As someone new to this community and currently dealing with the exact same issue, I'm blown away by how helpful this thread has become! I've been trying to file my weekly claim for four days now and was getting so frustrated until I found this goldmine of advice. The combination of strategies everyone has shared here is incredible - from the precise 8 AM timing to the landline suggestions to the slow PIN entry technique. I never would have thought of half these workarounds on my own. It's honestly ridiculous that we need to become phone system experts just to access basic unemployment services, but I'm grateful for this community coming together to help each other navigate this mess. I'm going to try the Tuesday morning landline approach tomorrow armed with all the tips from this thread. Thank you everyone for turning what felt like an impossible situation into something manageable with the right strategy!

I'm new to this community and just went through this exact same frustrating experience last week! After days of failed attempts, what finally worked for me was calling at exactly 8:00 AM on Wednesday morning using my work's landline. The key was entering my PIN extremely slowly - like 3 seconds between each digit - and waiting for the complete automated message before inputting anything. I also discovered that if you get a "please try again" message after entering your PIN, don't hang up immediately. Sometimes if you wait about 10 seconds, it will prompt you to re-enter it and work the second time. It's absolutely insane that we need these elaborate workarounds just to file a basic weekly claim, but persistence with the right strategy does eventually pay off. This thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

I was in a similar situation earlier this year and can confirm what others have said - you can absolutely receive both benefits without any issues! I was initially hesitant to apply for SNAP because I thought it might somehow jeopardize my unemployment, but they really are completely separate systems. The SNAP application process was actually pretty smooth through the myBenefits.ny.gov website that someone mentioned. Just make sure you have your unemployment benefit amount handy when you're filling out the income section. It's been a huge help with grocery costs while I'm job searching. Don't let worry about potential conflicts stop you from getting the food assistance you need - there's no interaction between the two programs at all.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since this question comes up a lot. I was laid off in March and have been receiving both UI benefits and SNAP for the past few months with zero issues. Like everyone else has said, they're totally separate programs - NYS DOL doesn't even ask about SNAP on the weekly certification questions. The only thing I'd add is that when you apply for SNAP, be prepared for them to ask for documentation of your unemployment benefits (like a screenshot of your payment history), but that's just standard verification stuff, not because there's any conflict between the programs. Hope this helps ease any concerns!

Just want to add that you should still try to make all your regular payments on time even while on unemployment. The benefit amount is usually less than your full salary, so budget carefully to avoid late payments that WOULD hurt your credit.

Great question and I'm glad you asked before filing! Everyone else is absolutely right - unemployment benefits won't show up on your credit report or affect your score. I went through the same worry when I was laid off from my tech job last year. Filed my claim right away and my credit score actually went UP a few points during those months (probably just normal fluctuation). The key is keeping up with your existing payments as others mentioned. NYS unemployment maxes out at $504/week so definitely budget accordingly if you're used to a higher income.

Glad you got it sorted out! The VPN issue is actually pretty common with ID.me - their system flags VPN traffic as potentially suspicious which can cause verification to stall. For anyone else reading this thread who might be stuck at the same spot, here's a quick checklist that usually helps: ✓ Use Chrome or Firefox (avoid Safari/Edge) ✓ Set browser zoom to 100% ✓ Disable VPN and any privacy extensions temporarily ✓ Use natural lighting or a bright lamp ✓ Make sure all four corners of your ID are visible in the photo ✓ Clear browser cache before starting If you're still having issues after trying these steps, the video verification call option through ID.me support is usually the fastest backup solution. The whole process has definitely gotten more reliable over the past year, but these technical hiccups still happen occasionally.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in tech support - the ID.me verification issues you experienced are super common and it's great that you got it resolved! For future reference, another thing that can cause problems is having multiple tabs open with the same site. ID.me sessions can conflict with each other if you have the NY unemployment portal open in multiple browser tabs. Also, if anyone is still having trouble after trying all the browser fixes mentioned here, you can actually call ID.me support directly at 1-855-438-3291. Their phone support is usually faster than the chat option, especially during business hours. They can walk you through the verification process step by step or set up the video call verification immediately. The whole system definitely needs to be more user-friendly, but at least there are workarounds when it gets stuck!

The whole system is a mess honestly. I've been unemployed for 2 months and still dealing with adjudication issues. Even when the system is 'open' half the time it doesn't work properly.

I've been dealing with the same frustration! One tip that helped me - if you're getting errors during the Sunday morning maintenance window (2-6 AM), try using the mobile app instead of the website. Sometimes one works when the other doesn't. Also, make sure you're using the correct login credentials - I had issues because I was mixing up my NY.gov account with my old unemployment login. The system can be really picky about browser settings too, so try clearing your cache or using incognito mode if you keep hitting walls.