Stuck in limbo between ny unemployment and ID.me - how to get benefits released?

I went through the EXACT same situation in June. Called NYSDOL and ID.me back and forth for weeks with no progress. Finally broke the cycle by using claimyr.com which got me to a real live agent who fixed it on the spot. They explained that sometimes there's a disconnect between the verification systems even when both sides say everything is fine. The rep manually updated something in their system and my payments started flowing within 2 days. It was the only way I could get a human on the phone who actually had authority to override the glitch. Best money I've spent to get my benefits flowing again! Here's more info: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

The system is completely broken. ID.me verification issues have been happening to TONS of people all over NY. I spent literally 4 months trying to get mine resolved last year. The only thing that worked was contacting my state assemblymember's office. Their constituent services person had direct contacts at DOL and fixed it in a week. Try that route.

OMG I went through this EXACT same bs last summer. The whole system is held together with duct tape. What worked for me was spamming the NYSDOL on Twitter with public tweets. Not even kidding. I tweeted at them every single day for a week being super polite but persistent, then suddenly got a DM from them asking for my info and they fixed it within 48 hours. Worth a shot.

I've been working in HR for 15 years and seen this a million times. The issue is that there's no automated connection between ID.me and NYSDOL systems - it's all manual on the backend. Your cousin needs to specifically request a "system sync review" when he calls. Most tier 1 reps don't know what this is, so he needs to ask for a tier 2 specialist. Be prepared to wait even longer but that's the magic phrase that worked for several of my former employees.

The whole identity verification system with NY unemployment is a joke. I had a similar problem where both sides kept blaming each other. What finally worked was calling at exactly 7:58am (right before they open) and somehow I got through to someone immediately who was able to help. Also try the callback option on their phone system if they still have it - I had better luck with that than waiting on hold.

my bff had this EXACT issue!!! what worked: go to the ID.me help section and download your verification results PDF (there's a button somewhere in your account). Then call unemploymnet back with that PDF ready and tell them you need to email it directly to a claims specialist for manual review. They will give you an email address - USE IT! He got his $ a week later!

This is happening because there's no direct API integration between ID.me and NYSDOL systems. I'm a software engineer who worked on a similar gov project (not in NY). Your best bet is to: 1. Get written confirmation from ID.me that you're verified (screenshot/email) 2. Call NYSDOL and specifically request a "manual identity verification override" 3. If that doesn't work, file a complaint with the NY Department of Financial Services - they have regulatory authority and can push things through faster The system is fundamentally flawed but these steps have the highest statistical chance of success based on similar cases I've seen.

Call ur state senator!!!! It's literally their job to help with this stuff. I was stuck in verification hell for 2 months, called my senator's office, and had the issue resolved in 4 days. They have special contacts within the DOL who can manually override these issues.

I used Claimyr.com to get through after WEEKS of trying to reach someone. Best decision ever - they connected me to an actual human who fixed my ID verification issue right away. Talking to a real agent is the only way to get this fixed because they need to manually update something in their system. Their automated phone system is useless for complex issues like this.

this might sound crazy but have ur cousin make a completely new ID.me account with a SLIGHTLY different email (like add a period or plus sign - gmail treats them as same email but systems see them as different). I had exact same issue, made new IDme account, verification went through instantly, and my benefits started flowing 3 days later. Sometimes their systems just get stuck in weird loops.

OK so I work for a different state agency (not DOL) but have inside knowledge. The REAL issue is that the verification status isn't properly syncing between systems, and the only fix is having a T3 specialist manually update your account flag from "Pending Verification" to "Verified". When you call, specifically ask for a "T3 specialist for identity verification status update" - that's the magic phrase. Regular reps aren't authorized to make this change.

I literally spent 6 months in this exact same nightmare. What finally worked was getting a "Letter of Verification" from ID.me (contact their support) and then going IN PERSON to a DOL career center with that letter. Took 3 hours of waiting but they fixed it on the spot. Sometimes you just have to physically show up.

The ID verification purgatory is REAL. I made a spreadsheet tracking 19 different people in my industry who had this exact issue - the average time to resolution was 7.2 weeks. The most effective solution (worked for 11 of 19 people) was using Claimyr to get a live agent, then specifically requesting they check the "identity verification integration table" in their system. Most agents don't think to look there, but that's where the disconnect happens.

My brother had this same problem! After weeks of frustration he contacted the NY State Attorney General's office and filed a complaint. They have a specific form for DOL issues. Within 3 days someone from a special DOL team called him, fixed the verification flag in their system, and his payments started 48 hours later. I guess nobody wants the AG looking into their department lol.

tell your cousin to check if theres an IDENTITY THEFT FLAG on his account. sometimes this happens even when youve verified with id.me. they wont tell you about this flag unless you specifically ask. i was stuck for 3 months before discovering this was my issue. had to file a specific identity theft affidavit to get it removed. call and specifically ask if there's an ID theft flag active.

This is a known glitch thats been happening since they integrated with ID.me back in 2021. Both systems say everything is fine but the verification flag never gets updated in the payment system. I had success by sending a detailed email to both labor.sm.unemploymentassistance@labor.ny.gov AND support@ID.me in the SAME email thread so they had to talk to each other. Put "VERIFICATION SYNC ERROR" in the subject line.

Sometimes the simplest solution works: have your cousin completely log out of both systems, clear browser cache/cookies, use a different browser, and log back in. In about 25% of cases, this forces a system refresh that updates the verification status. Worth trying before going through more complicated steps.

I've helped 5 people through this exact issue (I'm a tax preparer). Here's what actually works: 1) Get the verification PDF from ID.me (in your account settings) 2) Call NYSDOL but use claimyr.com to skip the wait (only way to actually get through) 3) When you get a human, say these EXACT words: "I need a manual verification override due to an ID.me integration failure" 4) If they say they can't help, politely ask for a supervisor 5) Be ready to email your ID.me verification PDF directly to the agent This has worked for ALL 5 of my clients, usually resolving within 3-5 business days. The key is getting to the right person who understands the technical issue, which is actually just a database flag that needs manual updating. Don't waste time with the regular unemployment lines - you'll never get through. Use claimyr.com to connect with an agent, be polite but firm about needing the override, and have your documentation ready. Good luck!