@jim584672,
I empathize; this must be incredibly frustrating for you.
I am confused by all the steps it's asking you to follow for login.gov. I originally set up my SSA online account years go using the old "username and password" setup.
A few weeks ago I decided I should finally create a login.gov account, because the SSA website kept prompting me to do so, stating that they were going to "transition away from the old username and password" system of signing in any day now.
I had been putting it off because I expected the login.gov process to be somewhat onerous (pictures, license, etc. etc.) To my surprise, it took me about 3 minutes to set up the login.gov credentials. All I had to do was answer a few questions online and give them my phone number. They sent me the 2FA code, and bingo - I was verified. It never asked for any photos of any kind. I will mention that I don't use the login.gov credentials anywhere else; just on the SSA site.
You mentioned that setting up the original login.gov account was difficult, and apparently involved mailing back-and-forth. Without getting personal, were there circumstances that made your original setup tricky? Maybe a name change, or something along those lines? I'm not asking you to share details, but maybe your current difficulty is happening because the SSA folks unintentionally missed something at their end along the way.
Goodness knows the SSA staff is being put through the wringer right now, and dealing with staff cuts and stress that's off the charts. I realize that doesn't help you to feel better, or lower your frustration with the situation, but maybe something slipped through the cracks. I do hope you are able to resolve this without having to go to a local office in-person, because I imagine that would be time-consuming.
One final thought - when you request the 2FA code, are you sure that you are using the same email or phone number that you used when you set up the login.gov account? If not, that might be why they can't verify you when you sign in. Just a thought.
Best of luck, and I wish you a speedy resolution!