4-month DEO adjudication nightmare - claimed only 4 weeks but still no payments in 2025

The exact same thing happened to me!! I filed in September and only claimed 6 weeks before finding a new job in healthcare. My claim has been in adjudication for 5 months and I'm STILL waiting. Every time I call they say it's "escalated" but nothing changes. I'm convinced the DEO is deliberately delaying claims hoping people will give up.

Unfortunately this is pretty common right now. The DEO's current adjudication backlog is massive due to staff shortages and system upgrades they started in late 2024. For claims with any kind of issue that triggers adjudication (employment separation questions, earnings verification, etc.), the wait times are extending to 16-20 weeks in many cases. One thing that might help: call and specifically ask if there are any fact-finding questionnaires you need to complete or if there's missing information on your claim. Sometimes there's a specific hold-up they can identify that isn't obvious on your CONNECT dashboard. Make sure you log into CONNECT at least once a week to check for any new correspondence or fact-finding requests.

omg same boat!! filed in nov, got job in dec, still waiting on 3 weeks pay... DEO is a JOKE

After fighting with the DEO for months over my 8-week claim last year, I finally got through to someone who could actually help by using Claimyr (claimyr.com). Instead of getting disconnected or waiting hours, I got connected to a DEO agent in about 20 minutes who actually pulled up my file and fixed the adjudication issue on the spot. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj The agent told me that escalations often get stuck in the system without being assigned to an adjudicator, but when you get someone on the phone who can see the specific issue, they can sometimes resolve it immediately depending on what's holding it up. Worth trying since you've already been waiting so long.

my neighbor works for DEO (not in claims dept) and she says theyre super short staffed since they laid off all the covid temp workers. only like 30% of the adjudicators they need right now. system is broken af

Speaking as someone who worked through a similar situation, here's what you need to know about adjudication at DEO: 1. Adjudication is essentially their investigation process to verify claim details. Common triggers include job separation reasons, work search compliance, or income verification. 2. The "highest priority" escalation does exist, but there are literally thousands of claims with this designation. They prioritize within these escalations based on filing date and complexity. 3. For claims with only a few weeks, they sometimes get lower internal priority since the dollar amount is relatively small compared to ongoing claims. 4. The most effective approach is to: - Call and specifically ask what's causing the adjudication (separation issue, wages dispute, etc) - Ask if there's a fact-finding interview that needs to be scheduled - Request that they note in your file that you're experiencing financial hardship - Contact your state representative with your claimant ID and detailed timeline The current expected timeframe for adjudication resolution is unfortunately 16-22 weeks for many cases, but claims with fewer weeks sometimes get resolved faster once they're actually assigned to an adjudicator.

Just wanted to share that I finally got my adjudication resolved after 5 months (filed July 2024, resolved December). What finally worked was emailing BOTH my state representative AND state senator with my claimant ID, last 4 of SSN, and a timeline of my attempts to contact DEO. Senator's office contacted DEO directly and my case was resolved within 2 weeks after that. The most frustrating part was finding out my adjudication was for something completely minor - a 1-day overlap between my final paycheck date and my claim filing date. The adjudicator fixed it in literally 5 minutes once it was actually assigned to someone. Don't give up!

update on my situation - i finally got my 6 weeks of payments after 5 months! what finally worked was filing a complaint with the florida inspector general (myflorida.com/inspector-general) about the delay. got a call from DEO 3 days later and money hit my account next day. might be worth trying!

One more tip: If you're trying to reach DEO by phone, call right when they open at 7:30am. That's when the queue is shortest. And always make sure to have your claimant ID, PIN, and the last 5 work search contacts you submitted (they sometimes verify these). When you do get through, specifically ask if there are any "pending determinations" or "issues" listed on your claim that you can't see in CONNECT. Sometimes the representatives can see details that aren't visible to claimants online. The DEO is running about 90-120 days behind on adjudication right now, but claims with simpler issues are sometimes grouped together for batch processing. This helps them clear more cases more quickly.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed in December 2024, only claimed 3 weeks before getting hired at a new job, and my claim has been stuck in adjudication for over 2 months. It's so frustrating because like you said, it's such a small amount (around $900 for me) but it would have really helped with the gap between jobs. I've called probably 10 times and get the same runaround about "escalation" and "no timeline available." Reading through these comments is actually really helpful though - I had no idea about contacting state representatives or the inspector general. I'm definitely going to try those approaches this week. It's crazy that so many of us are dealing with this for just a few weeks of benefits. You'd think shorter claims would be processed faster, not slower! Keep us updated on what works for you - I'll do the same if I make any progress.

I'm dealing with the EXACT same situation - filed in January 2025, only claimed 2 weeks before finding new employment, and here I am still waiting on adjudication after 6 weeks. The amount is only about $580 but it would have covered my car payment during the transition. What's really frustrating is that I've been completely transparent with DEO - I reported my new job immediately when I started, provided all documentation they requested, and my former employer confirmed the layoff was legitimate. Yet somehow this simple 2-week claim needs "investigation." Based on all the helpful advice in this thread, I'm going to try calling at 7:30am tomorrow and ask specifically about any hidden issues in my claim. If that doesn't work, I'll contact my state representative and file an inspector general complaint. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops for what should be straightforward claims, but at least now I have a roadmap thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here. Will definitely update if any of these strategies work for me!

I'm dealing with this exact nightmare too! Filed in December 2024 for just 2 weeks after a temporary layoff, got rehired quickly, but now it's been over 2 months in adjudication limbo. The $520 I'm owed seems small but it would have covered groceries during that gap. What really gets me is that I did everything right - filed immediately, reported my rehire date, provided all documentation. Yet somehow my straightforward 2-week claim requires the same lengthy "investigation" as someone claiming for months. It makes no sense! Reading all these success stories gives me hope though. I'm going to try the inspector general complaint route that @Connor Murphy mentioned, plus contact my state rep. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need political intervention to get basic benefits processed, but if that's what it takes, I'm doing it. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least we know we're not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare!

I'm in the exact same nightmare! Filed in January 2025 for only 3 weeks after a contract position ended, found new work quickly, but I'm still sitting in adjudication purgatory after 6+ weeks. The $675 I'm owed isn't life-changing money, but it would have covered my utilities during the transition period. What's really infuriating is that I provided every document they requested, my employer confirmed the contract ended as scheduled, and I reported my new job immediately - yet somehow this straightforward 3-week claim needs months of "investigation." Meanwhile, I'm watching the weeks tick by knowing that even if it gets approved tomorrow, I'll have been waiting longer than I actually claimed benefits for! Based on all the helpful advice in this thread, I'm planning to contact my state representative this week and file an inspector general complaint. It's absolutely insane that short-term claimants who did everything right and found work quickly are getting stuck in the same bureaucratic black hole as complex cases. The system is completely backwards - we should be processed faster, not slower! Will definitely update if any of these escalation tactics work. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's both comforting and maddening to know so many of us are dealing with this same broken system.

I'm going through the exact same frustrating experience! Filed in late December 2024 for only 5 weeks after my seasonal retail position ended, found a new job in early February, but I'm STILL waiting on adjudication after 8+ weeks. The $950 I'm owed would have really helped with credit card payments during that employment gap. What's driving me crazy is that this was a completely normal seasonal layoff - happens every January at my old store, totally routine, and my manager even provided a letter confirming it was standard post-holiday workforce reduction. Yet the DEO acts like they need to investigate some major fraud case for my simple 5-week claim! Reading through all these comments has been both helpful and infuriating. It's clear this is a widespread problem affecting tons of people who just needed a small bridge between jobs. I'm definitely going to try the inspector general complaint and state representative contact based on the success stories shared here. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to go to these lengths for such straightforward claims, but if that's what it takes to get the DEO to actually do their job, I'm willing to try anything at this point. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and strategies - at least we're not suffering through this broken system alone!

I'm experiencing the EXACT same situation and it's driving me insane! Filed in January 2025 for only 6 weeks after my nonprofit contract position ended, landed a new job in early March, but I'm still stuck in adjudication hell after 2+ months. The $1,080 I'm owed would have covered rent during that gap period. What makes this even more frustrating is that my case is completely straightforward - contract ended as scheduled, nonprofit provided confirmation letter, I reported new employment immediately. Yet somehow my simple 6-week claim needs the same extensive "investigation" as someone filing for months of ongoing benefits. The logic is completely backwards! Reading all these comments has been both reassuring and infuriating. It's clear the DEO is failing massive numbers of people who just needed small bridge payments between jobs. Based on everyone's success stories, I'm going to contact my state representative AND file an inspector general complaint this week. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need political intervention for such basic claims, but if that's what breaks through this bureaucratic nightmare, I'm all for it. Thanks to everyone sharing their strategies and updates - knowing we're not alone in this broken system helps keep me sane while fighting for what we're rightfully owed!