I'm dealing with this exact same interstate nightmare right now! Remote worker from Colorado for a Florida company, been waiting 8 weeks since filing with Colorado unemployment and getting absolutely nowhere. What's really helped me after reading through this entire thread: - Finally got through to FL DEO yesterday using that Claimyr service someone mentioned - turns out Colorado never actually sent any wage verification request despite telling me they did 6 weeks ago! - My former employer's payroll department had been waiting for verification requests that never came - Started calling both states daily with specific questions about case numbers and reference IDs like others suggested The breakthrough came when I got both states on a three-way call (took me 47 attempts to coordinate this) and we discovered the wage request was sitting in Colorado's "pending interstate queue" with no one assigned to process it. The agent was able to send it while we were all on the phone together. For anyone just starting this process - don't trust ANYTHING either state tells you about "processing" or "waiting for information." Demand specifics, get reference numbers, and verify everything with both states. The system is completely broken but persistence does eventually pay off. I should finally get my first payment next week after 8 weeks of hell, but at least I'll get all the backpay. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this thread literally saved my sanity and gave me the roadmap to finally get results!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation as a remote worker from Arizona for a Florida company! Filed with Arizona unemployment 3 weeks ago and this thread has been absolutely eye-opening about what I'm actually facing. Based on everyone's experiences here, I realize I need to stop passively waiting and start being aggressive about managing this process myself. Arizona unemployment just keeps telling me to "wait for processing" but clearly that means nothing is actually happening behind the scenes. Starting tomorrow I'm going to: - Call FL DEO directly to verify if they've actually received any wage verification request from Arizona - Get my former employer's payroll department involved proactively to make sure they're ready for verification requests - Start that documentation spreadsheet everyone's mentioned (wish I'd started this 3 weeks ago!) - Try that Claimyr service if I can't get through to actual humans The three-way call strategy that @Zadie Patel mentioned is brilliant - I never would have thought to coordinate both states on the same call to force them to actually communicate instead of just claiming they are. This thread should honestly be required reading for any remote worker. The fact that we have to become our own case managers for what should be a routine government process is absolutely insane, but at least now I know what I'm up against. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and strategies!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Got approved about 2 weeks ago and still no Way2Go card. This thread has been absolutely incredible - I had no idea about the Way2Go website login option or any of these other workarounds until reading through everyone's experiences. Just tried creating an account on the Way2Go website using my SSN and DOB like others mentioned, and it shows my card was mailed 7 days ago! That's both relieving and concerning since it should have arrived by now, but at least I finally have some real information instead of just wondering what's happening. Planning to try that early morning call strategy at 8 AM tomorrow based on all the success stories here. The thought of waiting on hold for hours is just not realistic when you're already stressed about money, so hopefully the early timing will work better. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become detectives just to track down our own approved benefits! But I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their real experiences and practical tips here. This community has been way more helpful than any official DEO communication I've received. Definitely going to switch to direct deposit once I get this card mess sorted out - never want to deal with Way2Go delays again! Thanks everyone for making this frustrating process feel less isolating. Will update once I hear back from Way2Go tomorrow!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare! Been approved for 3 weeks now and still no Way2Go card in sight. This thread has been an absolute lifesaver - I had no clue about the Way2Go website login trick or any of these other workarounds until I found this post. Just tried creating an account using my SSN and DOB like everyone mentioned, and it shows my card was mailed 12 days ago! That's definitely concerning since it should have arrived by now. Based on all the experiences shared here, it sounds like it probably got returned as "undeliverable" even though my address is correct in CONNECT. I'm definitely going to try that 8 AM call strategy tomorrow morning. The idea of being on hold for hours is just not doable when you're already stressed about bills. If it's been 12 days since it was supposedly mailed, I think I'm well within my rights to request an expedited replacement. It's absolutely insane that we have to become amateur investigators just to track down our own approved unemployment benefits! But I'm so grateful everyone is sharing their real experiences here. You've all been way more helpful than any DEO rep I've talked to. One thing I wanted to add - I called my utility company yesterday and they said they'll accept a screenshot of my CONNECT account showing approved payments as proof of income for a payment extension. Might help others who are struggling with bills while waiting for these cards to finally show up. Definitely switching to direct deposit the second I get this mess resolved. Thanks everyone for making this stressful situation feel less isolating!

Hey Freya! I've been on Florida unemployment for about 9 months now and also claim on Tuesdays with the Way2Go card. You should definitely expect your deposit Friday or Saturday - the card is consistently 1-2 days slower than direct deposit, but it's very reliable once you're in the system. Since this is your first payment ever, don't panic if it doesn't arrive until Monday. The DEO often takes extra time for that initial deposit while everything gets fully processed and established. You'll definitely have it by early next week for your bills though. Quick tips that made a huge difference for me: - Make sure you have the Way2Go app with notifications enabled - you'll get instant alerts when the deposit hits - Keep checking your CONNECT account for payment status changes - when it switches to "processed" the money arrives within 24 hours - Don't stress if the timing isn't perfect this first time - it becomes super predictable after a few weeks The hardest part (getting approved) is behind you! This community has been invaluable for navigating all the DEO quirks, so feel free to ask questions as they come up. You've got this!

Hey Freya! I've been on Florida unemployment for about a year now and also claim on Tuesdays. Since you're using the Way2Go card, you should expect your deposit to hit Friday or Saturday this week - the card is definitely slower than direct deposit but pretty consistent once you're in the routine. Since this is your very first payment, don't stress if it takes until Monday. The DEO system often needs extra processing time for that initial deposit while everything gets set up properly in their system. You should definitely have it by early next week though, so you'll be covered for your bills. The key things that helped me when I was starting out: - Download the Way2Go app and turn on notifications - you'll know immediately when it hits - Keep checking your payment status in CONNECT - when it changes to "processed" you know the money is coming within 24 hours - Don't panic if the timing isn't perfect this first time - it becomes much more predictable after the first few payments You've already gotten through the hardest part by getting approved! The waiting for that first payment is always nerve-wracking when you're budgeting around it, but you're in good shape. Welcome to the community - everyone here is super helpful when you have questions about navigating the DEO system!

This is such an incredibly helpful thread! I'm currently on week 20 of my claim and starting to see the writing on the wall that I'll be hitting this "Exhausted Active" status soon. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has completely prepared me for what's coming. The most crucial takeaway for me is understanding that "Exhausted Active" isn't actually a bad thing - it's just DEO's confusing way of saying you've used your regular benefits but the claim is still open for potential extensions. And the employment verification questions are NOT asking you to resubmit everything from scratch, just confirm what's already there. I love how this community has essentially created the comprehensive guide that DEO should have provided. The consistent advice across all these success stories - confirm existing employment info only, don't resubmit wages, continue claiming weeks during review - gives me total confidence in how to handle this when my time comes. Special thanks to everyone who shared timeline updates and followed up with outcomes. Seeing that people actually get approved for Extended Benefits when they follow this process correctly is so reassuring. This thread should definitely be bookmarked by anyone on Florida unemployment - you've all saved so many people from making costly mistakes with their claims!

This thread is absolutely incredible and should be required reading for anyone approaching the end of their regular unemployment benefits in Florida! As someone who's been on unemployment for about 18 weeks now, I know I'll be facing this "Exhausted Active" situation very soon and was honestly dreading trying to figure out what to do when it happens. What strikes me most is how DEO has managed to make what should be a straightforward process so unnecessarily confusing and stressful. The fact that "Exhausted Active" sounds like something terrible when it's really just a status update, and those employment verification questions that seem to be asking you to resubmit everything when they're actually just asking you to confirm existing info - it's like the system is designed to trick people into making mistakes. The consistency of advice throughout this entire thread is remarkable: confirm existing employment information only, absolutely DO NOT resubmit wages that are already in their system, and most importantly keep claiming your weekly benefits during the review process. I would have definitely made at least two of those mistakes without this community guidance. Reading the success stories, especially from the original poster getting approved for Extended Benefits, gives me so much confidence that following this process actually works. The 3-7 day timeline for review completion also helps set realistic expectations instead of panicking if it doesn't update immediately. Thank you to everyone who took the time to document their experiences and help others navigate this mess. This community knowledge is honestly more valuable and reliable than anything DEO provides officially!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also a new claimant who just got caught off guard by the work search requirement. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm setting up my tracking spreadsheet tonight and will start my 5 weekly activities immediately. The fact that CareerSource workshops, LinkedIn networking, and temp agency registrations count as activities makes this seem much more doable than I initially thought. I'm planning to call DEO tomorrow too to ask about that "good faith" exception for my missed first week. It's honestly frustrating that they don't explain these requirements clearly upfront, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their knowledge here. This community is saving people from potentially losing thousands in benefits! For anyone else reading this - start your work searches NOW and document everything. Don't make the same mistake we did!

This whole thread has been a wake-up call for me! I just started my unemployment claim process this week and had absolutely no idea about the 5 work search activities requirement. I was planning to take a few days to decompress after my layoff before really diving into job hunting, but clearly that's not an option with DEO's strict requirements. Reading everyone's experiences here - especially the stories about overpayments and audits - has me motivated to get my act together immediately. I'm setting up a tracking spreadsheet tonight with all the columns people mentioned (date, company, position, contact method, etc.) and will start applying to jobs first thing tomorrow morning. The tips about CareerSource workshops and LinkedIn networking counting as activities are game-changers since I really do need help polishing my job search skills anyway. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here - you've probably saved me from a very expensive mistake!