10 weeks of benefits stuck on HOLD status - still receiving $0 since February

Thanks for responding! I've checked the Determination Details and don't see anything unusual. I completed all the Fact Finding questionnaires right away. There's literally nothing indicating a problem. It's infuriating that they can just hold someone's benefits indefinitely with zero explanation!

Yes, I completed ID.me verification when I first applied. Got the confirmation email and everything. That's why this is so frustrating - I've done everything they've asked!

Thank you for this insight! My former employer did contest my initial claim, but I thought that was resolved when I got the determination letter saying I was eligible. Could it still be under review even after I received that?

Yes, absolutely. The initial determination is just for basic eligibility. If your employer submitted additional information or appealed, that triggers a secondary review. The system will continue to let you claim weeks (and even show you as eligible) but places payments on hold until adjudication completes. It's a deeply flawed system.

That's a great idea! Do you happen to know how to find my state representative's contact info?

Just Google "Florida find my representative" and use the official .gov website to search by your address. When you call, be super nice and tell them it's a hardship situation. They hear from unemployment people all day long.

I second this! Used Claimyr when my benefits were stuck on hold for 7 weeks. Got through to someone who could actually help instead of the usual runaround. Worth every penny when you're waiting on thousands in benefits.

I hadn't heard of this before. I'll check it out - at this point I'm willing to try anything to get this resolved. Did they tell you how much longer you'd have to wait after they expedited it?

same here, they owe me backpay from december still. the left hand doesnt know what the right is doing over there

That's what I'm afraid of - that it's just sitting in someone's queue and nobody's looking at it. Did your cousin do anything specific to get to a supervisor? I can never get past the front-line agents.

Thank you for this reminder! Yes, I've been religiously claiming every two weeks and keeping detailed records of my work searches (more than the 5 required). I'm worried they'll find some tiny reason to deny everything after making me wait so long.

Thank you for this suggestion! I'll definitely email them today. Should I attach any documentation like my determination letter, or just keep it to text?

Just text is better - their email system often blocks attachments. But do mention the exact date of your determination letter and the determination ID number if you have it. That helps them locate your specific case faster.

UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! It took contacting my state representative AND using Claimyr to reach a senior DEO agent, but my payments started processing yesterday. Turns out there was an employer appeal that never got assigned to an adjudicator. The DEO agent manually assigned it to someone who reviewed and dismissed it within 24 hours. All 10 weeks have been approved for payment and should hit my account by Monday. If you're in the same situation, don't wait as long as I did to escalate!

@Sean Flanagan did you pay the $19.99 for claimyr?

@Sean Flanagan That s'such great news! I m'so relieved you finally got it sorted out. It s'ridiculous that it took contacting your state rep AND paying for Claimyr just to get someone to do their job, but at least you ll'get all that back pay. I m'definitely going to try the same approach - my benefits have been on hold for 6 weeks now with zero explanation. Did the state rep s'office respond quickly when you contacted them?

@Sean Flanagan Congratulations on getting it resolved! That s'such a relief after 10 weeks of waiting. I m'dealing with a similar situation - 7 weeks on hold with no explanation. Quick question: when you contacted your state representative, did you call or email their office? And approximately how long did it take for them to get back to you? I m'trying to decide whether to try that route first or go straight to Claimyr. Thanks for sharing your experience!

@Sean Flanagan That s'amazing news! So happy you finally got it resolved. I m'currently going through the exact same thing - 8 weeks on hold with no explanation despite being approved. Your experience gives me hope that there s'light at the end of the tunnel. I m'definitely going to try contacting my state rep first thing Monday morning. Did you have to provide them with specific documentation, or did they just need your basic claim info? And thanks for sharing the Claimyr tip - I ve'been hesitant to pay for it but if it actually gets results it s'worth it when you re'waiting on thousands in benefits.

@Sean Flanagan So glad to hear you finally got this resolved! 10 weeks is absolutely unacceptable. I m'currently dealing with something similar - my benefits have been on hold for 5 weeks now with zero explanation. Quick question: when you used Claimyr, were you able to get through to someone the same day you paid for it? And did your state rep s'office actually follow up with DEO on your behalf, or did they just give you advice? I m'trying to figure out which approach to try first. Thanks for sharing your success story - it gives the rest of us hope!

@Sean Flanagan That s'fantastic news! I m'so happy you finally got your benefits released after all that waiting. I m'currently in week 4 of being on hold with no explanation, and your story gives me hope. Quick question - when you contacted your state representative, did you call their main office number or was there a specific constituent services line? And did they actually contact DEO directly on your behalf or just provide guidance? I m'trying to figure out the best approach since calling DEO directly has been completely useless for me too. Thanks for sharing your success story!

@Sean Flanagan That s'such incredible news! After following your story for weeks, I m'so relieved you finally got this nightmare resolved. 10 weeks is absolutely ridiculous - no one should have to wait that long for benefits they re'entitled to. I m'currently on week 3 of my benefits being stuck on hold with zero explanation, so your success gives me real hope. I m'definitely going to contact my state rep first thing tomorrow and look into Claimyr if needed. Thank you so much for taking the time to update us with what actually worked - it s'going to help so many people in similar situations!

@Sean Flanagan Wow, what a relief that must be! I m'dealing with the exact same situation right now - 6 weeks on hold with absolutely zero explanation despite being approved. Your update gives me so much hope. I had no idea that employer appeals could just sit unassigned like that - the whole system is so broken. I m'going to try both approaches you mentioned. Quick question: when you contacted your state rep, did they respond quickly? And with Claimyr, were you able to get through to someone who could actually see the internal notes on your account right away? Thanks for sharing what worked - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice we all need!

@Sean Flanagan This is incredible news! I ve'been reading through this entire thread because I m'in the same boat - 9 weeks on hold with zero explanation. Your persistence really paid off. I m'curious about the timeline - how long did it take from when you contacted your state rep to actually getting the payments released? And did Claimyr guarantee you d'reach a senior agent, or did you have to try multiple times? I m'hesitant to pay for a service but if it actually works it s'worth it when I m'owed over $3000 at this point. Thank you so much for coming back to update everyone - this gives me real hope!

@Sean Flanagan That s'amazing news! Congratulations on finally getting this resolved after such a long wait. Your experience is really helpful for those of us dealing with similar issues. I m'currently on week 4 of being stuck on hold status with no visible pending issues, just like you described. Based on your success, I m'planning to contact my state representative tomorrow and also look into using Claimyr. Quick question - did you have to provide your rep with specific documentation when you contacted them, or just your basic claim information? And thank you for taking the time to update everyone on what actually worked - it gives the rest of us hope that there is a way through this broken system!

@Sean Flanagan This is such great news! I ve'been following your situation and I m'so relieved you finally got it resolved. I m'currently dealing with something similar - my benefits have been stuck on hold for 7 weeks now with no explanation despite being approved. Your success story gives me hope that there s'actually a way to get through this broken system. I m'definitely going to try both approaches you mentioned. When you contacted your state rep, did you call or email their office? And how quickly were you able to get through to someone helpful with Claimyr? Thanks so much for taking the time to update everyone - this kind of real-world advice is exactly what we all need!

@Sean Flanagan That s'such wonderful news! I m'so happy you finally got your benefits released after 10 weeks of waiting. I m'currently dealing with the same nightmare - my benefits have been on hold for 6 weeks with absolutely no explanation despite being approved. Your success story gives me real hope. I m'planning to contact my state representative tomorrow morning and also look into Claimyr. Quick question: when you reached out to your state rep, did they actually contact DEO directly on your behalf or just provide guidance on what to do? And with Claimyr, how long did it take to get through to someone who could see the internal notes on your account? Thanks for coming back to update everyone - this kind of real-world advice is invaluable for those of us stuck in the same situation!

@Sean Flanagan This is incredible! I m'so glad you finally got your benefits after that nightmare. I m'currently stuck on week 3 with no explanation for my hold status. Your story gives me hope that persistence pays off. Quick question - when you used Claimyr, did they guarantee you d'reach someone who could actually help, or was it still hit or miss? And did your state rep s'office respond within a few days? I m'trying to decide which route to try first since I m'getting desperate. Thanks for updating everyone - it s'exactly what we need to hear!

@Royal_GM_Mark You're absolutely right about documenting everything! I learned that lesson the hard way during my own battle with DEO. One thing I'd add - when you contact your state rep, be prepared with specific dates (when you filed, when you were approved, how many weeks you've been on hold) because their staff will need those details to file an inquiry with DEO on your behalf. Also, don't give up if the first person you talk to doesn't seem helpful - ask to speak with someone who handles unemployment cases specifically. Some offices have dedicated staff for DEO issues. Good luck and keep us updated on your progress! This community has been a lifesaver for so many of us dealing with this broken system.

@Jessica Nguyen This is really helpful advice! I didn t'know about filing a complaint with the Office of Inspector General - that sounds like another avenue worth trying. How long did it take after you filed the complaint before you saw movement on your case? And did they contact you directly or did things just start processing? I m'definitely going to look into local advocacy groups too. It s'crazy that we have to become experts in navigating all these different departments just to get our rightful benefits, but I really appreciate you sharing what worked for you!

@Anna Stewart That s'a great tip about the DEO Ombudsman s'office! I hadn t'heard of that option before. Keeping detailed logs is so smart too - I wish I had started doing that from the beginning. It s'incredible how many different avenues we have to try just to get someone at DEO to do their job. I m'also stuck on hold for 4 weeks now with zero explanation despite being approved. Your approach of trying multiple channels simultaneously seems like the way to go. Please keep us updated on what works for you! This thread has become such a valuable resource for all of us dealing with this broken system. It s'sad that we have to rely on each other instead of getting actual help from the agency that s'supposed to serve us.

@Daniel Rivera That s'brilliant advice about contacting local news stations! I never would have thought of that approach, but it makes perfect sense - DEO seems to only respond when there s'public pressure or oversight involved. The media angle is really smart because they love covering stories about government agencies failing to serve people who need help. I m'definitely going to try that Executive Escalation line you mentioned too - I didn t'know that existed. It s'so frustrating that we have to become investigative journalists just to get our own benefits, but I really appreciate you sharing what actually worked. The fact that your case got resolved in 48 hours after months of waiting shows just how broken their priorities are. Did the reporter actually end up doing a story, or was just the inquiry enough to get things moving?

@Xan Dae Your multi-pronged approach sounds like exactly the right strategy! I m'in a similar situation - 5 weeks on hold with no explanation despite being approved. It s'so frustrating that we have to become our own advocates just to get benefits we re'legally entitled to. That Executive Escalation line is new information for me too - definitely going to try that first thing tomorrow. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here because DEO s'regular customer service is completely useless. They just keep telling us to wait "for processing while" bills pile up. Your plan to document everything and try multiple channels simultaneously makes perfect sense. Please keep us updated on what works! This community has become such a lifesaver for navigating this broken system. It s'sad that we have to rely on each other instead of getting actual help from the agency, but at least we re'not going through this nightmare alone.