Need ID.me phone number for NY unemployment verification - stuck on identity check
Been trying to do the ID.me verification for my NY unemployment claim since yesterday but keep getting stuck at the facial recognition part. My internet connection isn't great and the video chat option isn't working either. Is there a direct phone number I can call for ID.me support? The website just keeps looping me back to try again and I'm worried my benefits will get delayed if I don't verify soon. Already tried calling the regular unemployment number but they just told me to complete it online.
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Connor Byrne
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.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•Thank you so much! I'll try calling them tomorrow morning. Do you know if they're usually backed up with calls? Should I expect to wait a long time?
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Yara Elias
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!
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•Thanks for the tip! I'll try better lighting first. Did you use your phone or computer when it finally worked?
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Yara Elias
•Used my phone. Computer camera was too grainy. Make sure ur phones charged fully tho cuz my battery died halfway thru and I had to start over 🤦♂️
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QuantumQuasar
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.
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Keisha Jackson
•is that service legit tho?? seems sketchy to use a third party when dealing with something as important as unemployment
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Paolo Moretti
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.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•This is super helpful! I didn't know about the 3-attempt lockout. I'll try with natural light tomorrow morning and make sure to take screenshots of any errors. Thank you for the detailed advice!
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Amina Diop
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
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Paolo Moretti
•While I understand your frustration, the system isn't actually designed to deny benefits. The verification delays shouldn't result in repayment requirements unless there were other eligibility issues. If they're asking for repayment solely because of ID.me delays, you should request a determination review and explain the technical difficulties you experienced.
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Oliver Weber
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.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•Oh! I do have a VPN running - never would have thought about that being the issue. I'll turn it off and try again. Thanks for the passport tip too, I might try that if my license keeps failing.
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Keisha Jackson
did u try clearing ur cookies and cache? worked for my cousin when he had same problem
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•I haven't tried that yet. I'll clear my browser data before my next attempt. Thanks!
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Connor Byrne
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.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•Thank you! I just checked and found the form in my account. This might be the easiest solution if my next attempt doesn't work. Really appreciate you coming back to share this update!
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