Florida Unemployment
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DEO keeps rejecting my effective date change request - 4 attempts and still waiting!
I'm at my wit's end with the DEO system! My employer reported my last day incorrectly (they put March 15, 2025 when I actually stopped working February 28, 2025), and now I'm missing two weeks of benefits. I've submitted the effective date change form FOUR SEPARATE TIMES over the past month, and my CONNECT account still shows the wrong date. No updates, no notifications, nothing! Customer service just tells me 'it's processing' every time I call. Has anyone dealt with this effective date nightmare before? How long does it seriously take for them to process a simple date correction? I'm losing hundreds of dollars because of their incompetence.
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DEO payment delays since Hurricane Milton - certifications submitted but no direct deposit
Hey everyone, getting pretty stressed here. I submitted my biweekly claim certifications on Monday (10/14) and now it's Friday with ZERO money in my account. I've checked CONNECT and it shows 'processed' status but nothing has hit my bank account yet. Usually takes 1-2 days max. Anyone else experiencing payment delays after Hurricane Milton? Is DEO backed up because of the storm? I've tried calling about 20 times today and just get automated messages or disconnected. Really counting on this payment for rent next week... starting to panic a bit. Any insights appreciated!
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my friend works for a bank and she said they've been having issues with all kinds of government direct deposits this week not just unemployment so its probly bigger than just DEO
FINAL UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know my deposit finally came through Saturday morning. Looks like it was a combination of the Monday bank holiday + hurricane delays. Thanks for helping me stay calm during the wait! Hope everyone else got their payments too.
Glad to hear it worked out! For future reference, after major hurricanes, it's always good to anticipate 1-3 day delays in state services, including benefit payments. The system generally catches up within a week.
Confused: My CONNECT account shows active pandemic benefits but prompting me to apply for RA benefits?
I'm totally confused about what's happening with my DEO account. I was supposed to claim my weeks tomorrow, but when I logged in today to double-check something, I noticed something weird. My account status says 'active' and program type shows 'pandemic Covid 19' with monetary status 'eligible' - and I can still see money available in my account. BUT instead of letting me claim weeks, the system is saying 'you may apply for Reemployment Assistance benefits.' What does this mean? I thought I was already receiving benefits! Did something change with my claim? Has this happened to anyone else? I'm worried I'll lose my benefits if I apply for RA when I'm already getting pandemic assistance...
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My neighbor had this exact problem last month! The CONNECT system is so confusing sometimes. She said she spent forever trying to figure it out. I think she ended up having to start a whole new claim.
The CONNECT system is TRASH. Been that way since they launched it. FL unemployment system is designed to fail ppl on purpose. They never fixed ANY of the issues from the pandemic. Just another way they try to stop people from getting the benefits they deserve!!
Just to follow up - after you submit your new RA application, expect it to take 2-3 weeks for a determination. If your claim is approved, you'll be able to claim weeks as normal. You might see a message about adjudication if there are any issues with your claim that need manual review. If that happens, keep claiming your weeks while the adjudication process is ongoing. Once resolved, you'll receive any back pay for eligible weeks you've claimed.
Thanks for the additional info! I submitted my RA application yesterday. Now I see a new status that says "Pending Monetary Determination" - I guess that's normal based on what you just said. I'll keep an eye on it and continue with the work search requirements in the meantime.
CONNECT system glitch preventing company selection during work search reporting - deadline in 2 days!
I'm in a complete panic right now!! I need to claim my weeks by this Friday (6/20) and I'm stuck at the "Detailed Earnings Information" screen. There's a dropdown menu to select my employer, but whenever I try to click on the right company, it shows for like 3 seconds and then automatically jumps to the bottom option!! I've tried a dozen times and it keeps doing this. When I try to manually enter the correct company info, the system says "employer already listed" but won't let me SELECT it from the dropdown! I've tried on different browsers, cleared my cache, everything. I'm terrified my benefits will be cut off if I don't complete this by Friday. The phone lines are ALWAYS busy - I've called 23 times today with no luck. Has anyone else dealt with this CONNECT glitch? Any workarounds??
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ive been on fl unemployment since march and the CONNECT system is GARBAGE!!! breaks all the time, kicks u out randomly, and half the agents dont even know how to fix the problems!!! its like they WANT us to mess up so they can deny benefits!!!
for real!!! my cousin works in IT and says the system was built in like 2013 and never properly upgraded. they got all that covid money but didnt fix the actual website lol
UPDATE: I got it working with the keyboard navigation trick! For anyone else having this issue: use TAB to get to the dropdown, arrow keys to select, and ENTER to confirm. DO NOT use your mouse at all during this process or it jumps to the wrong option again. Now I'm at the work search requirements section. Do I really need to list 5 job contacts for each week? That seems like a lot...
Yes, Florida requires 5 work search activities per week for regular unemployment (though some claimants may qualify for exemptions). Make sure you're keeping detailed records of all job contacts including company name, position, application date, contact method, and follow-ups. DEO randomly audits these and can request proof, so don't just make them up. Glad you got past the technical glitch!
DEO benefits balance running out - Will this cut off the $600 federal payments too?
So I've been claiming weeks since March and just noticed my DEO balance is getting pretty low. Maybe like 2-3 more payments worth. What happens when that runs out? Do they just stop everything? Will I still get the extra $600 federal money each week if my regular FL unemployment runs out? I thought the $600 was supposed to continue until July but not sure if that depends on still having a state balance. Anyone dealt with this yet? Getting kinda worried about bills...
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Adding to what others have said - when you get on PEUC, your benefit amount stays exactly the same as your regular unemployment. The PEUC extension lasts for 13 weeks or until the program ends (currently scheduled for December 2025), whichever comes first. After PEUC runs out, there's another extension called Extended Benefits (EB) that could give you even more weeks depending on Florida's unemployment rate at that time. But one step at a time - focus on making sure you get on PEUC first when your balance runs low.
Thanks everyone for the help! I think I understand now - when my balance hits zero I need to watch for a PEUC link in CONNECT, and if it doesn't show up in a week I need to call DEO. And yes the $600 will continue but only once I'm properly on PEUC. This is way more complicated than it should be!
One more thing to keep in mind - you still need to claim your weeks on your regular schedule even during that gap period between your balance hitting zero and PEUC kicking in. If you don't, you might not get backpay for those weeks. The system won't let you request payment (since you have no balance), but there should be an option to report/claim your weeks anyway. Keep documenting your work searches too (5 per week) during this transition time.
Exactly right. This is what DEO doesn't explain clearly enough. You must continue claiming weeks even with zero balance to keep your claim active and ensure you'll be eligible for PEUC. Miss a couple of biweekly claims and the system might consider your claim abandoned.
Ruby Knight
There's no direct number for the effective date department unfortunately. You have to go through the main DEO number (800-204-2418) and specifically request to be transferred to someone who handles effective date changes. Make sure to have your claimant ID and the exact dates you're trying to correct when you call. And be prepared for a long wait time - sometimes 2+ hours to get through these days.
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Douglas Foster
claimyr worked for me when i had to call DEO about my effective date last month! got to talk to someone in like 20 min instead of calling for days
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Isaac Wright
Update: I finally got through to DEO this morning after trying the CareerSource suggestion. The rep confirmed all my previous submissions were still in the system (thankfully they weren't canceling each other out) but none had been assigned to an examiner yet. She flagged my case as 'financial hardship' which should move it up in priority. Fingers crossed I see some movement soon!
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Maya Diaz
That's great news! The financial hardship flag can definitely speed things up. Once it gets assigned to an examiner, the actual correction should happen quickly (usually 2-3 business days). Then you'll need to claim those missing weeks right away before they expire. Good luck!
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