ID.me support: (866) 377-5343 hope this helps

Been dealing with this exact same nightmare for 3 months now! The ID.me verification shows as complete on their end but NY unemployment keeps saying they need it. What's really frustrating is that different reps tell you different things every time you call. One said my case was escalated, another said I needed to redo verification, and the last one couldn't even see my ID.me status in the system. At this point I'm convinced their systems don't talk to each other properly. Definitely going to try contacting my state rep like @Myles Regis suggested - seems like that might be the only way to get real action on this mess.

Just apply online through my.ny.gov and see what happens. Worst they can say is no but if you worked and got laid off you probably qualify. The whole system is set up to help people who lost jobs through no fault of their own.

I'm 19 and went through this exact situation last year when I got laid off from my restaurant job. Can confirm there's no age requirement - I was able to collect unemployment benefits just fine. The key thing is making sure you have enough work history and wages in your base period. Since you worked 8 months at $15/hour for 20 hours a week, you should definitely meet the wage requirements. Just make sure to apply as soon as possible because there's usually a waiting period before benefits start. Also keep all your pay stubs and any paperwork from your employer about the layoff - you might need them during the application process.

This whole system is so confusing! Why can't they just say 'enter your social security number' instead of using some made-up term like unemployment tax number?? Makes everything so much harder than it needs to be.

I totally agree with everyone saying it's just your SSN! I went through this same confusion a few weeks ago. One tip that helped me - after you enter your social security number, double-check that you selected the right birth date from the dropdown menu too. The system is really picky about matching everything exactly, and I almost got locked out because I accidentally selected the wrong month at first. The whole process becomes much smoother once you get past that initial login screen.

I feel for you Katherine - this exact situation happened to me last year and it's so frustrating! I was making $498 one week and decided to pick up a small catering gig that paid $15, putting me at $513. Lost my entire week of benefits over that extra $9. What I learned is to always keep a running total of your weekly earnings and communicate with your employer about staying under the limit if possible. Some employers are understanding about adjusting schedules to help you stay eligible. The silver lining is that unused benefit weeks don't disappear - they just get pushed to later weeks when you're under the threshold again.

I'm sorry you're going through this Katherine. I had a similar situation a few months ago where I went over by $3.50 and lost my entire week of benefits. It's incredibly frustrating, but as others have mentioned, you do need to report the exact amount. What helped me going forward was setting up a simple spreadsheet to track my daily earnings throughout the week - that way I could see when I was getting close to the $504 limit and either ask to leave early or decline extra shifts. Also, if you have multiple part-time jobs, coordinate between them so you don't accidentally go over. The system definitely isn't perfect, but at least those benefit dollars roll over to future eligible weeks.

Glad to hear you found the document request! That's almost certainly what's been holding things up. Once you upload those, you should see movement within 3-5 business days. Just to prepare you: the system often doesn't send a confirmation when they receive/approve the documents, so it might still look like they're pending on your end even after they've been processed internally. Keep certifying weekly and you should see the payments appear suddenly. One more tip: if you upload the documents today, call tomorrow morning and just ask them to confirm receipt. That sometimes speeds up the review process since it flags your account for attention.

Just wanted to jump in as someone who's been helping folks navigate the NY unemployment system for the past few years. What you're experiencing is unfortunately the "new normal" since they rolled out their updated fraud detection system. A few quick tips that might help speed things along: 1. Document EVERYTHING - take screenshots of your account status, save confirmation numbers from any calls you make 2. If you haven't already, create a simple log of every action you take (calls made, documents uploaded, etc.) with dates and times 3. Consider reaching out to your local assemblyperson's office - they often have direct contacts at NYSDOL who can check on stuck claims The radio silence is the worst part of this whole process. At least now that you found the document request, you should see some movement soon. Hang in there - once it gets unstuck, the backpay will come through all at once. The system is broken but it does eventually work for most people. Keep us posted on how it goes!