PA IDme verification nightmare - 5 legislative requests and still locked out of benefits

The IDme verification is THE worst part of PA's system right now. What worked for me was doing a video verification call instead of just uploading docs. Go back to IDme (not through UC portal), click on "verify through video call" option, and schedule a time. They're booked like 5-7 days out usually, but at least a real person reviews your documents live. I had the same "waiting for email" issue and the video call fixed it within 48 hours after completion.

OMG i had the EXACT same problem!!!! the system is GARBAGE and nobody picks up the phone EVER. i spent 3 weeks just hitting redial and never got through. total joke.

Pennsylvania is deliberately making it difficult to claim benefits. It's not incompetence, it's BY DESIGN. They brag about having "billions" in the UC fund while making it impossible to access. It's a feature, not a bug! I had the same IDme issue and ended up having to drive 3 HOURS to an in-person CareerLink office to get it resolved after 6 weeks of nothing.

I had success using Claimyr to finally get through to an actual UC representative. After weeks of calling and getting busy signals, I found their service (claimyr.com) that basically keeps dialing for you until they get through, then they call you when they have a rep on the line. Saved me hours of redial hell. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 When I finally got through, the rep was able to manually push my IDme verification through on their end after confirming my identity. Apparently some claims get stuck in a verification loop that only a rep can fix.

Former PA UC employee here. The IDme issues are unfortunately very common. Here's what's happening behind the scenes: 1. Your documents were likely received but sitting in a verification queue 2. The system should automatically update once verified, but there's a known glitch where this doesn't happen 3. Legislative inquiries help but they're also backlogged Your best options right now are: - Request a "manual identity verification" specifically when you reach a rep (this is different from IDme) - Check if your claim shows "monetarily eligible" - if yes, the issue might be a separate eligibility question, not identity - Continue with legislative requests but ask for an "escalation to supervisor review" specifically And yes, unfortunately, reaching a live person is the most effective solution for fixing these verification loops.

my cousin works at IDme (not in PA but another state) and she says they're massively understaffed... like 1 person reviewing hundreds of applications daily. not making excuses for them but explains why everything takes forever. have you tried the chat feature instead of calling? sometimes its faster

Update to my earlier comment - make sure when you do the video verification call with IDme that you specifically ask them to "push the verification to Pennsylvania UC system manually." I didn't know this the first time and had to do a second call because apparently they need to take an extra step to notify PA's system. The IDme verification and PA UC systems don't always communicate properly.

I finally resolved my IDme issue last month after similar frustrations. Here are the exact steps that worked for me: 1. Complete a new IDme verification through their website directly (not through the PA UC portal) 2. After verification, take screenshots of your completed verification and confirmation 3. Email those screenshots to UCHelp@pa.gov with your claim number in the subject line 4. Call the PA UC number at exactly 7:59am (right before they open) - this increased my chances of getting through 5. When connected, ask specifically for a "manual synchronization of IDme verification" It took about 4 days after these steps, but my claim finally processed. Hope this helps someone else stuck in this nightmare!

UPDATE: Finally got through using the Claimyr service mentioned above! After 4 weeks of nothing, I had a PA UC rep on the phone within 45 minutes of trying Claimyr. The rep confirmed my IDme verification was actually complete on their end but hadn't updated in their system. She manually released my claim and my payment should process in 2-3 business days. For anyone else stuck in this mess, getting to an actual human was the only solution. The rep said they're seeing tons of these "stuck in verification" issues and only a live person can fix them. Worth every penny to not spend weeks more waiting!