I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! Filed my claim about 5 days ago after being laid off from a retail company that closed our location, and predictably they've been completely unreachable since the store closure. It's actually such a relief to find this thread and see how many people have successfully navigated this same scenario. The 3-4 week timeline everyone keeps mentioning is really helpful for setting realistic expectations instead of obsessively checking my claim status every day. I immediately started filing weekly claims after reading all the advice here - thank goodness I found this before making the mistake of waiting for approval first! I have my termination letter that clearly states the reason as "store closure due to corporate restructuring" so hopefully that documentation will be sufficient. It's honestly mind-boggling how these companies can just disappear and ignore their legal obligations, but it sounds like NYS DOL has this scenario down to a science at this point. Thanks so much for starting this discussion - it's been invaluable for my peace of mind!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my unemployment claim about 2 weeks ago after getting laid off from a consulting firm that basically went dark after they eliminated half their staff. Just like everyone else here, my former employer has been completely unresponsive to all attempts at communication since the layoffs happened. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - the consistent 3-4 week timeline everyone keeps mentioning gives me realistic expectations instead of constantly refreshing my claim status. I've been diligently filing my weekly claims based on all the advice in this thread (almost made the mistake of waiting for approval first!). I have all my termination documentation saved including the official notice that clearly states "position elimination due to organizational restructuring." It's honestly frustrating how these companies can just abandon their legal obligations, but it sounds like NYS DOL has robust processes for dealing with non-responsive employers. This thread has been a lifesaver for understanding what to expect and managing the stress of this whole process. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know so many others have successfully navigated this same scenario!

I'm new to this community and currently facing this exact same PIN frustration! This thread has been absolutely invaluable - I was starting to panic after searching through my unemployment documents for days without any luck. Reading through everyone's experiences has shown me I was way too focused on just the main paperwork and missing so many other possibilities. I never thought to check my spam/junk email folder, look for small envelopes that seemed unimportant, or especially check that debit card envelope - I definitely have one sitting in my pile that I completely overlooked after getting my card out! The Spanish language calling trick is incredibly clever - I never would have thought of that workaround for getting through faster. Tonight I'm going to try the systematic approach: start with my spam folder, then carefully go through every single piece of mail from NYS DOL regardless of how insignificant it looked. If I still come up empty, I feel much more confident about calling at exactly 8 AM on a weekday morning armed with all these strategies. It's both reassuring and frustrating to see how many of us are struggling with this same broken system, but I'm so grateful this community exists where we can help each other navigate these government bureaucracy challenges. Thank you everyone for sharing your hard-won knowledge and turning what felt like a hopeless situation into a manageable action plan with multiple solutions to try!

I'm brand new to this community and dealing with this exact PIN nightmare right now! This thread has been such a lifesaver - I was completely overwhelmed after spending hours searching through what I thought was all my unemployment paperwork. Reading everyone's experiences has opened my eyes to so many places I never considered looking. I was only checking the main benefits packet but completely missed checking my spam/junk email folder, small "unimportant looking" envelopes, and especially that debit card envelope tip that someone mentioned - I definitely have one of those sitting in my stack! The Spanish language calling trick is absolutely brilliant - I never would have thought of that creative workaround. I'm going to start tonight with a systematic search: spam folder first, then every single piece of NYS DOL mail no matter how trivial it seemed, including thoroughly checking that debit card envelope. If I still can't find it, I feel much more prepared to try the 8 AM weekday calling strategy using all these tips. It's both comforting and infuriating that so many of us are dealing with this same poorly designed system, but I'm incredibly grateful this community exists where we can share solutions and support each other through these bureaucratic challenges. Thank you all for turning what felt like an impossible situation into a clear roadmap with multiple backup plans!

I'm new to this community but experiencing this exact same March 2025 ID.me verification issue! Filed my claim about 2 weeks ago and it's been stuck on "pending" with no ID.me verification email anywhere - checked spam, promotions, everything. This thread has been incredibly helpful in confirming this is a real system bug affecting March 2025 claims and not something I'm doing wrong. Reading through everyone's success stories with the 7:45am calling strategy gives me hope! It's frustrating there's no official notice about this known bug, but so grateful for this community sharing actual solutions. Planning to try calling tomorrow morning using the tips from @Connor Murphy and others. Will update once I hopefully get through to an agent who can manually send my verification link. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps knowing we're not alone in this!

New member here and currently experiencing this exact same March 2025 ID.me verification nightmare! Filed my unemployment claim in mid-March and it's been stuck on "pending" for almost 3 weeks now with absolutely no ID.me verification email anywhere - checked spam, promotions, trash, social tabs, everything multiple times. This thread has been absolutely invaluable in confirming that this is a legitimate widespread system bug specifically affecting March 2025 claims, not user error on my part. Reading through everyone's detailed success stories with the 7:45am calling strategy is giving me so much hope after weeks of complete frustration! The fact that multiple people have gotten through to NYSDOL agents who immediately recognize and manually fix this March 2025 ID.me bug shows there's definitely a real solution here. I'm planning to start my calling attempts first thing tomorrow morning at 7:45am using all the proven strategies that @Connor Murphy and others have shared in this thread. Really appreciate this community for providing actual real-world solutions when the official NYSDOL website just sends you in endless circles with zero helpful information about this known issue. Will definitely update this thread once I hopefully connect with an agent who can manually trigger my ID.me verification link and finally get this mess resolved!

u can also fax it to 518-457-9378 but goodluck getting through... their fax is always busy fr

Another option is to try uploading it through the NY.gov unemployment portal if you have online access set up. I was able to submit mine digitally last week under the "Upload Documents" section. Saved me the hassle of mailing or calling!

Just want to add that if you're still having trouble getting through by phone, you can also try contacting your local state assembly member's office. I know it sounds weird but they actually have dedicated liaisons who can help with unemployment issues. I did this last year when I was stuck in appeals hell and they got my case moving within a week. Most people don't know this is an option but elected officials' offices deal with NYSDOL problems all the time. You can find your assembly member on the NY State Assembly website - just search by your zip code. Worth trying if the phone system keeps failing you!

Wow, this thread has been incredibly informative! I'm a newcomer here but dealing with almost the exact same situation - filed for NY unemployment back in December and never received back pay for about 6 weeks I was eligible for before my claim was processed. Reading through everyone's experiences, I feel so much more prepared now to tackle this issue. The key takeaways seem to be: call early Monday morning (7:59am), specifically ask for a "Retroactive Payment Specialist", use the term "retroactive benefits", and have all documentation ready. @Paolo Conti's success story is really encouraging - congrats on getting your $2,180! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service if I can't get through the regular way. It's amazing how this supposedly "automatic" system requires so much manual intervention. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this community knowledge is invaluable for navigating these bureaucratic nightmares!