One of the most common reasons for stalled Unemployment payments is that the Department of Labor (DOL) needs to verify identity. Here is a guide on how to verify your identity by sending ID documents. If you’re not sure if you need to verify your identity, read ‘Troubleshooting Your Unemployment Application‘.

Update March 2021: The DOL started using ID.me to verify identity. See here for more.

Verifying Identity Overview

When applying for Unemployment, one of the things that the DOL does is verify your identity. Usually, if you provide your NYS License (or non-driver ID) number during the application process, the DOL automatically verifies your identity without you having to provide any further documentation. If you don’t provide your License number, then the DOL almost always requires you to verify your identity before receiving any Unemployment payments (sometimes they release the first payment before halting any further payments). Here is how to verify your identity in order to receive your Unemployment payments.

Which Documents to Send? 

Sometimes the DOL will ask you for specific documents. If that’s the case, then send in what they asked for. For example, this one person was asked to send in a picture of himself holding his ID and another person was asked to send in a NY utility bill.

If you received a generic request for documents, either via form or letter in the mail, or if you haven’t received any messages, but think that this might be the problem, then send pictures of the front and back of three documents.

I have seen too many inconsistencies in what the DOL requires to verify ID, so try to cover your bases and send in more documents rather than less. You are generally meant to send in 3 pieces of ID. If you have 4 valid pieces of ID, you may as well send in all 4.

The documents listed below should be your first choice. 

First ID: Social Security Card

Second ID: If you have a NY State ID (License, Permit or Non-Driver ID), then send that as your second ID. If you don’t have NY State ID but do have a Medicaid card, then send that. If you don’t have a NY State ID or Medicaid card, but do have a school ID, send that.

Third ID: Birth certificate or Passport: If you didn’t send a NY State ID, then send your birth certificate and passport. Even if you did send in your State ID and Birth Certificate, send your passport as a 4th ID.

More ID Options

If you can’t get to three pieces of ID using the options above, here are some more ID options. 

• Social Security card
• NY State ID (license, permit or non-driver ID)
• NY issued Medicaid card
• School ID card
• Passport
• Passport card
• Global Entry card
• Birth Certificate
• Marriage License
• Green card (If you are not a US citizen)
• Out-of-State ID

Do it Right the First Time!

Many people sent in their documents and then after waiting for a few weeks found out that there was something wrong. Keeping to the 5 points below should avoid much frustration:

• 1. Take photos of the front and back of your ID. 
     This applies to all documents, including birth certificates. A number of people sent just the front of the birth certificate and were told they need to send the back too. Now, this does not seem logical, as the back of the birth certificates don’t usually have any person-specific information (unless the child was given a name after the birth certificate was issued, in which case the first name would appear on the back of the birth certificate). However,  better be paid than be logical 🙂
     If you are sending in your passport, make sure the picture includes both the page with your information as well as the signature page.
  2. All ID that has a signature line needs to be signed
     Check your Passport and Social Security card
  3. Signatures need to be visible in the photos
  4. No expired documents
  5. Marriage License
     If you changed your name when you got married, and have different last names on your work or ID, you should send the marriage license as one of your ID documents in order to prove the authenticity of both last names.

Where to Submit Your ID?

If there is a pending form in your “My Online Forms” section called “Request for Identification (NFP)”, then use that.

——-

If there is no pending form, then submit your ID via secure message.

1. Log on to your account
2. Click on “Go to My Inbox”
   
3. Click on ‘Compose New’
   
   
4. Choose the subject “Submit Documents” and detailed subject “Submit Identity Documents“

Note: You can only attach one picture at a time, but you can attach up to five images in one message. Shrink the file size on your computer to be under the maximum 5mb attachment size, to fit more images in one message. Or combine all images into one PDF. My recommendation is to label each image (either the file name if sending individual JPEGS or underneath each image, if sending all images together in one PDF).

What Happens After ID is Submitted?

The DOL will process it and contact you if they need more information from you. Sometimes it takes weeks for them to let you know, or worse, there might be no correspondence at all. So wait a few days after submitting your documents and if your “effective days remaining” don’t start going down within a week, call the DOL to see what the holdup is.

It’s not easy to get through to the DOL. Read some tips here. Ask for a Tier 3 specialist. The ones who answer the phones are Tier 1 representatives who usually can’t help with ID issues. They might tell you to wait it out or some other answer to keep you happy, but you should insist on speaking to a Tier 3 representative who can actually assist you.

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