3+ hours on hold with DEO - what's your record? Ready to camp out for 48hrs

My personal record was 5 hours and 42 minutes last month trying to resolve an adjudication issue. The sad part? When someone finally answered, they transferred me to another department and I got disconnected. I literally cried. But I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that will keep dialing and get you in the front of the DEO's call queue. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. It got me through to someone in about 30 minutes instead of half a day on hold. Saved my sanity during my adjudication nightmare.

lol good luck with that 48 hour hold plan. i gave up after 4 hours yesterday. floirda unemployment system is just trash. been there since 2013 tbh

Here's what I can tell you from experience working with the DEO system: after 5pm, there's almost no chance of getting through to an agent. Their call center officially closes at 7:30pm, but agents stop taking new calls around 5pm to clear the queue. Your best bet is calling exactly at 7:30am when they open. Also, if your claim is pending for 4 weeks, you likely have an adjudication issue that requires a specialist. Regular call center agents often can't help with those. You might want to try contacting your state representative's office. They have dedicated channels to DEO and can sometimes expedite claims with legitimate issues.

My record was 6 hours and 33 minutes back in October. The agent who finally answered was actually super helpful and fixed my CONNECT login issue on the spot. Some advice: have ALL your documentation ready (claim ID, SSN, employment history, any determination letters), use the bathroom before settling in for a long hold, and keep detailed notes of who you speak with and what they say. Specifically ask for a ticket/reference number for your call. If your issue is account-related, sometimes the ID.me verification team can help faster than general customer service. And definitely look into your Florida state representative's office - mine helped unstick my claim after 8 weeks in adjudication purgatory last fall.

6 HOURS! That's how long I waited last Tuesday. SIX!!!! And then they told me they couldn't help with my issue because it was a "technical error" that needed to be escalated!!!! I've been on unemployment 3 times in Florida and each time it's WORSE than before. The whole system is designed to make people give up. That's their strategy.

I waited 3 hours and then my phone died lol

I've tried Claimyr twice now and both times got through to a DEO agent in under an hour. Worth it instead of spending literally the entire day on hold. I know how frustrating this is - I was about to lose my apartment waiting for my claim to move from pending to active.

Quick update on DEO hold times: Per their latest operations report, their current average hold time is 2 hours and 47 minutes, with peak times seeing 4+ hour waits. They're supposedly adding staff, but the training period is 6-8 weeks before agents can handle complex claim issues. If your claim is stuck in adjudication, calling repeatedly won't necessarily help - those issues follow a specific workflow and timeline. However, if you've been waiting more than 3 weeks, requesting an expedited review through your state representative is your best option. Be sure you're still claiming weeks on schedule, even while your claim is pending.

UPDATE: I GOT THROUGH!!!! Total wait time: 5 hours and 52 minutes. The agent was actually super nice (surprising after all this). My issue was an employer contestation that hadn't been properly processed. She said she expedited it and my claim should be resolved in 48-72 hours. I'm not celebrating yet, but at least I know what's happening now. For anyone still struggling - stay strong and keep trying. And definitely contact your state rep's office too, I'm doing that tomorrow as backup.

Congrats on finally getting through! 5 hours and 52 minutes is brutal but at least you got answers. I'm dealing with a similar employer contestation issue - been stuck for 6 weeks now. Can you share what specific information the agent needed to expedite your case? Did they mention anything about the contestation review process or timeline? I'm trying to figure out if I should keep calling or if there's a specific department that handles these faster. Also definitely following your lead on contacting my state rep - seems like that's becoming the go-to move when DEO fails us.

This whole thread is both heartbreaking and helpful - thank you all for sharing your experiences and actual advice! I'm dealing with my own DEO nightmare (7 weeks pending, no income, landlord getting impatient) and it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this insanity. @Isabella Costa congrats on finally getting through! That employer contestation info is super valuable. I'm definitely going to try the 7:30am calling strategy @Omar Hassan mentioned, and I'm looking up my state rep's contact info right now. The fact that we have to resort to calling elected officials just to get basic unemployment benefits processed is absolutely ridiculous, but if that's what it takes... Also bookmarking that Claimyr service @StarSurfer mentioned - at this point I'd pay anything to avoid spending entire days on hold. This system is designed to break us down, but threads like this prove we're stronger together. Keep fighting everyone!

Just wanted to share an update for anyone following this thread - I tried the 7:30am calling strategy this morning and actually got through in just 45 minutes! Turns out my claim was stuck because of a "system glitch" where my previous employer's response to the separation notice never got properly processed. The agent was able to manually push it through and said I should see payments within 3-5 business days. The early morning tip from @Omar Hassan was a game changer - way less hold time and the agents seem less frazzled at the start of their shift. For anyone still struggling, don't give up! Also definitely reach out to your state representative's office as backup. Mine responded within 24 hours and said they'd follow up with DEO directly if my issue isn't resolved by Friday. It's ridiculous that we need multiple strategies just to get basic unemployment benefits, but at least there ARE ways to get through this broken system. Hang in there everyone!

This entire thread is both infuriating and incredibly helpful - thank you all for sharing your experiences and strategies! I'm currently on week 5 of pending status and was honestly starting to lose hope until I found this community. The fact that we're all dealing with the same broken system but helping each other navigate it shows how resilient we are despite DEO's best efforts to wear us down. I'm definitely trying the 7:30am calling strategy tomorrow morning after seeing @StarSailor's success story. It's wild that timing can make such a difference - 45 minutes vs 5+ hours is proof the system is completely unpredictable. Also planning to contact my state representative's office today based on all the positive feedback here. The idea that we need to involve elected officials just to access basic unemployment benefits is absolutely insane, but if that's what gets results, I'm all in. For anyone else still fighting this - we've got this! The solidarity in this thread gives me hope that there are ways through this nightmare. Keep sharing updates and strategies, it's making a real difference for people like me who were feeling completely lost in the system.

Just wanted to add my voice to this thread - I'm on week 6 of pending status and honestly ready to drive to Tallahassee myself at this point! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both validating and incredibly helpful. It's clear that the 7:30am calling strategy is the way to go based on all the success stories. I'm also reaching out to my state rep's office today after seeing how effective that's been for others. What really gets me is how we're all dealing with identical issues (employer contestations, "system glitches," adjudication delays) but DEO acts like each case is some unprecedented mystery. The lack of communication is the worst part - my account just says "pending" with zero explanation of what's being reviewed or what timeline to expect. Thank you all for sharing your strategies and keeping each other's spirits up. This community support means everything when you're drowning in bureaucratic quicksand. Will definitely update if I have any breakthroughs!

Just found this thread after spending 4 hours on hold yesterday only to get disconnected when they "transferred" me! Reading through everyone's experiences is both heartbreaking and reassuring - at least I know I'm not alone in this nightmare. The 7:30am calling strategy mentioned by @Omar Hassan and proven by @StarSailor sounds like the golden ticket. I'm definitely setting my alarm early tomorrow to try it. Also reaching out to my state rep's office today based on all the success stories here. My claim has been pending for 3 weeks with an "identity verification" flag that makes zero sense since I've already done ID.me twice! The fact that we need a whole support group just to navigate basic unemployment benefits shows how broken this system truly is. Thank you all for sharing your strategies and keeping hope alive. This community is more helpful than the entire DEO website!

Just joined this community after finding this thread through Google while desperately searching for DEO help - and WOW, the support here is incredible! I'm currently 2.5 hours into what I'm hoping won't become another 6-hour hold marathon. Reading everyone's experiences has been both validating (I'm not crazy for thinking this system is broken!) and super helpful. Definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service @StarSurfer mentioned and planning to try the 7:30am strategy if today doesn't work out. My claim has been stuck for 5 weeks with some mysterious "eligibility review" that nobody can explain. The worst part is I keep getting the automated texts saying "we're processing your claim" but zero actual information about what they need or timeline to expect. Already reached out to my state rep's office yesterday after seeing how effective that's been for others here. It's absolutely insane that we need to involve politicians just to get basic unemployment benefits, but if that's what works, I'm all for it. Thank you all for sharing your strategies and keeping everyone's spirits up - this community is a lifeline when you're drowning in DEO bureaucracy!