting Form UI-BV25 (Biometric Verification Exception Request). You can download this form directly from your online account under 'Forms and Documents.' This can save a lot of time compared to calling.

I just went through this same ordeal two weeks ago! Here's what finally worked for me after failing multiple times: 1) Use your phone's camera instead of computer webcam - much clearer image quality, 2) Do it during daylight hours near a window but not in direct sunlight (creates shadows), 3) Remove any glasses or hats, 4) Hold your ID document flat against a dark surface when scanning - the contrast helps their system read it better. Also, if you have an iPhone, try using Safari instead of Chrome - seemed to work better with their system. The whole process is definitely frustrating but don't give up! Your benefits won't be denied just because of technical issues as long as you keep trying and document your attempts.

I've been helping people with ID.me verification issues for months now, and I want to add a few more troubleshooting tips that have worked for others: 1) Try using incognito/private browsing mode - this eliminates any browser extension conflicts, 2) If you're on mobile, make sure your phone's camera lens is clean (sounds obvious but you'd be surprised!), 3) For the selfie part, hold the phone at arm's length and look directly at the camera, not at your image on screen, 4) If you wear contacts, try without them as sometimes the reflection can interfere with facial recognition. Also, Pro tip: If you get through the document scan but fail at facial recognition, don't restart the whole process - you can usually just retry the selfie portion. The verification usually takes 2-3 business days to process once you successfully complete all steps, so factor that into your timeline. Hang in there - almost everyone gets through eventually!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Been stuck on the facial recognition part for 3 days straight. Reading through all these tips is super helpful - I had no idea about the VPN issue or using a dark surface for the ID scan. Going to try the phone + Safari + natural lighting combo tomorrow morning, and definitely turning off my VPN first. It's so frustrating that such an important process has so many technical glitches, but at least it sounds like most people eventually get through. Thanks everyone for sharing what worked for you - gives me hope I'll figure this out soon!